Heath Price

In my latest column for Forbes, I explore how Pace University is building a dynamic, community-driven esports program - and why higher ed institutions should be paying close attention. The future of student engagement, career prep, and campus culture might just be on the digital battlefield.

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One of the questions I get asked most regarding esports programming is "where do we find funding?" Great question, and the answer is, it depends. In Higher Education, it's normally one of the main departments on campus or directly from the President, aligning with the goals of the university/college. In K12, we build a lot of dual-use spaces, using funding from multiple sources to deliver one amazing space that can be used for school during the day, and esports after hours. This video goes a bit into where to find funding, but reach out to me if you want to chat about your program more for your school and we can dive in to more specifics.

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Frequent rotation of game titles may feel flexible, but over time it creates real problems, unstable athlete pathways, difficulty justifying public investment and declining competitive credibility. In my latest Medium article, I explore the idea of a Fixed Pool model for esports: - What it actually means (and what it doesn’t) - Why traditional sports have relied on it for decades - How it could strengthen athlete development and governance in esports - The real risks involved and how they can be managed responsibly This isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It’s about applying proven sports governance principles to esports, if we want it to be taken seriously at institutional level. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gJNiriNq #EsportsDevelopment

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Why esports federations need ROI clarity before their next funding round… Here’s the reality. Most federations can’t clearly explain the ROI of their esports programs. They know participation numbers. They don’t know conversion rates: how many players become pros, coaches, or industry professionals. We built a free 𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝗲𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗥𝗢𝗜 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 to help federations quantify their impact. It measures both sides of the system: Player development → training outcomes, consistency, retention Career development → job placement, education alignment, economic impact Before the next budget review or partnership proposal, make sure your numbers tell the right story. You can’t argue value without evidence. This tool gives you both. Try it today. Link in the comment.

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Anyone interested in collegiate esports should familiarize themselves with the results of this study. Shoutout to Jesse Bodony, Dr. Seth Jenny & all of the contributors on their work in completing this study. This is critical work during a critical time in our space. One of my highlights: "On average, esports program directors (n = 12) reported an average esports player graduation rate of 85.9% while the student body at these institutions averaged about 76.1%" - Extremely powerful. I would love to continue to see studies like this expand into a larger sample size, and we are interested at the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) in aiding Voice of Intercollegiate Esports (VOICE) in achieving that feat.

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𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 ≠ 𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀. 🎮⚔️ That’s the message at the heart of the latest 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 article on rAVe [PUBS] from Joshua Kell of Horizon AVL and Esports Integration. Too many AV designers, school leaders, and tech vendors still treat gaming and esports as interchangeable, and that leads to expensive, ineffective spaces that miss the mark. 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆: ✔️ The difference in goals and infrastructure ✔️ Why esports needs production and broadcast readiness ✔️ How to design spaces that truly support competition If you’re in AV, education, or esports, this one’s a must-read. It’s time we stop lumping everything into one category and start building with purpose. 📖 Read here: https://lnkd.in/gSaVVumZ

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This is a great post by Dr. Levant. But I would be even more forthcoming: The introduction of "legalised" betting, introduced in most jurisdictions without much public debate during the covid lockdowns (Ontario is a test case), is destroying professional sports, leading to suspect in-game decisions and ruining the lives of those susceptible to gambling addictions.

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Honored that Wichita State University has a seat at the table in working with this incredible group to help shape the future of the Esports industry on the biggest international stages, including the Olympic Esports Games. Joe M. and his teams represent the university at the highest levels of collegiate competition while working tirelessly behind the scenes to influence the broader development of the esports industry, and the innovative impact it can have on higher education.

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🚨 NEW READ 📰 College esports' Dr. Seth Jenny and Ray Pastore, Ph.D. penned the first-ever Artificial Intelligence in Esports guidelines with International Esports Federation and Voice of Intercollegiate Esports (VOICE). Avery Tallman gets the inside scoop in this new release ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/gTQ4mvwR

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I've been looking forward to sharing! The Pioneers are partnering with Ottawa University to build a real pipeline from collegiate esports into the pro scene. Content, cross promotion, and most importantly... giving the next generation of players a path forward. I grew up in the Midwest and am excited to help pioneer (no pun intended) the Midwest esports scene. We're not waiting around for someone else to build the infrastructure... we're doing it ourselves 🤝 Proud of Sam Kulikov and the entire team for making this happen.

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The students of Clayton Valley Charter High School's Game Programming Academy are now official learning partners with Omnic AI! 🎮✨ Omnic AI is a leading esports analytics and AI coaching platform, helping players improve their game and prepare for the future of competitive gaming. Through this partnership, students will build real esports and AI skills, analyze gameplay, and level up their performance for the rapidly growing world of esports. 🚀

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For most of the twentieth century, professional athletes occupied a rare category of labor. They were performers and competitors, but they also belonged to institutions that provided structure and continuity. Teams signed contracts, leagues organized seasons, and careers unfolded within systems that, while imperfect, offered some degree of stability. The modern esports player inhabits a very different world. https://lnkd.in/g7F2zhiR

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Hoping this will be the org that facilitates clear & sustainable: Esports Pathways to Pro 🔝 ⌨️ 🖥️ 🖱️ 🎮 🔝 (see Figure in comments ⤵️ )

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When a star player almost walks away mid-season, it’s rarely just a “personal issue.” It’s a stress test of how esports organizations actually govern talent under pressure. The situation involving BLG and top laner Bin highlights a recurring structural tension in esports: elite performance expectations paired with immature internal governance. Disagreements between players and management are inevitable in high-stakes environments, but the way they escalate reveals how thin the institutional layer still is inside many top teams. For executives and founders, the signal here is not about one argument. It’s about how conflict resolution, communication norms, and power asymmetries between players and management remain underdeveloped relative to the financial and competitive stakes involved. As teams professionalize commercially, their internal management systems often lag behind. In an ecosystem increasingly shaped by publisher control and performance volatility, organizations that fail to treat governance and labor relations as strategic capabilities—not soft skills—will continue to face avoidable instability. For more, follow The Player Weekly and access the full newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dBgqqzmQ #EsportsBusiness #TeamManagement #PlayerRelations #Governance

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What if the NCAA, PlayVS, and NJCAA Esports came together under one unified vision, an official pipeline for student gamers from middle school to two-year colleges, and beyond? A national esports framework just like traditional sports, where students know the path from their first match in high school all the way to competing at top-tier colleges. The recent 6-year partnership between PlayVS and NJCAAe is a move in the right direction. This is the blueprint for scalable, sustainable student esports. Let's centralize, let's unify, and let's build something that lasts. Would you support a centralized national esports system? Source: https://lnkd.in/dCSm2gXN

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Proud to share our new study on athlete burnout in esports: https://lnkd.in/gH2Gbaj6 We validated the Athlete Burnout Scale (ABO-S) with 453 adult players ranked in the top 40% across seven major titles, from 66 countries. Using Item Response Theory, the scale performed strongly (GRM fit), with items on weariness, low energy, and physical exhaustion providing the most reliable signal across burnout levels. What this means for esports: Clear screening thresholds help staff act early: ≥47 (watch), ≥52 (elevated), and ≥63 (high risk; ~2% of players). Routine monitoring can guide training loads, travel, and recovery plans. Targeted support (sleep, stress, and role clarity) can protect wellbeing and performance. This work gives teams, coaches, and player welfare units a practical tool to spot risk sooner and tailor interventions. Grateful to our collaborators and the players who took part. Here’s to healthier, longer careers in esports. #esports #playerwelfare #burnout #sportspsychology #performance #wellbeing #digitalhealthDrDr Dylan Poulus Daniel Zarate Taylor Brown Ross Vlahos Mark Sanderson Adam Bird Taylor Brown Dan Lubman AM Evangelos Pappas Doa El-Ansary

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