The first University of South Florida eSports Summit was hosted by the Vinik Sports & Entertainment Management program at the Muma College of Business.
Jordan Bellar is a graduate of the Vinik program who was asked to come back to USF for the summit. He now helps manage competitive video game teams for a company in Philadelphia.
“It’s opening up a lot of doors, especially for the students here, to get involved and have a career in this business,” said Bellar, who works for Global Partnerships for eSports at Harris-Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. “There are so many opportunities and having events like this showcases that.”
Faculty in the Vinik program are highlighting eSports as a major emerging part of sports management. Janelle Wells, co-writer of “The Business of eSports: The Wild, Wild West on Fire,” said the best way to bring growth to the industry is by working with community partners.