The Rise of Collegiate eSports

College eSports have arrived.  Here's how you can be a part of the action.

The NFL is the only pro sports league that hasn’t been taken down by eSports yet, and it’s days are numbered.  Colleges and universities are growing more aware of this by the day and “Varsity Gaming” clubs and organizations (read collegiate eSports) are popping up from coast to coast.  So should you listen to your parents’ demands and drop the controller to start studying?  Maybe not.  Your PlayStation hours could translate into a college education paid for by the school. …and that money your parents have been saving? Tell them they deserve a trip to Aruba.

What colleges have esports teams?

A lot more colleges have esports teams than you would expect.  Some of the top colleges for gaming athletes are the University of Utah, Georgia State, and UC Berkeley.  It’s difficult to gauge exactly how many colleges offer an official or unofficial esports program due to the rapid growth, but at the time of this writing we estimate at least 250 schools offer some sort of Varsity Gaming program. 

Can I get a degree in esports?

Some colleges are early adapters and are already offering degrees in eSports, mostly eSports management or eSports Business so far.  So, yeah, a degree in eSports is a real thing and available from some universities like UC Irvine, The Ohio State University, and University of Texas at Arlington.

Where can I watch collegiate eSports tournaments?

While some universities are building arenas for their esports teams to host matches, the tried and true is still Twitch.tv which hosts channels like NAC eSports.  Additional resources for Varsity Gaming tournaments are playnacl.com and playvs.com.

Can I get a college scholarship for eSports?

You can absolutely get a college scholarship for eSports.  However your choices are limited…for now.  eSports are growing at a tremendous rate and colleges are adapting more and more to the new reality.  Currently there are about 5,300 colleges in the US and of those, only about 180 offer scholarships to eSports athletes.  That number is expected to grow over time with no end in sight.

What colleges offer eSports scholarships?

As of the time of this writing, only about 3.5% of colleges in the US offer scholarships for eSports, but that still puts the total number over 180.  The list of colleges and universities currently offering eSports scholarships is indicated below alphabetically:

Albright College

http://www.albrightathletics.edu

Alvernia University

https://www.alvernia.edu/esports

Aquinas College

http://aquinas.edu/

Ashland University

https://www.ashland.edu/content/ashland-university-esports

Averett University

http://www.averett.edu

Baker University

https://www.bakeru.edu/

Barton College

www.bartonesports.com

Bismarck State College

http://bscmystics.com

Blinn College

https://www.blinn.edu/esports

Bluefield College

http://www.bluefield.edu

Boise State University

https://www.boisestate.edu/

Bryant & Stratton Virginia

http://www.bryantstratton.edu

Buena Vista University

http://bvu.edu

Bushnell University

https://bushnellbeacons.com/

Campbellsville University

https://www.campbellsville.edu/

Campbellsville University Harrodsburg

http://https://www.cuhpioneers.com

Clarke University

http://www.clarkepride.com

Concordia University Ann Arbor

https://www.cuaa.edu/

Concordia University St. Paul

https://www.csp.edu/#top

Cornell College

https://www.cornellcollege.edu/

Cottey College

http://cottey.edu

Culver-Stockton College

http://www.culver.edu

Dakota Wesleyan University

http://www.dwu.edu

Davenport University

http://www.dupanthers.com

DeSales University

http://www.desales.edu

Dickinson State University

http://www.dickinsonstate.edu

Drury University

https://www.drury.edu/

East Central University

http://ecok.edu

East Tennessee State University

http://www.etsu.edu

ECPI University

https://www.ecpi.edu

Edgewood College

https://www.edgewood.edu/

Edinboro University

https://www.edinboro.edu/

Fanshawe Falcons

https://www.fanshawefalcons.ca/

Florida Polytechnic University

http://floridapoly.edu

Florida Southern College

http://www.flsouthern.edu/home.aspx

Franklin College of Indiana

http://franklincollege.edu

Full Sail University

https://www.fullsail.edu/about/esports

George Fox University

http://georgefox.edu/athletics

Georgia State University

https://cmii.gsu.edu/students/esports/

Glenville State College

http://Glenville.edu

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

http://www.harrisburgu.edu

Howard Payne University

http://hputx.edu

Immaculata University

https://gomightymacs.com/

Independence Community College

http://https://www.indycc.edu/student-life/esports

Indiana Institute of Technology

https://esports.indianatech.edu/

Iowa Central Community College

http://ictritons.com

Juniata College

https://www.juniata.edu

Keiser University – Pembroke Pines

https://www.keiser-education.com/locations/pembroke-pines

Kishwaukee College

http://kishkougars.com

Lackawanna College

http://www.lackawanna.edu

Lakeland University

https://lakeland.edu/

Lebanon Valley College

http://lvc.edu

Lourdes University

http://www.lourdes.edu/

Lubbock Christian University

www.lcuchaps.com

Marietta College

http://www.marietta.edu

Marymount California University

http://http://www.marinerathletics.com/sport/0/21.php

Marymount University

http://marymount.edu

Mid-America Christian University

http://www.macu.edu

Midland University

https://www.midlandu.edu/

Milligan University

www.milligan.edu

Missouri Western State University

https://www.missouriwestern.edu/esports/

Mohave Community College

http://www.mohave.edu

Morningside College

https://www.morningside.edu/

Mount St. Joseph University

http://www.msj.edu

Mount Vernon Nazarene University

http://www.mvnu.edu

Muskingum University

http://www.fightingmuskies.com

Northcentral Technical College

https://www.ntc.edu/

Northwestern Michigan College

http://nmc.edu

Northwestern State Esports

https://www.nsula.edu/esports/

Northwood University

https://www.northwood.edu/

Oklahoma City University

https://www.okcu.edu/esports

Old Dominion University

http://www.odu.edu

Ontario Tech University

http://otsu.ca

Park University

esports@park.edu

Pennsylvania College of Technology

https://www.pct.edu/

Post University

https://post.edu/

Principia College

http://www.principiacollege.edu/

Randolph-Macon College

http://www.rmc.edu

Robert Morris University

www.rmu.edu

Rollins College

http://rollinssports.com/intramurals

Saint Leo University

https://www.saintleo.edu/

Shawnee State University

http://shawnee.edu/

Shenandoah University

http://www.su.edu/esports

Simpson College

https://simpson.edu/

Southeastern University

http://www.seu.edu

Southern Nazarene University

https://snu.edu/

Spring Hill College

https://www.shc.edu/

St. Ambrose University

http://www.sau.edu

St. Clair College

http://www.saintsgaming.ca

Texas Wesleyan University

http://www.txwes.edu/esports

Truett McConnell University

http://www.tmbears.com

University of Central Oklahoma

http://www.uco.edu

University of Guam

https://www.uog.edu

University of Jamestown

https://www.uj.edu

University of Missouri

https://esports.missouri.edu/

University of Montana

http://www.umt.edu

University of Saint Mary

http://www.gospires.com/esports

University of South Carolina Sumter

www.uscsumter.edu

University of the Cumberlands

https://www.ucumberlands.edu/

UNT Dallas

https://oit.untdallas.edu/

Virginia Wesleyan University

http://vwu.edu/esports

Wagner College

http://wagner.edu

Waldorf University Esports

http://www.waldorfwarriors.com/sport/0/31.php

West Virginia University Institute of Technology

http://www.wvutech.edu

West Virginia University Potomac State College

https://www.potomacstatecollege.edu/

Westcliff University

http://westcliff.edu

Western Kentucky University

https://www.wku.edu/

Yellowstone Christian College

http://http://www.gocenturions.com

York County Community College

http://www.yccc.edu

Albion College

https://www.gobrits.com/sports/esports/index

ANDERSON UNIVERSITY

http://www.anderson.edu

Arcadia University

http://www.arcadia.edu

Arkansas State University

https://www.astate.edu/

Brewton-Parker College

http://www.bpcathletics.com/

Bryan & Stratton College Albany

http://https://www.bryantstratton.edu/locations/albany-ny/albany

Bryant & Stratton Buffalo

https://buffalo.bscbobcats.com/sports/esports/index

Bryant & Stratton College – Rochester, NY

www.bryantstratton.edu

Bryant & Stratton Wisconsin

https://www.bryantstratton.edu/locations/wisconsin

Carolina University

http://www.carolinau.edu

Central Michigan University

https://www.cmich.edu/ess/sai/esports/Pages/default.aspx

College of Saint Elizabeth

http://www.cse.edu

Colorado College

http://www.coloradocollege.edu

Concordia University – Seward NE

https://www.cune.edu/competitive-teams/esports

Concordia University Wisconsin

http://www.cuw.edu

County College of Morris

https://www.ccm.edu/

Dallas Baptist University

http://www.dbupatriots.com

Durham College

https://durhamcollege.ca/esports

Eastern Kentucky University

https://campusrec.eku.edu/

Eastern University

http://eastern.edu

Fayetteville State University

http://www.uncfsu.edu

Great Bay Community College

https://www.greatbay.edu/

Highland Community College

https://highlandcc.edu/

Iona College

http://www.iona.edu

Keiser University Lakeland

http://https://www.keiseruniversity.edu/lakeland/

Kettering University

http://www.kettering.edu

King’s College

http://www.kings.edu

Lawrence Technological University

http://ltu.edu

Lincoln Christian University

http://lincolnchristian.edu

Louisiana State University Shreveport

http://lsus.edu

Louisiana Tech University

https://www.latech.edu/

Manchester University

http://www.manchester.edu

Marian University – Wisconsin

http://sabreathletics.com

Mars Hill University

http://www.mhu.edu

Mayville State University

http://https://mayvillestate.edu/

McMurry University

https://mcm.edu/

Messiah College

http://www.messiah.edu

Michigan Technological University

http://www.michigantechhuskies.com

Milwaukee School of Engineering

https://www.msoe.edu/

Minnesota State University, Mankato

http://esports.mnsu.edu

Montgomery County Community College

http://www.mustangsathletics.com

Mount Aloysius College

https://www.mtaloy.edu/

Mount St. Mary’s University

https://msmary.edu/

Neumann University

http://neumannathletics.com

Nichols College

http://www.nichols.edu

North Dakota State College of Science

https://www.ndscs.edu/

Northeastern Junior College

http://www.njc.edu

Northeastern Technical College

http://www.netc.edu

Northeastern University

http://nuhuskies.com/sports/esports

Northern Kentucky University

https://www.nku.edu/

Point Park University

http://www.pointparksports.com

Purdue Fort Wayne University

https://www.pfw.edu/

Roanoke College

https://www.roanoke.edu/

Russell Sage College

Https://www.sage.edu/

Saint Francis University

https://redflash.gg/

Southeastern Illinois College

http://sic.edu

Southern State Community College

http://www.sscc.edu

Southwest Minnesota State University

https://www.smsu.edu/

Spoon River College

https://www.src.edu

St. Lawrence University

https://www.stlawu.edu/

Tennessee Wesleyan University

https://www.tnwesleyan.edu/

Texas A&M San Antonio

http://tamusa.edu

UMKC (University of Missouri-Kansas City)

https://umkc.edu/

University of Central Missouri

http://www.ucmo.edu/esports

University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis

http://eutecticsports.com

University of Michigan – Flint

http://www.umflint.edu

University of Montevallo

http://www.montevallo.edu

University of North America

http://uona.edu

University of Rio Grande

https://www.rio.edu/

University of Saint Francis (IN)

http://saintfranciscougars.com

University of Southern Mississippi

https://www.usm.edu/

Valparaiso University

https://www.valpo.edu/esports/

Wayland Baptist University

https://www.wbu.edu/

Widener University

https://www.widener.edu/

York College

https://www.york.edu/

For even more information on collegiate gaming and scholarships check the School Directory at NAC eSports.

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