A Black woman says she is poised to change the gaming industry after entering the male-dominated space of owning a collegiate esports and gaming company. Atlanta-based entrepreneur Keshia Walker has launched the “Black Collegiate Gaming Association” (BCGA) aimed at making Black college students more than consumers and competitors, but creators and career professionals in the industry. Walker says the company will partner with leading historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to offer a 360-degree approach to learning and gaining access to the burgeoning technology industry. “Gaming is a $159 billion industry and 73 percent of African Americans ages 13 years or older identify themselves as gamers. Yet, only three percent of those working in the gaming industry are Black and a mere one percent are professional gamers. Those numbers just don’t add up,” Walker, founder and chairman, of BCGA said. “There is a huge opportunity to diversify the gaming industry to be more reflective of its customer base while exposing young people to promising career opportunities. BCGA is here to open doors and literally change the game of gaming.” Walker says BCGA has already secured 16 HBCUs as charter members, including Jackson State University, North Carolina A&T, Texas Southern University and her own alma mater, Florida A&M University. BCGA’s programming will incorporate virtual and on-campus curriculums; intercollegiate video gaming competitions; internships and post-graduation job opportunities; team building and leadership training; professional development and networking events; scholarships and mentorships; and on-campus esports and gaming labs. Participating schools can also build competitive esports teams to challenge each other in tournaments for scholarships, cash and other prizes. In addition, Intel, GameStop, Nacon Gaming, and Hitmarker have all signed on as corporate partners. Walker says this is just the beginning of how she plans to leverage BCGA to diversify both the pro-competitive gaming world and the industry in general. BCGA will launch its programming next month with “Military Play,” an online, three-day esports and gaming virtual tournament. Players will compete in Madden 21, Rocket League and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The Veterans Day weekend competition will honor all those who serve and have served in the military. Winners will receive cash and prizes. Further, BCGA says it will make history this spring by hosting the first-ever multi-city “Black College Con” and “Women Got Game” summits. Black College Con is scheduled to kick off in Atlanta and take place during HBCU conference tournaments in February and March; while Women Got Game will take place in March during Women’s History Month. Walker says both conferences will be centered around dialogue relevant to African Americans and women of color in the gaming industry; esports competitions; and connecting Black and female college students of color with multicultural industry leaders for advice, mentoring, education, internships and career opportunities in gaming and esports.

Keshia Walker, Founder and Chairman, of BCGA. A Black woman is poised to change the gaming industry this week as the first to enter the male-dominated space of owning a collegiate esports and gaming company aimed to catapult Black college students beyond consumers and competitors into creators and career professionals. After more than 20 years of running a successful celebrity events and experiential marketing firm, Atlanta-based entrepreneur Keshia Walker kicks off the Black Collegiate Gaming Association (BCGA) to introduce Black college students to the gaming/esports industry. The company will partner with leading historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to offer a 360-degree approach to learning about, and gaining access, to the burgeoning technology industry. BCGA’s programming incorporates: virtual and on-campus curriculums; inter-collegiate video gaming competitions; internships and post-graduation job opportunities; team-building and leadership training; professional development and networking events; scholarships and mentorships; and, on-campus esports and gaming labs. Participating schools can also build competitive esports teams to challenge each other in tournaments for scholarships, cash and other prizes. Walker has already secured 16 HBCUs as charter members, including Jackson State University, North Carolina A&T, Texas Southern University and her own alma mater, Florida A&M University. In addition, Intel, GameStop, Nacon Gaming, and Hitmarker have all signed on as corporate partners. Walker says this is just the beginning of how she plans to leverage BCGA to diversify both the pro-competitive gaming and corporations in the industry. “Gaming is a $159B industry and 73 percent (73%) of African Americans ages 13 years or older identify themselves as gamers. Yet, only 3 percent of those working in the gaming industry are Black and a mere 1 percent are professional gamers. Those numbers just don’t add up,” said Keshia Walker, founder and chairman, of BCGA. “There is a huge opportunity to diversify the gaming industry to be more reflective of its customer base while exposing young people to promising career opportunities. BCGA is here to open doors and literally change the game of gaming.” BCGA will launch its programming next month with “Military Play,” an online three-day esports and gaming virtual tournament. Players will compete in Madden 21, Rocket League and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The Veterans Day weekend competition will honor all those who serve and have served in the military. Winners will receive cash and prizes. Further, BCGA will make history this spring by hosting the first ever multi-city “Black College Con” and “Women Got Game” summits. “Black College Con” is scheduled to kick off in Atlanta and take place during HBCU conference tournaments in February and March; while “Women Got Game” will take place in March during Women’s History Month. Both innovative conferences will be centered around: dialogue relevant to Blacks and women of color in the gaming industry; esports competitions; and connecting Black and female college students of color with multicultural industry leaders for advice, mentoring, education, internships and career opportunities in gaming and esports. For more information, please visit www.bcgausa.org.

Creating that unique space can be a boon for colleges and universities, but it takes forethought and planning, as well as forging coalitions with a variety of stakeholders. One of the most dazzling spots at the University of Delaware is located on the first floor of the Perkins Student Center. Mesmerized by the glass-fronted, blue-lit facade in front of them, it’s a place where teenage recruits visiting campus for the first time can “lose their minds.” UD’s Esports Arena is one most of the popular places on campus for Delaware students to hang out. It is outfitted with an array of high-tech features, including a stage setup, a wall of hexagonal video panels, a state-of-the-art broadcast booth, and even a scent machine. “We were charged with creating vibrancy and being relevant, and we knew that it was going to be an attraction to help boost admissions,” says Tony Doody, director of University Student Centers. “It’s definitely a show-stopper.” Designed to be used by anyone on campus for free, the arena not only serves as a place for gamers to game, but it’s really the ground floor of something bigger, something most research universities crave — a link to academic programs and beyond. UD is planning to launch an interdisciplinary major around esports in the coming academic year. “I’ve never seen our President [Dennis Assanis] so excited,” recalls Doody of the grand opening. “He said, ‘You’re going to need to build two or three more of these.” As colleges and universities look for ways to boost interest and increase enrollment, many have found success through esports. And, as campus leaders who have strategically housed esports in a dedicated space on campus have realized, an arena can be a promotional vehicle to attract and build credibility with high schoolers. The buzz has caught the attention of administrators nationwide as colleges of all sizes – from Central Maine Community College to The Ohio State University – seize on the value of esports by building new facilities or creatively revamping underutilized rooms. Even in the midst of COVID-19-related campus closures, planning for upcoming spaces carries on. Carving out a space for esports For those looking to launch an esports arena on campus, planning for future success is a good starting point, advises Josh Kell, CEO of Horizon AVL and Esports Integration, a New Jersey-based firm that designs large venues and arena systems. Along with the creative visionaries at Scott Payette Architects in Boston, Kell helped build out Delaware’s jaw-dropping facility. But he says, before thinking about breaking ground on an arena, think beyond its walls. “Most colleges just put computers in a room and say they have esports,” Kell says. “That’s not esports. That’s gaming.” Kell suggests taking these steps first: • Define your mission as a college or university and how the institution is best preparing esports students for the industry • Develop your roadmap for the next 3-5 years • Select games, affiliations, leagues and hardware • Discuss curriculum, branding and community Once those are taken care of, it’s time to plan and build a facility. Finding space on campus is not always easy. “Space is the fight everywhere, so any space you can get is cool enough to start,” says Chris Haskell, associate clinical professor and esports coach at Boise State University. “Utah State started with a tiny 13×10 room, but they have six workstations, and it works. Set up shop where you are, then be on the lookout for the next space. Institutions are very much like hermit crabs. You may outgrow the space you’re in, but you are locked into a life where you occupy the best space available.” Joey Gawrysiak, professor and director at Shenandoah University in Virginia, can attest. His esports program started in the top floor of the library, moved to the basement of the health building and now has moved into a unique space pitched by the university: an unused Armory Building garage (above). It isn’t modern, but it is spectacular, with seating, a broadcast area and a stage for esports players … most of it with mobile capabilities, so it can host events offsite. Its official ribbon cutting was delayed by the coronavirus shutdown, but when it does open, it will offer hands-on experiences to those who are in its Bachelor of Science esports program. Where did he get the vision? From Haskell and Boise State University. Photo courtesy of Boise State University Esports Six degrees of esports Despite the often fierce competition during games, collegiate esports has a familial “six degrees of separation” quality to it. Those looking for advice on building an esports arena can simply reach out to another esports director or student life director for support. Haskell built one of the premier programs at Boise State, which now features three esports spaces and even blue turf from its football field. But when he started, he had “no machines and no players,” and needed guidance. So, he made five trips in three months to the University of California, Irvine, to talk with their leaders, who “were fantastic with their time.” Now, Haskell often guides others just getting started. “One of the questions I get most often is, “How did you get your university to build you this space?” It helps that Boise’s program has been blessed by $2.2 million in donations, but those were garnered largely by the work that Haskell and his team did to pitch and promote the program. Kathy Chiang, assistant director of UC-Irvine Esports, knows about fundraising and financial challenges when building a space. Esports originally lived in the Rec Center and was little more than a few pool tables and a couple of Xbox consoles when campus leaders drew up plans to repurpose it as a public-use space in 2015. “It was severely underutilized and wasn’t really generating any revenue,” Chiang says. “Students would come in with laptops and sit in the area where the Xboxes were and plug into the wall.” Refurbishing it the way the team envisioned would be costly: $250,000. But the team took on the challenge, without university finances, by “getting a lot of sponsors and partners to come in and fund it,” she says. “They provided equipment that is very valuable — towers, monitors, peripherals and chairs.” Photo courtesy of Steve Zylius/University of California, Irvine In the four years since the launch, UCI Arena has pulled in 13,000 unique users. Because of all the traffic, UCI has plans for a second facility for varsity-level players. Chiang’s advice on any arena build? Listen to the real experts. “Find leaders on your campus who are already doing esports,” she advises. “They understand which titles are popular and events that bring people out of their dorms. If you don’t get their input, you’re missing the mark.” Brandon Smith, esports director and enterprise project lead in the Office of Student Life at Ohio State, echoes Chiang’s words. “Make sure you’ve engaged your Student Advisory Group early on. Use your facility to bring disparate working groups together so you can learn about that population,” he says. Smith spent more than a year studying, pitching and perfecting his esports facility that launched in October 2019 — a necessity on a campus with 1,400 student organizations. OSU converted space in an aging Lincoln Tower residence hall. Photo courtesy of The Ohio State University Office of Student Life/Jim Bowling Now, it is artfully tricked-out and includes VR setups and a sea of workstations, both for esports players and the campus community. His team worked with consultants, an architect and a designer, who noticed that the original plan lacked accessibility. “You have to remain flexible,” Smith says. “We didn’t put together our list of final equipment until the last minute. We were conscientious about studying power. We’ve paid a lot of attention to air conditioning and not overloading the system.” His space has “97 percent” of what he’d hoped for … and he, too, got sponsors. Most importantly, he did a lot of legwork early, met with all key stakeholders and kept Ohio State’s mission in mind. “Build on the strengths of your university,” Smith says. “Use esports for whatever your university can get out of it, to promote your university, to help students succeed. Start with something that gets you going sooner, rather than later.” Arena considerations Gamers’ paradise and more: At Durham College in Ontario, Canada, a 3,000-square-foot, high-tech esports hub is used not only for gaming, but also for expanding experiential learning for academic programs. Before getting started, heed this advice from these esports experts: Almost any space works. “We’ve yet to see brand new, purpose-built esports facilities. They’re all cleverly redesigned other spaces. If we were given a broom closet, it would be the coolest, decked-out, neon-lit broom closet of all time.” – Chris Haskell, Boise State Costs vary. “We’ve done everything from starting a room for $50,000-$75,000 to ones that are over $1 million. I have high school facilities that run from $25,000 to $60,000, and they’re getting computers, furniture, broadcast and elements for a curriculum. It all depends on how much you want to invest.” – Josh Kell, Esports Integration Power and security: “Make sure you have enough power and good Internet connections … and that you don’t have 5,000 firewall rules like the rest of campus that can bog down games. There are patches that happen daily. Maintain security to have a good experience for your students.” – Kathy Chiang, UC-Irvine Photo courtesy of Josh Kell, Horizon AVL and Esports Integration, and the University of Delaware/Scott Payette Architects Get creative. “Don’t look at it as just a dedicated esports space. If you have a theater space for example, why not put in some mobile tables, put them on the stage. There are a lot of spaces that exist on campus that aren’t being utilized. It doesn’t just have to be a classroom.” – Josh Kell, Esports Integration Multi-use vs. just-for-esports: “70-75% of our space is open play. I don’t care who you are, if you’re an enrolled student, you can swipe in and use the arena anytime we’re open.” – Brandon Smith, Ohio State Be prepared: ”Don’t waste time. Don’t waste energy. Don’t waste money. Because otherwise you’re guessing, and it can be very costly. Equipment will be unused or underutilized.” – Joey Gawrysiak, Shenandoah Don’t build to win. “That shouldn’t be what a university does. What happens if you don’t? If your success metrics are about bringing home championships and that’s it, then that’s all you can build your program around.” – Brandon Smith, Ohio State, citing words often pitched by Mark Deppe, the leader of esports at UC-Irvine Why laptops … Boise State has 110 workstations. It has 30 gaming laptops that got little use before the pandemic. Now, Haskell says varsity players are using them to keep playing at home. Something to consider as you build for the future. Ask questions. “What is the goal of having the space? Is it to have practices and competitions? Is it to have events with spectators, or is it something for students to come in and play more casually? What is the interest on campus? Are you providing console or gaming PCs? What is the administrative support you have?” – Joey Gawrysiak, Shenandoah University Virtual walk-through. “Visualize a day in the life of an esports facility. We got an early 3D rendering. It would have been hard to imagine the space ahead of the project without it.” – Brandon Smith, Ohio State How Covid-19 may affect arenas when schools open Chris Burt is the Esports Editor for University Business magazine and the Program Chair for the Academic Esports Conference & Expo.

HBCUs entering the game: Black colleges join the esports bandwagon The fall semester for most college students won’t look like any semester in the past, and that’s not such a bad thing for Keenan Johnson. He attends one of North Carolina’s historically Black colleges and universities, Johnson C. Smith University, which is offering classes remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Keenan Johnson, 20, is president of the new esports club at Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina. (Keenan Johnson) Johnson isn’t thrilled to be logging into his courses from home, but he is excited for one of the university’s newest student groups — the JCSU esports club. “We’re basically making history at HBCUs,” said Johnson, a 20-year-old junior. Esports, also known as competitive video game playing, have recently boomed into a billion-dollar industry, and college students are some of the biggest players. But esports at historically Black colleges and universities have been slow to catch on, and Johnson is excited to see that change. Educators at those colleges hope so, too, although for different reasons. Students highly skilled at playing games such as NBA2K, Fortnite and Madden NFL can win scholarships, join leagues and associations for college esports programs and potentially become professional gamers. But for several historically Black colleges and universities, it’s not all about fun and games. These institutions see Black esports involvement as a steppingstone toward jobs and internships for their students, as well. So this school year, they are launching esports classes and joining esports organizations and leagues that will allow students to improve their gaming skills, while also networking with tech companies. They are offering courses in marketing, communications and tournament management, all within the esports industry. This month, Johnson C. Smith started offering an esports and gaming management minor. The university, located in Charlotte, also opened an esports lab that can comfortably seat 25 gamers. In August, Florida Memorial University hired a sports marketing pro to develop curriculum around esports, augmented reality, virtual reality and other topics that can help students thrive in the esports ecosystem. In July 2019, Hampton University in Virginia received a grant of $340,658 to build an esports lab. Soon, Black esports clubs and teams at historically Black institutions will be able to compete against one another in a new organization designed just for them: the Black Collegiate Gaming Association. This fall it will host an esports academy to educate HBCU students about the industry. Sixteen historically Black institutions have signed on. Keshia Walker is chairman and founder of the Black Collegiate Gaming Association. (Insights Marketing) “We want them to be able to compete professionally and start earning and winning dollars that could help support keeping them in school, and also help bring dollars back to the university,” said Keshia Walker, chairman and founder of the Black Collegiate Gaming Association. The group is also working with corporate partners such as GameStop, Intel and HyperX to help students get internships and work experience on the corporate side of esports, Walker said. The job opportunities in esports are numerous. “That’s one of the greatest things about esports: Your only career path in the space isn’t just to play the game,” said William Collis, author of “The Book of Esports.” There are team managers, coaches, dietitians, wellness advisers and esports psychologists, plus people who can film or plan events, as well as edit videos, he said. The Black Collegiate Gaming Association launched in May, but three major collegiate esports associations have been around for years. The Collegiate Star League launched in 2009 and now works with about 1,800 colleges and universities. Tespa, a collegiate gaming association that has more than 270 student chapters at big-name institutions such as the University of Virginia and University of Michigan, is about a decade old. And the National Association of Collegiate Esports, launched in 2016, has about 170 member schools. These organizations have primarily emphasized expertise in playing video games. The Black Collegiate Gaming Association hopes to marry such skills with the book smarts needed to work in the corporate side of the esports industry. The HBCUs in the association must commit to making Black esports more than an extracurricular activity by offering academic esports classes. Historically Black institutions that aren’t in the BCGA are also incorporating esports classes into their curriculums. At Johnson C. Smith, a private HBCU with about 1,400 undergraduates, students taking esports classes can learn how to work in the industry without being a gamer. Its new esports and gaming minor will consist of seven classes. Students will learn about trends in esports as well as other topics that will help them if they aren’t players but want to work in this field. “In other words, how do you go about organizing, planning, executing esports tournaments and events?” said BerNadette Lawson-Williams, a professor of sport management at the university. This academic year, Tennessee State University, a charter member of the Black Collegiate Gaming Association, is taking a different approach — building out an esports curriculum that focuses on how esports connect with traditional forms of education. “We wanted to look at esports as a new strategy in enhancing and improving teaching and learning,” said Robbie Melton, associate vice president for smart technology innovation for global initiatives at the university. Esports and other video games can be used to help students of all ages improve basic academic skills, she said. Melton, along with her co-teacher Effua Ampadu, is teaching a course on the rise of esports and gamification in higher education. “If something like Candy Crush can gross a billion dollars, and people are on it constantly, regardless of age, why can’t we take that same technology concept and apply it to math, English, reading and writing, across all of the disciplines?” Melton said. At Florida Memorial University, esports classes will be a part of a larger curriculum, within the university’s computer science department, focused on technology and innovation, said Marc Williams, a global scholar-practitioner at the university who came on board in August. Before arriving at FMU, Williams worked in sports marketing for more than two decades and was a visiting scholar at Louisiana State University at Eunice, a predominantly White institution. In this moment, he thought it necessary to share his business savvy with Black college students. “When George Floyd died, to me it just made sense to be at an HBCU,” he said. After talking with the president of Florida Memorial University, Jaffus Hardrick, about the importance of recruiting Black men for college and helping them graduate, Williams decided to go to FMU. “I could either be part of the solution and using the esports and the technology piece to get them to come to school, or I can just go to these White colleges that have these huge budgets, and optically be at those schools and do something there,” he said. Kentucky State University, which is also a charter member of the Black Collegiate Gaming Association, has a different approach to video games than many of its peers. Its students learn how to make games. Students can choose video game development as a concentration for computer science majors. They learn about topics such as two-dimensional game programming, computer graphics and software engineering for gamers. “It’s pretty much, and not surprisingly so, our most popular concentration,” said Jens Hannemann, an associate professor in the university’s computer science department. Players compete in the Duos competition during the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals in New York City. The revenue from esports is expected to exceed $1 billion this year. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images) Esports has a global audience of players and fans who are willing to invest in games. In 2019, there were 885 major esports events around the world that generated about $56.3 million in ticket revenue, according to the market research firm Newzoo. That year, prize money totaled about $167 million, Newzoo reported. Global esports generated $950.6 million in revenue in 2019, and that figure is expected to reach $1.1 billion this year. Colleges and their students can get some of that cash. Institutions can get money for esports labs, equipment and other tools needed to educate students, and can profit from competitions. “The E-Sports tournament can bring in such a significant increase in revenue to the university that it will give schools the opportunity to give students a better experience within its program,” David C. Hughes and W. Timothy Orr wrote in the Sport Journal. Some non-HBCU institutions, such as New England College in New Hampshire and Becker College in Massachusetts, already have tech companies sponsoring their esports clubs and teams. At Johnson C. Smith, RIG and Nacon Gaming, which makes video game accessories (such as controllers and keyboards), provided headsets for the esports lab. Riot Games, which makes one of the most popular esports games, “League of Legends,” donated gaming chairs. Students can win college scholarships for gaming, which typically range between $500 and $8,000, according to Next College Student Athlete, which helps athletes of all kinds get recruited by colleges. “We want to start building, creating, training professional gamers, and also corporate executives and leaders, to start working on both sides of the games,” said Walker, who’s a graduate of Florida A&M University, another historically Black institution. At Johnson C. Smith, Keenan Johnson wants to take some esports classes, but that will probably have to wait until the spring semester. He’s majoring in information systems engineering and carrying an 18-credit course load, plus working at an Aldi grocery store. He’s also the president of the JCSU esports club. Since high school, he’s thought about creating video games. And now that esports can be a part of his college experience, he feels hopeful about making this ambition a reality. “I feel like I can actually achieve this,” he said.

HBCUs entering the game: Black colleges join the esports bandwagon The fall semester for most college students won’t look like any semester in the past, and that’s not such a bad thing for Keenan Johnson. He attends one of North Carolina’s historically Black colleges and universities, Johnson C. Smith University, which is offering classes remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Keenan Johnson, 20, is president of the new esports club at Johnson C. Smith University in North Carolina. (Keenan Johnson) Johnson isn’t thrilled to be logging into his courses from home, but he is excited for one of the university’s newest student groups — the JCSU esports club. “We’re basically making history at HBCUs,” said Johnson, a 20-year-old junior. Esports, also known as competitive video game playing, have recently boomed into a billion-dollar industry, and college students are some of the biggest players. But esports at historically Black colleges and universities have been slow to catch on, and Johnson is excited to see that change. Educators at those colleges hope so, too, although for different reasons. Students highly skilled at playing games such as NBA2K, Fortnite and Madden NFL can win scholarships, join leagues and associations for college esports programs and potentially become professional gamers. But for several historically Black colleges and universities, it’s not all about fun and games. These institutions see Black esports involvement as a steppingstone toward jobs and internships for their students, as well. So this school year, they are launching esports classes and joining esports organizations and leagues that will allow students to improve their gaming skills, while also networking with tech companies. They are offering courses in marketing, communications and tournament management, all within the esports industry. This month, Johnson C. Smith started offering an esports and gaming management minor. The university, located in Charlotte, also opened an esports lab that can comfortably seat 25 gamers. In August, Florida Memorial University hired a sports marketing pro to develop curriculum around esports, augmented reality, virtual reality and other topics that can help students thrive in the esports ecosystem. In July 2019, Hampton University in Virginia received a grant of $340,658 to build an esports lab. Soon, Black esports clubs and teams at historically Black institutions will be able to compete against one another in a new organization designed just for them: the Black Collegiate Gaming Association. This fall it will host an esports academy to educate HBCU students about the industry. Sixteen historically Black institutions have signed on. Keshia Walker is chairman and founder of the Black Collegiate Gaming Association. (Insights Marketing) “We want them to be able to compete professionally and start earning and winning dollars that could help support keeping them in school, and also help bring dollars back to the university,” said Keshia Walker, chairman and founder of the Black Collegiate Gaming Association. The group is also working with corporate partners such as GameStop, Intel and HyperX to help students get internships and work experience on the corporate side of esports, Walker said. The job opportunities in esports are numerous. “That’s one of the greatest things about esports: Your only career path in the space isn’t just to play the game,” said William Collis, author of “The Book of Esports.” There are team managers, coaches, dietitians, wellness advisers and esports psychologists, plus people who can film or plan events, as well as edit videos, he said. The Black Collegiate Gaming Association launched in May, but three major collegiate esports associations have been around for years. The Collegiate Star League launched in 2009 and now works with about 1,800 colleges and universities. Tespa, a collegiate gaming association that has more than 270 student chapters at big-name institutions such as the University of Virginia and University of Michigan, is about a decade old. And the National Association of Collegiate Esports, launched in 2016, has about 170 member schools. These organizations have primarily emphasized expertise in playing video games. The Black Collegiate Gaming Association hopes to marry such skills with the book smarts needed to work in the corporate side of the esports industry. The HBCUs in the association must commit to making Black esports more than an extracurricular activity by offering academic esports classes. Historically Black institutions that aren’t in the BCGA are also incorporating esports classes into their curriculums. At Johnson C. Smith, a private HBCU with about 1,400 undergraduates, students taking esports classes can learn how to work in the industry without being a gamer. Its new esports and gaming minor will consist of seven classes. Students will learn about trends in esports as well as other topics that will help them if they aren’t players but want to work in this field. “In other words, how do you go about organizing, planning, executing esports tournaments and events?” said BerNadette Lawson-Williams, a professor of sport management at the university. This academic year, Tennessee State University, a charter member of the Black Collegiate Gaming Association, is taking a different approach — building out an esports curriculum that focuses on how esports connect with traditional forms of education. “We wanted to look at esports as a new strategy in enhancing and improving teaching and learning,” said Robbie Melton, associate vice president for smart technology innovation for global initiatives at the university. Esports and other video games can be used to help students of all ages improve basic academic skills, she said. Melton, along with her co-teacher Effua Ampadu, is teaching a course on the rise of esports and gamification in higher education. “If something like Candy Crush can gross a billion dollars, and people are on it constantly, regardless of age, why can’t we take that same technology concept and apply it to math, English, reading and writing, across all of the disciplines?” Melton said. At Florida Memorial University, esports classes will be a part of a larger curriculum, within the university’s computer science department, focused on technology and innovation, said Marc Williams, a global scholar-practitioner at the university who came on board in August. Before arriving at FMU, Williams worked in sports marketing for more than two decades and was a visiting scholar at Louisiana State University at Eunice, a predominantly White institution. In this moment, he thought it necessary to share his business savvy with Black college students. “When George Floyd died, to me it just made sense to be at an HBCU,” he said. After talking with the president of Florida Memorial University, Jaffus Hardrick, about the importance of recruiting Black men for college and helping them graduate, Williams decided to go to FMU. “I could either be part of the solution and using the esports and the technology piece to get them to come to school, or I can just go to these White colleges that have these huge budgets, and optically be at those schools and do something there,” he said. Kentucky State University, which is also a charter member of the Black Collegiate Gaming Association, has a different approach to video games than many of its peers. Its students learn how to make games. Students can choose video game development as a concentration for computer science majors. They learn about topics such as two-dimensional game programming, computer graphics and software engineering for gamers. “It’s pretty much, and not surprisingly so, our most popular concentration,” said Jens Hannemann, an associate professor in the university’s computer science department. Players compete in the Duos competition during the 2019 Fortnite World Cup Finals in New York City. The revenue from esports is expected to exceed $1 billion this year. (Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images) Esports has a global audience of players and fans who are willing to invest in games. In 2019, there were 885 major esports events around the world that generated about $56.3 million in ticket revenue, according to the market research firm Newzoo. That year, prize money totaled about $167 million, Newzoo reported. Global esports generated $950.6 million in revenue in 2019, and that figure is expected to reach $1.1 billion this year. Colleges and their students can get some of that cash. Institutions can get money for esports labs, equipment and other tools needed to educate students, and can profit from competitions. “The E-Sports tournament can bring in such a significant increase in revenue to the university that it will give schools the opportunity to give students a better experience within its program,” David C. Hughes and W. Timothy Orr wrote in the Sport Journal. Some non-HBCU institutions, such as New England College in New Hampshire and Becker College in Massachusetts, already have tech companies sponsoring their esports clubs and teams. At Johnson C. Smith, RIG and Nacon Gaming, which makes video game accessories (such as controllers and keyboards), provided headsets for the esports lab. Riot Games, which makes one of the most popular esports games, “League of Legends,” donated gaming chairs. Students can win college scholarships for gaming, which typically range between $500 and $8,000, according to Next College Student Athlete, which helps athletes of all kinds get recruited by colleges. “We want to start building, creating, training professional gamers, and also corporate executives and leaders, to start working on both sides of the games,” said Walker, who’s a graduate of Florida A&M University, another historically Black institution. At Johnson C. Smith, Keenan Johnson wants to take some esports classes, but that will probably have to wait until the spring semester. He’s majoring in information systems engineering and carrying an 18-credit course load, plus working at an Aldi grocery store. He’s also the president of the JCSU esports club. Since high school, he’s thought about creating video games. And now that esports can be a part of his college experience, he feels hopeful about making this ambition a reality. “I feel like I can actually achieve this,” he said.