Syracuse University’s newest major is a one of a kind, focusing in Esports.
The Esports industry has grown at a huge rate over recent years. From 2019 to 2023, viewership has increased by 10 million viewers per year.
This growth has opened up new pathways in the world of Esports, including Esports journalism.
Leo Silverman is a Broadcast and Digital Journalism senior at the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Most of his classmates are interested in sports, news, and entertainment journalism.
Silverman is on a different path. He anticipates heading into the Esports world. He already works as a journalist in Esports, writing freelance articles about the industry and professional tournaments.
SYRACUSE, NY — “There are a lot of avenues that I am looking to take, either my reporting experience or my broadcasting experience into past college,” Silverman says. “I think it’s my passion.”
For students like Silverman, who have a passion for Esports, they will have a completely new avenue open to them next year.
Syracuse University is beginning a new major, Esports Communications and Management.
SU is one of a small number of universities to start a major like this. Ohio State University, St. Peter’s University, and George Mason University also have an Esports program, among others.
“Yeah, darn,” Silverman says, “If this was a thing 3 or 4 years ago when I was a freshman or sophomore I probably would be in that major by now.”
The Newhouse School at Syracuse University was ranked as the 28th best communications school in the country according to Niche in 2023. (Credit: Matt Zumbolo)
The program will be a combined major between the Newhouse School of Public Communications and Falk College of Management.
Information Studies Professor Jeff Rubin spearheaded efforts to get the Esports program started.
It was a very fast process to get the program approved, Rubin says.
“It’s kind of remarkable,” Rubin says. “People told me to create a new major on campus to give myself 3 to 4 years to do something like that to happen and we did it beginning to end in a year which is pretty incredible.”
The Esports program will begin to admit its first students in the Fall of 2024.
transcript
SILVERMAN: I’ve seen it grow personally because I’ve just seen so many colleges really get involved. I do broadcasts for colleges that compete in like very high level leagues. I mean like Syracuse as an university now has like an Esports major track where you can be involved in the business or even the broadcast side of things.
RUBIN: I think Esports it hits on so many different areas. Academic because there’s a huge need in their demand in the industry for students coming out with Esports knowledge. There’s certainly it’s what our students do right. So many students on campus play Esports you can look at the Barnes Center and see that and so that’s how it kind of came about. I’d say when did it start a little over a year ago maybe you know 15 months ago or so it started and
got it done.SILVERMAN: the industry really took its biggest boom when COVID happened because everybody was locked away in their houses and like what can you do besides play video games and watch people play video games because that can still work remotely so that took like a big boom right when I kind of was getting involved with it. And honestly it’s just one of those Industries where you know you can have issues with like a recession happening but it’s in my mind really is going to keep growing.
RUBIN: this is a unique program and it’ll be the first dually owned program on campus meaning you’re not a new house student or a fox student you’re both.