The Simple Definition of Esports

Esports is competitive video gaming in an organized format — with teams, leagues, brackets, referees, standings, and often prize money. It mirrors traditional sports in structure but is played on screens rather than fields.

Like traditional sports, esports has recreational players (millions who play casually), amateur competitors (high school and college programs), semi-professional players (paid to compete in regional leagues), and professional players (contracted athletes competing at the highest level, often earning six-figure salaries).

How Big Is the Esports Industry?

The global esports industry is worth over $1.5 billion in revenue annually, with an audience of over 500 million viewers worldwide. Major esports tournaments — like the League of Legends World Championship and The International (Dota 2) — fill 50,000-seat arenas and draw tens of millions of online viewers.

In the United States specifically, over 8,000 high schools have esports programs. More than 200 colleges offer esports scholarships totaling over $50 million. The Bureau of Labor Statistics recognizes esports careers across coaching, broadcasting, marketing, event management, and game development.

What Games Are Considered Esports?

Any game with an organized competitive structure can be considered an esport. The most prominent titles in the US at the scholastic and collegiate level include:

• First-person shooters: Valorant, Call of Duty, Counter-Strike 2
• MOBAs: League of Legends, Smite
• Battle royale: Apex Legends, Fortnite
• Sports sims: Rocket League, EA FC, NBA 2K
• Strategy: StarCraft 2, Hearthstone
• Fighting games: Street Fighter 6, Mortal Kombat
• Other: Minecraft, Chess (yes, recognized by NACE)

High School Esports — What Parents Need to Know

For parents who are unfamiliar with esports, the natural concern is whether competitive gaming is a productive use of a student's time. The data suggests it is. Studies show that high school esports participants have higher GPAs on average than non-participants, stronger engagement with STEM subjects, and better social integration.

High school esports programs teach teamwork, communication under pressure, strategic thinking, and discipline — the same qualities traditional athletics develop. The added dimension is that these skills map directly to careers in technology, game development, marketing, and media.

Most importantly, for students who are passionate about gaming and don't participate in traditional athletics, esports provides a competitive extracurricular with real scholarship potential.

Esports Career Pathways

Most students who compete in esports will not become professional players — just as most high school football players don't play in the NFL. But the esports industry offers dozens of career pathways that don't require being a top-ranked player:

• Esports coach — coaching teams at high school, college, or organizational level
• Broadcast and commentary — caster, analyst, host, or observer
• Event production — tournament director, stage manager, broadcast tech
• Marketing and brand management — esports organizations and game publishers
• Graphic design and content creation — team branding, social media, overlays
• Game development — the industry that powers all of it
• Esports journalism and media — writing, video, podcasting

Getting Started in Esports

For students looking to start competing seriously, the path is straightforward: identify your strongest game, begin competing in organized formats (leagues, weekly tournaments, scrims), build a public recruiting profile, and maintain your academic record.

NE Network is the platform built specifically for this journey — from high school competition through the NIL League, to verified recruiting profiles, to the college scholarship process.