Did you know that Esports is a big program at Missouri State? It is! And our teams are very competitive. Take a moment to hear from Terry Weber, director of the Plaster Student Union, about the program and the growth the program has experienced. 

When did E-Sports come to the Missouri State campus? What factors lead us to believe we should go down the road of having an e-sports program? Where do the teams play and practice? What went into getting the area they play/practice in ready for this new program?  While the club has been in existence for several years, the varsity scholarship program was created in 2024.  After attending a Missouri Valley Conference Presidents meeting in early 2020 where esports was an agenda item, then President Clif Smart expressed interest in creating an esports program at MSU.

Because esports was a burgeoning worldwide industry and higher education was just entering that space, recruitment and retention of students could be derived with adding esports.  Thereafter, discovery was completed on various spaces that could house the program and the PSU was selected.  Renovation of the Level 1 Games Center was completed in 2022 to accommodate 12 esports PCs.

MSU’s three varsity scholarship teams practice and compete out of the Level 1 Games Center.  Additionally, several club teams also practice and compete from the Games Center.

As the commissioner of our e-sports program, what are your duties? How do you help these students? Our esports program is staffed primarily by our Graduate Assistant, Racelyn Mathis.  I support her efforts in recruitment and selection of the teams, communicating with the MVC league administration and the various institutions that also participate, as well as developing a recruiting pipeline with area high schools.  There is much communication needed prior to and on match days.

How does a student get involve in e-sports? Do they have to play on a team? Can they just play for fun? While our varsity teams are highly competitive, the club supports a greater continuum of experiences for all students.  Some of their teams are highly competitive while others are more recreational in nature.  Some games are team based and others are for individuals.

How many teams do we have? Tell us about the competition season. The varsity scholarship program has 16 total students among three teams (Rocket League, Overwatch, Super Smash Brothers).  The club participates in six titles, some with multiple teams for students at different levels of competition.

What has been the biggest growth you have seen in the participants?   Whereas esports is frequently played individually by students (whether it is a team based or individual game), the advent of the Games Center has created the opportunity for those students to come together, engage with one another, and develop true community beyond the keyboards and headsets.  Friendships are forming in-person, not just Discord.  Developing community is what attracted me to Student Affairs, and I enjoy watching this community flourish.

Do we play in competitions with other colleges? How is that set up? What league are we in and how was it decided what league we would be in? Does the move the school is making to C-USA change anything with the e-Sports teams?  Both MVC program and club teams compete in leagues in both the fall and spring.  Each team signs up for a league, is placed in the appropriate competitive division (based on rankings and pre-season play) and competes against other colleges/universities weekly online.

It is my intent to stay with the MVC for esports, as C-USA does not have a program, at this time.  That is still being decided, however.

Can you get scholarships for being on these teams? How does a student join a team?  We have 16 scholarships offered to students who represent Missouri State in Rocket League, Overwatch, and Smash.  Interested students should complete the application and be available to participate in tryouts on April 21-23.  After that, Racelyn and I will evaluate all applicants and make selections for the 2025-26 teams.

Will you be having camps this summer that high school or middle school students can attend? How does one find that information? We are offering camps this summer for students entering grades 5-8.  Camps will be Monday thru Friday (9a-4p) beginning on June 2.  Check out the flyer for more information.

Can you share a reason as to why students should consider being a part of e-sports here on campus?   What’s great about esports is that it is truly for everyone.  No matter is you are a Supersonic Legend in Rocket League or if you’ve never held a controller, there is place for you to meet people, have fun and compete at a level of your comfort.  Further, we have some truly outstanding players among all the titles being played.  Watching them is just as fun as competing yourself.

What else would you like to tell us about e-sports?  There are many students passionate about esports and I think we’ve only scratched the surface on engaging with them.  Beyond our competitive and recreational teams, we are exploring ways to create leagues on campus for students and offer tournaments for other games including FIFA and Madden.

We are also seeking sponsorships for our varsity teams, where a vendor can sponsor one of our three teams.  In return for the sponsorship, we are offering several ways to acknowledge the support that a vendor provides through logos on their jerseys, social media, digital signage and more.