Above: Photos of MTSU’s Level Up Arena
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — As the popularity of video gaming continues to explode, Middle Tennessee State University is offering two new esports concentrations this fall that will teach students about aesthetics, ethics, marketing and technology needed to create gaming-related content and streams.
“Esports” is competitive video gaming, and like any other sport, there are multiple levels of competition ranging from high school and collegiate to professional teams that compete in front of packed arenas and are broadcast to global audiences.
The development of the two MTSU undergraduate concentrations — Esports and Gaming Content Creation housed in the College of Media and Entertainment and Esports Coaching offered by Leisure and Sport Management in the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences — has been a collaborative effort with stakeholders across campus to give students pathways to the needed skills and a degree for an industry that was previously unavailable in the region.
“Students will have the opportunity to learn about the variety of skills needed in the esports industry and learn specialized skills in areas in which they want to focus,” said Richard Lewis, esports and content creation coordinator associate professor. “There are hands-on experience opportunities working with the MTSU Esports club and a number of community organizations while earning their degree.”
According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual pay for a job in the esports industry in the United States is $156,348 a year. Jobs can range from a professional player, content creator, influencer, broadcast manager, social media manager, talent manager, team publicist, coaching, assistant coach, events manager, general manager, game analyst, commissioner and more.
Lewis said the MTSU concentrations will provide esports players with valuable skills in creating content and revenue streams. Students will also choose from minors to give them specific skills within their professional interests.
Students will also have access to the Level Up Arena, which opened last fall on the second floor of the Student Union Building for students across campus, and the Gaming Lab, located in the BAS S137F, created in 2023 in a collaboration between the College of Media and Entertainment, Jones College of Business and MTSU’s Information Technology Division that is equipped with gaming PCs and Nintendo Switch consoles.
“The Level Up Arena will offer real-world opportunities for esports students to broadcast competitions with professional equipment.
The Media and Entertainment degree program’s Esports and Gaming Content Creation concentration teaches students about the aesthetics, ethics, marketing and technology needed to create gaming-related content and streams.
The Esports Coaching concentration under Leisure and Sport Management uses the core interdisciplinary courses but dives deeper into the skills needed to be an esports coach at the high school, collegiate or professional level.
- For more information on the Esports and Gaming Content Creation concentration, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/program/media-entertainment-esports-gaming-content-b-s/.
- For more information on the Esports Coaching concentration, visit https://www.mtsu.edu/program/leisure-and-sport-management-esports-coaching-b-s/.
