WHY ESPORTS?
Established sports franchise owners understand the potential of esports, with Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, purchasing a majority stake in an esports organization, and the New York Yankees entering into a partnership deal with the investment group Vision Esports, as noted by The Esports Observer.
By 2021, global games market intelligence company Newzoo anticipates that “All major U.S. media conglomerates will have digital esports media rights,” and that esports will grow into a market bigger than that of traditional professional sports.
I predict that by 2024 esports will actually have an Olympic event!”
Visionary/economist Bob Froelich is quoted as saying in the Chicago Tribune
Esports Rampant Growth & Opportunity
The esports field is perfect for anyone interested in event management, communications, gameplay, coaching, exercise science, or in being part of a field that promises to grow more prominent and engaging with every passing year
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In 2018, a championship event for Overwatch teams filled the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The center holds 19,000 people. These kinds of events promise to only grow in size and scope.
As noted on CNBC by Peter Guber, a co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Dodgers and the professional esports organization Team Liquid, being able to fill a particular place isn’t necessary for esports.
You'll see that it's everywhere, and it isn't bound by geography. You don't use a stick or a bat to play, and you can play alone or with a whole group of people, play against the best."
Peter Guber | Co-owner of Team Liquid
Numbers from the World Economic Forum show that “esports viewers spent 17.9 million hours watching their gaming heroes [on Twitch and YouTube’s gaming channel] in the first quarter of 2018.” And Twitch, a live feed service where people can watch others play video games, has five million active daily users.
This is a world that needs a workforce. And those involved in the industry can be well-compensated. According to Glassdoor.com, a senior ecommerce operations manager for Blizzard Entertainment, a division of esports juggernaut Activision Blizzard, can earn up to $164,000, while a freelance esports and video game writer can earn up to $68,000.
By 2020, the industry’s anticipated more than $1 billion of worth will match or surpass the 2017 revenues cleared by the NCAA, as well as the social media influencers market.
A new world has arrived, right at your fingertips.
We’re ready to pick up the controller and play.
Are You?
Esports News
Esports Course That Explores Music and Gaming Returns
Shenandoah University is excited to announce the return of a unique esports class this spring that will allow students to explore music and the role it plays in gaming and in society while also ... Continue Reading Esports Course That Explores Music…
Esports Goes Dutch
An October Shenandoah University esports program trip to Amsterdam to attend and evaluate the Dutch League of Legends finals – the first in-person esport event to be held at the H20 Esports Campus, ... Continue Reading Esports Goes Dutch
Shenandoah Esports Student Receives Prestigious Grant
First-year esports management student Abigail Haenggi ’25 is one of 30 female gamers across the country to earn a prestigious esports grant. The JBL Quantum Grant with 1,000 Dreams Fund program was ... Continue Reading Shenandoah Esports Student Receives Prestigious…
ESPORTS PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Joey Gawrysiak
Joey Gawrysiak holds the controller in the world of esports academia.
He has made the international esports rounds, with appearances on podcasts, radio shows and even a cruise line, and has presented at several gaming and sport management events—including the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand and the Music and Gaming Educational Symposium.
Gawrysiak has written several articles on esports and is in the process of creating a chapter for the first dedicated esports textbook.
He has hosted esports tournaments and served as a guest lecturer and consultant for several universities.
Gawrysiak was a competitive gamer in Halo: Combat Evolved while in college.
ESPORTS HEAD COACH & ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Zach Harrington
In addition to overseeing the competitive side of the program, Zach uses his experience as a competitive gamer across multiple genres to directly coach the Shenandoah University varsity Overwatch, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate teams.
As a computer and technology enthusiast, his technical expertise has helped grow the Shenandoah University esports program by enabling them to run multiple successful live esports events, as well as build a state-of-the art Esports spectator arena which includes a broadcast production room used for live streaming and content creation.
Harrington is a co-founder of GHS Esports Solutions, a consulting firm which provides information on a wide range of esports-related topics, including starting an esports program, coaching, team building, and hardware requirements.
INSTRUCTOR OF ESPORTS
Chris Scroggins
Christopher Scroggins received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from James Madison University. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate in Sport and Entertainment Management at the University of South Carolina.
His previous experiences as a competitive gamer, consultant, and CEO of a gaming and entertainment organization have given him invaluable experience and resources that he uses to research, teach, and provide consultation.
Scroggins has appeared on radio shows, news sources such as NPR, and presented at numerous esports conferences and panels across the country. Scroggins has helped develop the Esports curriculum at Shenandoah University and is currently co-editing and authoring one of the first comprehensive esports textbook.
Chris still plays video games to stay current with the industry and has recently started to play competitively again.
