Esports Are More Than Just Games At Miami University (OH)

Esports are popular with high school students, and I needed to understand them better. So, I went to an expert for help.

Glenn Platt,  Professor of Emerging Technology in Business & Design/Marketing at Miami University (OH), was a perfect guide. In our recent interview, he talks about the academic and competitive aspects of collegiate Esports. 

Esports are games, but they also have similarities to traditional college and professional sports. Like traditional sports, Esports have teams and leagues as well as player development processes. Also like professional teams and leagues in traditional sports, Esports programs need branding, promotions and sponsorships. But unlike traditional sports that operate under long-established rules, Esports are based on multiple games, redesigned and updated frequently. Artistic and programming skills are also highly desired.. Esports are also likely to become brand extensions and marketing opportunities for traditional sports. The National Basketball Association has already made significant inroads into Esports. So has NASCAR.

Miami University was the first NCAA Division I university to start a competitive varsity Esports program. But it is also one of the few schools where students can also learn about Digital Media, Esports Business and Game Design, among other important topics in a growing industry. It’s very difficult and extremely expensive to bring this type of curricula into any school, let alone a public university like Miami. Miami has appeared on my Public Ivy lists and was noted as one of the original Public Ivies when the term was first mentioned 35 years ago. With just under 18,000 undergraduates and fewer than 2,500 grad students, Miami is smaller than any of the public Big Ten universities. Miami typically graduates 70 percent of a freshman class on time, a performance exceeded by few other state universities.

Dr. Platt and I covered a lot of topics about Esports within a half hour. Our discussion will be especially useful to parents who have children who love video games. Please listen in now.

Need help on the journey to college? Contact me at stuart@educatedquest.com or call me at 609-406-0062.

Want to know more about me? Check out these podcasts!

Listen to my talk, College Is A Learning AND Living Community, hosted by Dr. Cynthia Colon from Destination YOUniversity on Voice of America Radio!

Listen to my talk, What Exactly Is a Good College? hosted by test-prep experts Amy Seeley and Mike Bergin on Tests And The Rest!

Sharing is caring!