The Esports Explosion: A Case Study of Trine University’s Esports Program
By Tim Terman, NCARB
November 6, 2024Explore by Topic
Driven by strategy, competitive match-ups and a passionate fanbase, the popularity of Esports has surged in recent years. More and more viewers are watching their favorite games being played by players from the amateur to professional levels.Interest is particularly strong in Asia, where the term “Esports” was coined more than 20 years ago, but fans are quickly taking notice in the US. The number of Esports enthusiasts will grow from 215.2 million in 2020 to an estimated 318.1 million in 2025 – an astounding 48% increase. Many colleges and universities, such as Trine University, are tapping into this popularity, establishing Esports teams at the club and competitive league levels, while also creating spaces on campus to support their Esports players and encourage loyal fans and curious spectators to watch. Jeremy Goossens, Director of Esports at Trine University, shared his insights with me on how Esports has evolved and how the university is setting up its Esports program for future success. |
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What is Esports?In the simplest of terms, Goossens explains Esports as a competition on video games. It can be a casual game between friends sitting in a living room or an intense battle between professional teams on a large stage surrounded by a crowd. No special training, skill or knowledge is required to be an Esports player. Anyone can take part, and that is one of the reasons interest in Esports is on the rise. It is very accessible, and fun! |
What is an Esports Match?Esports is comprised of multiple games within a match, like a volleyball match. Teams usually compete to win a best of three or best of five series. With no central regulator, university and college programs have several Esports leagues they can join and compete in. |
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Trine University’s Growing Esports ProgramTrine University launched one of the first Esports programs in the country in 2017. After several years of steady growth, interest has spiked recently. In the spring of 2024, Trine had 77 students in its Esports program. In the fall of 2024, that number has grown to 150 students. “We went from recruiting 15 students a year to 64 a semester,” said Goossens. “And since school has started, I’ve had more visits than ever, because people are curious about this and the environment we’ve created.” Trine’s Esports program focuses on 11 different video games. Students are placed on varsity, junior varsity and club teams for each video game. |
Managing a Growing Esports ProgramWith increased interest and participation in the program, leaders at Trine recognized the need to provide an Esports space that could not only accommodate players but also provide everyone on campus and in the surrounding community with an opportunity to be involved. In the fall of 2024, the university opened the Mark and Sarah Music/Ruoff Mortgage Esports Arena, a state-of-the-art space with room for 60 Esports players, a battle stage with stadium seating for spectators and a fully-equipped broadcast booth for streaming. “We have 150 students registered as Esport players, but any student on campus can play in the arena,” said Goossens. “Since we opened the arena, I’ve seen more students that I don’t have on my list play here, because it’s a great space. Instead of being alone in their dorm, they can do the same thing they were doing but with their friends and other players.” On October 10th, Trine held its first official match on the arena stage, hosting players from Albion College. The Trine community turned out in full force to watch the Thunder defeat their opponents in a hard-fought match. “Having matches in front of a crowd, in front of friends and family, is so unique, and offering that to our players was very important,” said Goossens. “People can come to the game wearing their team’s jersey. It’s such a great experience.” |
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Creating Community Through EsportsThe connections made through Esports are what Trine’s new Esports arena is all about. Esports is a community, and the new arena at Trine creates a welcoming space to make people want to join in and allows the university to accommodate the growing interest in playing and watching Esports. “Before our team was playing in our Esports lab with 30 computers, and other people on campus were playing too but in their dorms, sometimes without knowing that the person next door was playing the same game as them,” said Goossens. “Now they can come in and play, and they’re going to meet other people who play the same game as them, because they’re in the arena. And so video games are a way to connect for everybody, and that’s very important for us.” |
An Arena with Multi-PurposeAnd since the arena opened, Trine has found other departments on campus interested in using the high-tech space for in-person and virtual instruction. Since the space was set up for live streaming, any video feed on campus can be streamed to the arena’s enormous screens, allowing the arena to be leveraged by professors to give high-quality video and audio instruction to students in-person and online. |
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