While the concept of spectators packing an arena to watch competitive video gaming at a college level may be perplexing to more traditional sports fans, the popularity of collegiate esports is growing in the Bay Area. in the Bay Area. In 2018 the streaming platform Twitch, which hosts esports competitions, moved their headquarters to San Francisco. In 2021, San Jose State University’s Bay Area Vandals competed in the biggest international Valorant tournament and the Chase Center is hosting the League of Legends Championship Finals in November. Clubs and teams are now commonplace at colleges across the country. We’ll dive into the world of college esports and discuss what’s drawing students and Universities to esports programs.
Guests:
Luke Winkie, freelance writer
Johanna Brewer, assistant professor of computer science at Smith College and director of research, AnyKey
Kirk Robles, associate director of business development for student affairs at U.C. Berkeley
Ryan Winter, president of Gaming Gators at San Francisco State University
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