LOS ANGELES (May 30, 2024) – PlayVS, the leading esports platform for high schools and middle schools in North America, is announcing its inaugural National Esports Signing Day to take place on May 30, 2024. In collaboration with USA TODAY High School Sports, PlayVS is honoring the many 2024 graduating high school seniors who are set to play esports at the collegiate level, recognizing their achievements both on- and off-screen, and celebrating their future in the growing field of competitive gaming.
National Esports Signing Day mirrors the excitement and prestige of traditional national signing days for other sports, providing a dedicated moment for esports athletes to publicly commit to their chosen colleges and universities. This event underscores the significance of esports in the academic arena, highlighting new opportunities that have become available to talented gamers. Student commitment videos can be viewed on PlayVS’ and USA Today High School Sports’ social channels, including Instagram and TikTok. Additionally, students from all around the country will be encouraged to post a signing video to social media with the hashtag #esportsday
Notable student commitments include:
- From Divine Child High School in Dearborn, MI: Connor Niehiesel and Colin Gribble have committed to Michigan State University to play Rocket League; and Mathieu Bouradge, who has committed to Lawrence Tech University to play the Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate game.
- From Peach County High School in Fort Valley, GA: Ayden “Kanik” Surles has committed to Cottey College (MO) to play VALORANT; while Jordan Woods and LeVaughn Scott have committed to Brewton Parker College (GA) to play Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate and Madden NFL / NBA 2K, respectively.
- From Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School in Chicago, IL: Shannon Pasters has committed to Carthage College (WI) to play the Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate.
- From Vancleave High School in Vancleave, MS: Konner Cheramie has committed to the University of Southern Mississippi to play Rocket League.
- From Detroit Catholic Central in Detriot, MI: Danny Padula and Noah Brady have committed to Concordia University Ann Arbor to play the Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate game; and Jacob Bennet who has committed to Eastern Michigan University to play Rocket League.
- From Toombs County High School in Lyons, GA: Christian Castro has committed to Central Methodist University (MO) to play the Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate game.
- From Sutton High School in Sutton MA, Abigail Coulter has committed to Clark University to play Overwatch 2.
- From Falls Church High School in West Falls Church, VA: Aleks Jachimiak has committed to Radford University to play Rocket League.
- From McGill-Toolen Catholic in Mobile, AL, Christopher Harrison has committed to Central Methodist University (MO) to play League of Legends.
- From Hartland High School in Hartland, MI: Kyle Greig has committed to Eastern Michigan University to play Rocket League.
- From Manila High School in Manila, UT: Chris Staggs and Dennis Roloson have committed to Utah State University Eastern to play the Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate game.
- From South Lakes High School in Reston, VA: Jeremy Garcia-Cartagena has committed to Clarke University to play Rocket League and Donovan Williams has committed to Lesley University to play League of Legends.
- From Norwin High School in Westmoreland County, PA: Jacob Hvozdik has committed to Saint Francis University to play VALORANT.
- Additionally, Gretna High School in Gretna, NE stood out by graduating eight seniors into collegiate esports programs at the University of Nebraska, Northwestern College (IA), Midland University, Doane University, and Metro Community College.
The establishment of National Esports Signing Day is a testament to the rapid growth and acceptance of esports in the educational landscape. With more colleges and universities offering esports programs and scholarships, students have unprecedented opportunities to pursue their passions both academically and competitively. Many of these students were recruited through the esports scholarship platform and partner of PlayVS, Stay Plugged In.
“Competing at a high level in esports helps us sharpen our skills and build traits like strategic thinking and teamwork,” said Connor Neiheisel, senior at Divine Child High School in Dearborn MI, who has committed to Michigan State University to play Rocket League. “This visibility boosts awareness of esports, breaking stereotypes and showing it as a legitimate competitive activity. This creates more scholarship opportunities, helping students like myself pursue higher education.”
“High school sports play an incredibly formative role in the lives of students—and today, esports are a key piece of that puzzle,” said Jon Chapman, CEO of PlayVS. “Esports offer unique opportunities for students–many of whom may not have previously participated in traditional after-school activities– to experience socialization, teamwork, and competition, while fostering skills that are invaluable in the college search process. We are committed to expanding PlayVS to school districts everywhere, so that more students can reap the many benefits of esports—whether it’s enhancing their college applications with a meaningful activity or excelling to the point of earning a scholarship.”
In 2024, PlayVS became the official source of the USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 Esports Rankings, analyzing the performance of all schools to determine the top esports programs in the U.S. This collaboration provides a definitive guide for evaluating and recognizing the most competitive programs, as PlayVS powers the high school esports landscape and offers greater visibility and credibility to emerging athletes.
In November 2023, PlayVS announced it would remove competition enrollment fees for all state and regional leagues, enabling students to partake in the highest tier of scholastic competition across the most popular gaming titles. In March 2024, PlayVS expanded its platform to middle schools.
