Since 2024, over 200 universities have integrated varsity esports to their schools. This increase in interest has begun playing a vital role in the growth of competitive gaming as more schools are joining the field.
Michigan State is among the universities diving hard into the esports world, and now the Spartans are playing a key role in the development of an improved competitive field. Michigan State University, along with the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, and Ohio State University, played a key role in founding the Big Esports Conference (BEC) in 2023, which serves as the official competitive conference for members of the current “Big Ten” conference. Putting their leverage as major schools together created a joint plan to reach out to other schools in order to build a conference that has seen great growth since being founded in 2023.
The Big Esports Conference (BEC)is an initiative aimed at unifying and elevating collegiate esports on a national scale. The program consists of games such as League of Legends, Super Smash Bros, Rocket League, and Valorant, catering to the interests of a broad spectrum of students among 16 different schools competing in a major competition.
“The conference really helped develop growth as a whole, said Chris Bilski, the director of esports at MSU. “We had this idea that we wanted to create competition, meaningful competition among schools so first we had the idea that sparked this and started reaching out to other programs growing what we could and now this conference is at an all time high as far as participation.”
The Big Esports conference is also invested in academic partnerships and support for their students, offering scholarships and opportunities to those who are looking to combine their passion for gaming with potential career pathways in the esports industry. These opportunities are helping bridge the gap between traditional college athletics and esports, equipping students with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving esports platform. While the conference may not be the traditional Big Ten it has become comparable in many ways.
The Big Esports Conference is having an impact on collegiate esports. Helping to professionalize the collegiate esports scene, the conference has caused a shift in competitive gaming in an effort to bring in some of the best young players in the nation to compete. The success has drawn more schools to investing in esports programs, with many forming dedicated teams and offering scholarships to attract top talent. The formation of conferences like the BEC helps establish a competitive but collaborative environment for collegiate esports.
“We may end up offering some students’ partial scholarships if we find the right fit for our team, said Bilski. “We do signings like traditional sports so actually, I went to their high school and they had their decision ceremony and it is a big deal.”
As collegiate esports continues to grow, a new wave of collaboration is emerging among universities. MSU esports has played a major role in the leading of this movement, helping to establish the Big Esports Conference, an initiative aimed at bringing together universities to share resources, best practices, and competition.
The Big Esports Conference, often referred to as the “BEC,” was created as a response to the growing interest in collegiate gaming and the need for a more structured competitive landscape. With MSU leading the charge being one of the first founding schools to help develop the conference, the BEC brings together top universities from around the country, offering a unified platform for schools to engage in esports tournaments, academic collaborations, and student engagement.
Bringing talents of major schools in this way has opened up new opportunities for new eyes to be set on esports. With different teams finding exposure the conference continues to set up tournaments and matches to maintain engagement for fans and players alike. The in season matches are set up for regional tournaments that grant teams a chance to claim conference titles. These high stake matchups between conference foes has been able to gain a lot of traction for esports as a whole.
MSU has been able to gain engagement for their competitions through means such as content on social media sites to live streams of competitions for anyone to watch. Jonathon Eaton, the content and production coordinator, is the mind behind all of the media for the team.
”We really want to be able to connect with people outside of esports ann building on the rivalries that already exist with program such as University of Michigan, Ohio State, and so on is how we can connect with fans especially of the conference to connect with our fans, alumni, students and more within the conference as well,” said Eaton. “It really is a powerful tool.”
The MSU esports team, as well as the Big Esports Conference, were highlighted on the CBS broadcast of the men’s basketball game between Michigan and Michigan State. The graphic used was used in a compilation of notable records in different sports within the rivalry between these two teams and their storied history. Being mentioned in this light is a major stepping stone for the conference as it drummed up some discussion on social media.
“I think a moment like that is historic,” said Bilski. “Getting attention on a national level with that many eyes… that doesn’t just impact us that impacts programs across the country and so I think it’s a really big moment for esports as a whole as well as us.”
The conference is designed not just for competition, but for development. It provides universities with a format for hosting and participating in national tournaments, creating an environment where competitions mean more and eyes are watching as conference rivals clash for tournament wins.
“The players know it means more now and it makes for better competition,” said Bilski.
