eSports Programs in Community Colleges: A Rural-Serving Community College Example

eSports is an increasingly visible part of our popular culture and is becoming both a financial and technological force. In higher education, community colleges are rapidly developing eSports programs for a variety of reasons, including increasing student engagement to developing alumni relationships. Although some discussion exists in sports management, economics, psychology and legal literature, there appears to be little work dedicated to eSports in the literature of community college studies. This study draws upon the small base of literature on eSports beyond community college studies and presents an example of a recently emerging eSports program at one rural community college in the mountain western U.S. A look forward on eSports is provided by noting breaking issues, trends, and proposals for a research agenda for scholars and practitioners in community college studies.