Despite being viewed as a recent phenomenon, esports have technically been around since the early 1970s. Over the past quarter-century or so, though, the scene has exploded. Major League Gaming (MLG) formed around 2022, and esports have continued a steady yet meteoric climb into the mainstream ever since. Some have even posited they may one day usurp the popularity of traditional live sports.
Many will find that notion ridiculous on its face. That is fair. Clearly, however, esports is not some extended trend bound to peter out. It is already standing the test of time. So much so, in fact that one California college is hoping the implementation of an esports program will increase its enrollment.
Read that last sentence back as many times as you’d like. It is not a typo. California Lutheran University is launching an esports program in the fall of 2026. It is not being shy about why, either: The school views it as a vehicle through which they can drum up student enrollment and, by extension, generate additional revenue.
Will this work? That remains to be seen. At the very least, though, it speaks to the ever-rising popularity and pull esports has over the younger generation(s).
Why Would Colleges Create Esports Programs to Increase Revenue?
People often forget that colleges are typically for-profit institutions. They need to make money. Especially if they don’t have swathes of rich donors.
Attempting to tap into the esports well, while an off-beat approach, makes some level of sense from a business perspective. Its appeal is no longer niche. It exists, it dominates on a broader scale.
Pro sports like the NFL, NBA, MLS, etc. have their own separate e-sports leagues. Salaries for pro esports players are now routinely in the six-figure range, with some approaching the seven-figure mark, particularly when factoring in endorsements. All of the best California betting apps offer esports lines, front and center, including on niche events, as Trent Reinsmith writes for MyTopSportsbooks. The biggest esports tournaments are broadcast and streamed on massive platforms, including by legacy media companies such as ESPN.
To say there is a ton of money in the industry now would be a gargantuan understatement. There was a seismic surge in its popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were forced to interact and occupy themselves remotely. The industry at large has never looked back. And it is now, as Darryl Baxter writes for Esports Insider, a billion-dollar industry:
“Over the last decade, it’s clear that the esports boom has arrived, evolving into a multi-billion dollar industry as a result of enormous investment and soaring viewing figures for events such as the Call of Duty League, League of Legends Championship, and more. Esports is now a $1.6B+ industry with 220M+ players and mainstream coverage from ESPN, BBC, and more. Streaming services like Twitch, YouTube, and even TikTok have supercharged how fans can keep up with their favourite teams and leagues anytime. Huge brands like Coca-Cola, Mountain Dew, and Coinbase regularly sponsor esports events, further legitimizing the category.”
Building up an esports program at the collegiate level could clearly have major benefits. If everything works out, it would reel in sponsors, not unlike you see with college football, college basketball, college baseball and softball, among other sports.
All of this, however, is predicated on an esports program actually attracting enrollees.
Will Esports Programs Successfully Attract Students?
It is no surprise that California Lutheran University is looking to drum up enrollment. Plenty of other higher-education institutions are attempting to do the same. The proliferation of artificial intelligence has many considering alternative paths after high school.
Esports programs are a clear attempt to reach the newer generation of athletes. And while it’s too late for non-major schools like CLU to gain major footholds in traditional options like football, basketball and baseball, esports programs aren’t as commonplace.
With all of that said, unlike traditional sports, esports doesn’t currently have a former pipeline setup for professional talent. For example, the NBA will not let players into the league who will be under the age of 19 by the end of their rookie season. Esports doesn’t have the same type of age limit.
Consider the average age of pro esports players relative to those of other sports, as researched by ESPN (esports leagues are bolded:
- Major League Baseball (MLB): 29.2
- National Hockey League (NHL): 27.4
- National Basketball Association (NBA): 26.8
- National Football League (NFL): 26.6
- Super Smash Bros. Melee: 25.2
- Counter Strike: Global Offensive: 23.4
- Super Smash Bros. WII U: 23.2
- Starcraft II: 23.0
- League of Legends: 21.2
The average age of many esports leagues overlaps almost perfectly with collegiate years. So while the idea of creating esports programs to draw in major talent sounds good on its face, schools will need to build up a track record of coaching student-athletes toward the next level.
This is not to say California Lutheran University’s plan won’t work. It’s more so an acknowledgement that this is a nascent concept. It will be years before we know whether it’s a smart decision.
To that end, we may also have to move the measurement goalposts. When it comes to esports programs, colleges may not be looking to attract the cream of the crop and the potential sponsorship dollars that come with it. Right now, the most elite players, almost regardless of age, have the ability to go pro. This California Lutheran University experiment could purely come down to offering an extracurricular interest that increases annual enrollment. And if that’s the endgame, we will know whether such an angle pays off much sooner.
