Ohio State ahead of the curve, launches Esports program

The Ohio State athletic program is one of the finest in the country and now the University has taken the lead in Esports as well.

For the top high school football and basketball prospects in the nation, Ohio State is a dream destination to continue their athletic and academic success. The combination of the university’s academics, consistent success across all women’s and men’s sports and to their first-class athletic facilities, makes Ohio State the perfect match for the top recruits in the country.

After an announcement by the University earlier this month, the top Esports competitors may be headed for Columbus now too.

Due to the increasing growth and popularity in the Esports industry, the Ohio State University has chosen to “keep up with the times” and launch its very own first-of-its-kind extensive ‘Esports Program’. According to a statement released by The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, “The campuswide collaboration brings together academics, collegiate competition and multidisciplinary research to give students as many opportunities as possible to be a part of the booming industry”.

Through five colleges, graduate and undergraduate degrees will be offered in specific areas such as business management, game development and programming. Online courses and electives will be offered for Esports content production and specialized credentials as well.

To say that the Esports industry is growing is an understatement. Esports is projected to be a billion-dollar industry by 2019.

According to a report by Newzoo, “the total Esports revenue jumped from $493 million in 2016 to $655 million in 2017 and total revenue could exceed $900 million in 2018.” By 2021, revenues could potentially reach up to $1.65 billion. In terms of audience, the Esports industry will reach a global audience of over 380 million, who are dedicated Esports competitors and viewers this year.

One way Ohio State will become one of the top destinations for Esports competitors is the state-of-the-art arena that is being built to complement this Esports program according to the release.

"“The arena will not only be a place for our teams to practice and compete, but it will also encourage open gaming, and virtual reality experiences,” Brandon Smith, director of esports in the Office of Student Life, said. “It will include over 80 seats, with computer console and virtual reality systems, as well as a broadcast booth for students interested in shoutcasting.”"

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Ohio State Esports teams will compete in the newly formed, Electronic Gaming Federation. The arena will be open to the rest of the student body as well.

The Esports program is working cooperatively with Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center to study the bodies, behaviors and brains of these elite Ohio State Esports athletes. The goal of the Wexner Center’s research is to learn more about an individual’s performance and ability to perform a given task to ultimately unlock new levels of human performance.

Per the release, James Onate, co-director of the Sports Medicine Movement Analysis and Performance Program at Ohio State Wexner Medical Center shared his thoughts:

"“Ohio State is known for high-performance athletics, and Esports plays to this strength. The methods are the same as any other sport, the skills are just different. We have a lot to learn from studying Esports athletes, from their exceptional reaction times and rapid decision-making abilities to their physical attributes and health behaviors.”"

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The future of the sports industry is trending towards Esports and The Ohio State University is already way ahead of the curve.

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