Research Outline

Esports: Power Five Colleges

Goals

To understand the esports activities of Power Five colleges at both club and varsity levels.

Early Findings

  • We have used this 2019 list of Power Five colleges to assess esports activities.
  • According to an October 2018 Washigton Post article, the University of Utah is the only Power Five school with a varsity esports team.
  • Utah's esports team is part of the university's College of Engineering Entertainment Arts and Engineering "video game development program," and it has six starting players and six backup players.
  • According to a November 2017 article, 47 of the 65 schools that comprised the Power Five at that time had esports programs.
  • The Big Ten League of Legends shows esports teams at the following Big Ten schools: Indiana University Bloomington, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers University, University of Maryland, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of Illinois, University of Iowa, University of Minnesota, University of Nebraska, and University of Wisconsin.
  • We have started a Google Slides presentation with the Power Five schools we have confirmed have an esports team (either varsity or club).