Meeting Students Where They Are: How Esports Is Creating New Pathways for Campus Connection
More than 280 colleges and universities across North America now operate varsity esports programs, while hundreds more support club teams and recreational gaming communities. Esports, short for electronic sports, brings competitive video gaming into an organized team environment, often complete with coaches, scheduled competition, collegiate leagues, and championship events. More than 16,000 student-athletes compete in collegiate esports, underscoring the growing role gaming plays in campus life.
And the value extends well beyond competition. Esports creates opportunities for students to find belonging, develop leadership and teamwork skills, and build lasting connections with their campus communities.
Recognizing the role esports plays in student life, Follett partnered with Shopify Rebellion, a premier global esports organization, to launch the inaugural Chalked Cast Collegiate Invitational: Powered by Shopify Rebellion and Follett Campus Stores. Read on to learn more about the competition, the winner, and how this event expands the campus store’s impact.
Bringing Campus Communities Together Through Competition
The national Rocket League tournament brought together 16 collegiate teams for two days of online competition on April 29 and 30, 2026. Every participating team received time on the broadcast, giving student-athletes an opportunity to represent their institutions in front of their campus communities and the broader Rocket League audience.
The Invitational gave participating institutions a way to showcase their students, connect campus communities around a shared experience, and extend school pride into a digital environment where students are already highly engaged.
The competition began with two round-robin groups, ensuring all 16 teams remained in contention and appeared on the broadcast. On the second day, the field moved into two eight-team gauntlets, with performance in the opening round determining each team’s starting position in the finals.
Baylor University emerged from the field to capture the inaugural championship, capping two days of competition with a title that showcased the talent, preparation, and teamwork of its student-athletes. As champions, Baylor also earned the tournament’s scholarship prize and a VIP experience at the 2026 Rocket League Championship Series World Championship.
“We were honored to compete in the inaugural Chalked Cast Collegiate Invitational,” said Adam Stanley, Director of Esports and Head Coach at Baylor University. “Follett’s ability to celebrate students and foster campus pride, combined with Shopify Rebellion’s leadership in competitive Rocket League, made this an incredible experience. We’re proud to represent Baylor and showcase the talent our students have developed on a national stage.”
The 16 participating institutions included Baylor University, Howard University, Humber Polytechnic, Western Michigan University, St. Clair College, Dallas College: Brookhaven, Brock University, Georgia State University, Quinnipiac University, University of Massachusetts: Dartmouth, Northeast State Community College, Kansas State University, Concord University, University of Texas at Dallas, Luzerne Community College, and Cleveland State University.
The professionally produced broadcast was led by the Chalked Cast crew and extended across prominent Rocket League community channels, helping bring the collegiate competition to an established esports audience. Viewers could also participate through live gaming, peripheral giveaways, and other digital rewards throughout the broadcast.
Meeting Students Where They Are: The Future of the Campus Store
Today’s students expect their campus experience to reflect the ways they connect, collaborate, and build community. For campus stores, that creates an opportunity to think beyond traditional retail and become an even more active part of student engagement.
Esports is one example of a broader shift across higher education: the most relevant campus experiences increasingly meet students around the interests, communities, and platforms that are already part of their lives. By connecting those interests back to the institution, campus stores can help create new touchpoints for school spirit, belonging, and participation.
Building on the response to the inaugural Chalked Cast Collegiate Invitational, Follett is already exploring additional esports tournaments and experiences, creating more opportunities for students and campus partners to participate.
Follett is proud to support colleges and universities with innovative experiences that complement the academic journey and help campuses connect with students in meaningful, authentic ways. Esports gives institutions another way to strengthen school pride while expanding the campus store’s impact through activations, partnerships, and experiences that reach students beyond the store’s four walls.
For many students, those experiences can become an entry point to deeper campus involvement and a stronger connection to their institution. For campus stores, this reflects an important industry evolution: the opportunity to serve not only as a place where students shop, but as a platform that helps campuses build community, celebrate student interests, and create connections that strengthen the overall student experience.