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- Esports are competitive video games pitting players around the world against each other in tournaments.
- Some of the popular intercollegiate games include "League of Legends," "Rocket League," and "Overwatch."
- Worldwide viewership is also growing on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, helping esports players and teams sign sponsorships.
Esports are growing in popularity at colleges across the country, with institutions such as MiamiUniversity in Ohio and the University of California, Irvine leading the way with varsity programs and even offering scholarships to prospective players.
Esports is a growing video game field pitting players around the world against each other in tournaments featuring games like "Super Smash Bros. Melee," "League of Legends," "Valorant," and even the recently released fighting game "MultiVersus," where you can play as NBA star LeBron James from "Space Jam."
While the NCAA does not govern collegiate esports, the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) and the National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (NJCAAE) provide structure and governance for college varsity and club esports teams.
And it doesn't just involve players. Worldwide viewership is growing on platforms like Twitch and YouTube, helping esports players and teams sign sponsorships.
Think you're ready to take your esports game to the next level? Check out these colleges and universities leading the way with stellar esports squads.
Colleges in the National Association of Collegiate Esports
Last Updated: September 14, 2022, at 1:45 p.m. ESTA
Adrian College
Albion College
Albright College
Ashland University
B
Baldwin Wallace University
Barry University
Barton College
Bellevue University
Blinn College
Boise State University
Boise State University
Brewton-Parker College
Bridgewater College
C
Camden County College
Campbellsville University
Capitol Technology University
Carolina University
Central Christian College of Kansas
Central Michigan University
Central Penn College
Chowan University
Clarke University
Cleary University
Coastal Bend College
Carolina University
Coffeyville Community College
Colorado College
Colorado School of Mines
Columbia College
Columbia International University
Concordia College
D
Dakota Wesleyan University
Dallas Baptist University
Davenport University
DeSales University
Dickinson State University
Drexel University
Drury University
E
East Tennessee State University
Eastern University
ECPI University
Edgewood College
F
Faulkner University
Ferris State University
Florida Southern College
Franklin College of Indiana
Full Sail University
G
Gallaudet University
George Fox University
George Mason University
Georgia State University
Glenville State College
Grand Valley State University
H
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Highland Community College
Holy Family University
Howard Payne University
I
Immaculata University
Independence Community College
Indiana Institute of Technology
Indiana University East
Iona University
Irvine Valley College
Jacksonville State University
J
Jacksonville State University
James Madison University
Junlata College
K
Kansas State University
Kansas Wesleyan University
L
Lackawanna College
Lake Michigan College
Lakeland University
Lakeshore Technical College
Lawrence Technological University
Lebanon Valley College
Lindenwood University
Louisiana State University Shreveport
Louisiana Tech University
Lourdes University
Loyola University New Orleans
Lubbock Christian University
M
Manchester University
Marietta College
Marymount University
Messiah College
Miami Dade College
Michigan Technological University
Mid-America Christian University
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Misericordia University
Missouri Baptist University
Missouri State University
Mohave Community College
Montgomery County Community College
Mount Aloysius College
Mount Saint Mary College
Mount St. Joseph University
N
Neumann University
Neumont College of Computer Science
Nicholls State University
Nichols College
North Central University
North Dakota State College of Science
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College
Northeastern State University
Northeastern University
Northern Kentucky University
Northpoint Bible College
Northwest State Community College
Northwood University
O
Oakland University
Ohio Christian University
Oklahoma City University
Old Dominion University
Oral Roberts University
Ozarks Technical Community College
P
Pennsylvania College of Technology
PennWest University – Edinboro
Point Park University
Presbyterian College
Principia College
Purdue Fort Wayne University
Purdue University Northwest
Q
Quinnipiac University
R
Radford University
Randolph-Macon College
Ringling College
Roanoke College
Robert Morris University
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester University
Rollins College
S
Saint Francis University
Saint Leo University
Saint Xavier University
Salve Regina College
Seton Hill University
Shawnee State University
Shenandoah University
Siena Heights University
Simpson College
Southeastern Illinois College
Southeastern University
Southern Arkansas University
Southern Virginia University
Southwest Minnesota State University
Spoon River College
Spring Hill College
St. Ambrose University
St. Andrews University
St. Edward's University
St. Lawrence University
Stone Child College
Stony Brook University
T
Talladega College
Tennessee Wesleyan University
Texas A&M International University
Texas A&M San Antonio
Texas Wesleyan University
Thomas College
Transylvania University
Truett McConnell University
Tusculum University
U
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of Central Missouri
University of Central Oklahoma
University of Central Cincinnati
University of Central Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis
University of Jamestown
University of Kansas
University of Maryland
University of Michigan – Flint
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri
University of Missouri – Kansas City
University of New Haven
University of North Dakota
University of Providence
University of South Carolina Sumter
University of Southern Mississippi
University of St. Francis
University of the Cumberlands
University of West Georgia
University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin – River Falls
University of North Texas at Dallas
University of South Carolina Lancaster
Utica University
V
Virginia Wesleyan University
Viterbo University
W
Wagner College
Waldorf University
Washburn University
Wayland Baptist University
Wayne State University
Waynesburg University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
West Virginia University Potomac State College
Westcliff University
Western Kentucky University
Wichita State University
Widener University
Y
York College of Pennsylvania
York County Community College
Data provided by membership page of NAC Esports and NCJAA.
The NCAA Has No Plans to Govern Esports
On April 30, 2019, the NCAA unanimously voted to indefinitely table governing collegiate esports at a board of governors meeting after an 18-month study, according to the Sports Business Journal.
The announcement came five months after NCAA President Mark Emmert sat down to discuss the growing presence of esports during his "State of College Sports" interview at the 2018 Intercollegiate Athletics Forum.
Emmert said he was aware of game publishers like "League of Legends" hosting collegiate tournaments. There had been questions on whether the NCAA would create a structure for intercollegiate esports.
"It's an interesting question, and it begs a whole number of things," said Emmert. "How does it square with traditional athletic activities?"
Emmert said that esports is male-dominated, creating diversity, equity, and inclusion issues under Title IX. He also said some games' violent, misogynistic, and hypersexualized content creates problems for university group affiliation.
The Largest Esports Governing Bodies for Colleges and Universities
While the NCAA does not govern intercollegiate esports, the NACE and the NJCAAE are the two largest governing bodies.
The NACE, formed in 2016, is the largest college and university member esports association in the U.S., with over 170 member schools, 5,000 student-athletes, and $16 million in esports scholarships and aid.
The NJCAAE is a governing body for two-year college esports. It is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Most Popular Games in College Esports
The most popular games for U.S. NACE schools are "League of Legends," a real-time strategy game; "Rocket League," a car-soccer sports game; "Overwatch," a team first-person shooter game, and "Super Smash Bros.," a party fighting game.


