No reason to LoL at LoL: the addition of esports to intercollegiate athletic departments

TLDR

The eSports industry has grown into a multi‑million‑dollar sector, with events in major arenas and televised on ESPN, and has recently been incorporated into intercollegiate athletic departments, yet academic research on the field remains nascent. This paper aims to raise awareness of eSports’ economic growth and examine the potential benefits—such as increased participation, revenue, and diversity—of integrating eSports into intercollegiate athletic departments. The authors provide a concise history, refined definition, market scope, and current status of eSports within intercollegiate athletics.

Abstract

The electronic sports, or eSports, industry has grown into a multi-million dollar industry. The significant growth of eSports can be seen far beyond the participation numbers and spans from eSports' events being hosted in major arenas and televised on ESPN. Most recently eSports were added to intercollegiate athletic departments. Though eSports has gained a lot of momentum economically and in popularity, academic research and study in the area of eSports is still in its infancy. This paper presents: (1) a brief history of eSports, (2) a further developed definition of eSports, (3) eSports size and market scope, (4) and provides an overview of eSports in intercollegiate athletics to date. The main goals of this paper are to create awareness around the economic growth of eSports and shed light on the potential positive implications of adding eSports to intercollegiate athletic departments. Boosting participation numbers, revenue generation, and creating diversity within an athletic department are all considered in this paper.