Baylor hosts Texas Esports League Fall Finals

This past weekend, Baylor welcomed more than 450 student competitors to the Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center for the fall Texas Esports League Finals, an interscholastic video gaming competition.

The event featured competition between almost 100 teams, battling it out in such games as Fortnite, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros, chess and more. Top middle and high school student teams from across Texas had been battling for 10 weeks to reach the finals, with a select few coming away as Texas State Champions.

With scholastic esports on the rise, Baylor is helping it grow in Texas through a brand partnership with Vanta, a leader in scholastic esports. During this weekend’s Finals, competitors could also take campus tours, visit with Baylor STEM faculty, and talk to members of Baylor’s own esports team, OSO Esports.

Baylor offers multiple areas of study for students interested in video games, from the computer science major (which includes several electives on game development) to the entrepreneurship program (for those interested in creating games).

“Watching my son go from pro gamer to pre-med biochemistry major, alongside thousands of other inspiring gamers, reveals an undeniable truth: this generation’s entrepreneurial drive is revolutionary,” says Baylor alumna and parent Shae Williams (BA ’91), founder of the Coalition of Parents in Esports (COPE). “With proper guidance, gaming cultivates crucial professional skills — both technical and interpersonal — that will be vital in future careers. It’s not a vice, but a powerful tool for development when channeled and supported by educators and parents.”

Sic ’em, esports champs!