Building Baylor’s Esports Program

Gaming is a rapidly evolving industry, and its impact on the world continues to expand with the market projected to grow 2-3% per year — from an estimated $187 billion in 2024 to more than $213 billion by 2027.

Gaming as an organized activity is a growing trend in middle and high schools, where esports has emerged as a valuable tool for team-based competition, much like traditional athletics. Participation in esports helps students develop important critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills. Scholastic esports also increases academic performance, as students find meaningful connection with peers and are required to maintain attendance and academic eligibility to compete.

“The connection between esports and college enrollment may seem like a leap for some outside the industry, but after learning more about the market, Baylor saw the potential for recruiting these students into several academic programs like engineering, computer science, communication and business, among others,” Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management Recruiting Ross VanDyke, B.A. ’03, said. 

The skills and education combined can lead students involved in esports into careers such as game development, software engineering, cybersecurity, content creation and more. 

“With the declining number of college-bound males and the predominance of males in esports who are also interested in fields where Baylor excels, investment in esports became a priority. Baylor’s efforts took a significant step forward in recent months with the hiring of a full-time esports director and coach,” VanDyke said.