Stout Esports

The University of Wisconsin-Stout has launched a varsity esports program. The program offers students an opportunity to compete for Stout against other colleges universities across the country in various esports competitions. 

2020-2021 Team Roster, Stats & Competition Schedule

For a team roster, schedule and stats, visit the Esports team website.

Applications for UW-Stout Esports are open!

Applications for the 2021-2022 season are open for all current and prospective UW-Stout students to fill varsity and junior varsity rosters. Tryouts for 2021 are tentatively scheduled for Fall 2020. Potential athletes will be evaluated based on three core components: Skill, Attitude, and Communication.

Applications are currently being accepted for League of Legends, Overwatch, and Rocket League. Be prepared to provide academic information and experience in the title you are applying for.

Successful candidates will demonstrate their ability in all three as an esports athlete representing the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

All recruitment and tryouts will be administered by UW-Stout Esports staff and student coaches. Tryouts for 2021 are tentatively scheduled for November 2020 with additional dates as required.

History of Esports

In 1972, students at Stanford University got together to play in a video game competition for the 1962 video game called Spacewar. Dubbed as the Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics, 24 students competed in matches for the ultimate grand prize: A 12-month subscription to Rolling Stone Magazine. Almost five decades later, this event is looked back as the world's first esports tournament. 

Esports continued to grow through the 80's, and saw its first boom in the 1990s with the growing popularity of PC gaming. Games like Quake (1996) and Starcraft (1998) saw thousands of players competing in tournaments each year. Esports growth exploded into the 21st Century with games like League of Legends and the livestreaming service Twitch, both of which remain hugely influential to this day.

Esports Goes to College

In 2014, Robert Morris University became the first college in the United States to offer esports in varsity athletics. Other colleges quickly followed suit, and in 2016 the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) was established at the nation's first Collegiate Esports Summit in Kansas City, MO. What began with seven institutions now features more than 170 NACE institutions set to compete in 2020-2021 academic year.