A close-up of a mechanical/gaming keyword with keys W, A, S, D (common gaming controls) as the focus

Esports at Georgian

At Georgian, there are many ways you can participate in and learn about esports. You can play through social clubs, compete casually or competitively, or learn and work towards a career in esports by volunteering or taking courses.

Interested in learning more about 21st-century sports? Watch out for future announcements as Georgian grows in this space!

About esports

What are esports?

Esports is the digitization of sports

Video games are a part of everyday life. They are used for education, for relaxation, and for competition – which is where esports come into play.

The competition can take place using a console, a personal computer (PC), a mobile device, a racing simulator, in virtual reality (VR), or even using exercise equipment.


Facts about the growing field of esports

Industry

  • Every third person on earth is a gamer; in 2021, there were 2.81 billion gamers and 7.7 billion people on the planet (Source: Statista)
  • The video game industry has been bigger than the music and movie industries combined since 2008; esports is the competitive part of that industry (Source: Newzoo)
  • 89 per cent of Canadians under the age of 17, and over 60 per cent of all Canadians, play video games (Source: Entertainment Software Association of Canada)
  • Streaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube Gaming each have more subscribers than HBO, Netflix and Spotify
  • Worldwide audience growth for esports is expected at 7.7 per cent with 577.2 million viewers by 2024; esports revenues are expected to grow 11.1 per cent in the same period (Source: Newzoo)
  • 57 per cent of adult games and 65 per cent of teen games cite improved mental health from playing video games during the pandemic; 70 per cent of teens said video games helped them stay connected with friends (Source: Entertainment Software Association of Canada)
Desk setup featuring computer monitors, a computer tower, mouse, keyboard, camera and microphone, used by a gamer and streamer

Collegiate esports

  • Over 100 schools offer academic programs in esports (e.g. business, sports management, broadcasting, fitness, etc.) and there are even more programs to support the creation of video games!
  • Varsity esports is growing and hundreds of schools in North America have esports teams that compete in a wide variety of tournaments. In 2022-23, NACE Starleague included participants from nearly 800 colleges and universities with varsity and club (open) teams. Over 18,000 students participated in competitions. In fall 2023 there are 14 different esports being played (Source: Playfly Esports).
  • In 2022, students were eligible for $25 million in esports scholarships in North America (Source: Esports Foundry 2022 Report).
  • Georgian students earned $50,000 in esports scholarships in the 2022-23 year as part of the Ontario Esports Scholarship Program.

Careers

Alexander St-John, member of the Georgian CyberGrizzlies esports club
I had the pleasure and the highly appreciated opportunity to work with the CyberGrizzlies and the amazing staff they have over the course of two work terms and let me tell you, it was heaps of fun and a chance to work in a field that’s growing tremendously. Things like planning events, hosting them, and talking with students with all different kinds of backgrounds made me realize how diverse the gaming and the esports community truly is. Working with other students to put together the awesome events we’ve hosted, had and still was, a pleasure. It’s because of the opportunities I’ve had and because of the CyberGrizzlies, that made me realize this field of work is where I excel. I’d love nothing more than to pursue a future in esports.Alexander St-John, Sport Administration (class of 2022)

*HIDDEN SECTION* Please disregard

CyberGrizzlies Esports Club

About the CyberGrizzlies

CyberGrizzlies is the largest of the Georgian College Students’ Association (GCSA) student-run clubs.

It started in 2018 and now hosts over 1,200 members and alumni in its Discord server, where they meet online regularly. This social club offers:

  • competitive teams – participating in NACE, CVAL, CLoL, CCL, CRL and others (tryouts are ongoing). Cheer the students on in the ECPS Canadian Nationals each fall and the Canadian Intercollegiate Exhibition each summer.
  • casual play – play games with friends and meet new people
  • weekly game nights – open to all; often free games
  • movie nights
  • *NEW* mobile gaming meetups
  • *NEW* Beat Saber (VR) meetups
  • viewing parties
  • tournaments including Smash Reborn
  • volunteer opportunities

Games room

The CyberGrizzlies also have a games room at the Barrie Campus (room A224), featuring:

  • two TVs, one Xbox and one Nintendo Switch
  • bring your own device (BYOD) desks and outlets for laptops and phones
  • a fun space to hang out with fellow gamers!

Please check Discord for the hours it’s open each semester.


Work-integrated learning opportunities

The CyberGrizzlies are proud to support students with work-integrated learning opportunities during the winter 2024 semester:

CyberGrizzlies Logo

How to join or get involved

I’ve really enjoyed my time with the CyberGrizzlies. The club is very welcoming to all students, no matter the game they play or whether they play competitively or casually. The club gives us a lot of support outside the games, including graphics, events, jerseys, the esports room and much more.

Jackson Douma, Computer Science, Lakehead-Georgian (class of 2024)

Academics

Game – Design and Simulation diploma program

  • Bring game design and simulation to life as a video game designer with Georgian’s new two-year diploma program
  • Explore the latest video game design and simulation tools and techniques. Turn game concepts into 2D and 3D experiences for PC, console, mobile and more

The Business of Esports (BUSI 2025) course

  • The wide variety of businesses supporting video games being played as a professional sport need employees who understand the global esports industry
  • In this course, students use their understanding of general business concepts to dive deeply into the esports industry to either learn more about a future career or study business concepts in greater depth in terms of an industry sector that is of interest to them

Carol Meissner, Georgian College’s Manager, Esports, and Mikel Varvaro, President of the CyberGrizzlies esports student club inside the library at the Georgian College Barrie Campus

Find out more

Esport Canada Post-Secondary

Georgian is a member of  Esport Canada Post-Secondary (ECPS). This opportunity provides a valuable connection with like-minded schools to learn best practices and share student success ideas to grow esports at the college and across other institutions.

As an independent advisory board, ECPS is the national voice for the development of programs whose goals are to elevate postsecondary esports while advocating on their behalf.

Esport Canada Post-Secondary logo

We’re very proud to be a part of the inaugural group of postsecondary schools supporting Canadian collegiate esports through Esport Canada. It’s important for schools to support a wide variety of their students’ interests and while our CyberGrizzlies Esports Club is fostering a love for esports on our campus, it’s equally important to encourage the growth of esports everywhere.

– Carol Meissner, Georgian College’s Manager, Esports and faculty member in Business and Management

Esports news and resources

Contact us

Have questions about esports? Let’s connect!

League of Legends in-game screenshot, denoting CYBERGRIZZLIES WIN
Person in a dark room wearing a headset and playing video games