Grab your controllers and keyboards and head over to the UM Esports Arena to join one of the fastest-growing athletic programs at the University of Montana. Since esports became an official University sport in 2019, its popularity has skyrocketed, attracting students from every corner of campus.
The popularity of Grizzly Esports mirrors the growing popularity of video games – 90% of teens play video games on a console, computer or phone (Pew Research Center). But its inclusive nature and “everybody can play” mantra make Grizzly Esports one of the strongest and most sought-after communities on campus.
Scroll farther to learn how Grizzly Esports has leveled up its antidote for toxic gaming culture and meet an esports athlete who exemplifies the team’s inclusive attitude. You’ll also discover the scholarships, charitable giving and degree experience all esports athletes encounter as members of the team.
UM’s Grizzly Esports team started as a student club in 2012 and became an official University sport in 2019 as part of the National Association of Collegiate Esports. Around 60 students signed up on the very first day the team launched on campus.
Fast forward to 2024, and Grizzly Esports has 300+ active members, with over half playing competitively. This includes a broad mix of students – from first-years to soon-to-be graduates – representing every school and major. This diversity plays well into a motto that Grizzly Esports has had since the very beginning:
Every Game
Every Body
Every One
Grizzly Esports also has expanded into new spaces since its inception. They fill the UM Esports Arena in the University Center, where athletes congregate to practice and participate in national tournaments. Spectators can fill the arena or catch live tournaments and replays on Twitch, where the team streams all their competitive play.
Griz Esports on TwitchEven though Grizzly Esports is already champion of the Big Sky Conference after clinching two titles in Rocket League, the team's primary emphasis has never been podium finishes. Instead, Director of Esports Michael Cassens stresses an inclusive environment that adds to the student experience.
Michael shares his approach to esports in this video:
Meet Logan Brewer, an esports student-athlete from Spearfish, South Dakota, who came to UM as a first-year student in 2023. Logan discovered Grizzly Esports during a campus visit and then again during UM’s new student welcoming events (the Big Sky Experience).
It wasn’t long before he was immersed in the esports community, eventually donning the captain’s hat for a Valorant team. Now in his second semester at the University, he’s happy to share his favorite things about being part of the team.
“The community is the biggest part of Griz Esports,” said Logan. “There are so many friendships I’ve made just because I’m in the esports program that I would not have made. When I walk around campus, there are more people I see and more people that I can talk to. It’s a community I feel safe in.”
Maybe it’s the attributes that becoming a team captain has imposed, but Logan is a confident student with no trouble making conversation wherever he goes. That’s probably why his best advice for becoming part of the team is simple: Show up.
“The easiest way to get involved is to stop into our space, the UM Esports Arena. There are plenty of ways to get involved by just coming in. I got involved by just walking in and talking to someone. If you see anything branded Esports, you can talk to them. If you have any little tiny thought of, ‘maybe that will be fun,’ do it! I say totally go for it.”
Like any student-athlete at UM, the student part comes first. Alongside mandated grade checks and GPA requirements, there’s a strong emphasis on a healthy relationship between video games and academics and social life. This good academic standing is reflected in the 50 athletic scholarships awarded to students on the team.
Scholarships are divided among team leaders, active team members and, perhaps more than anything, athletes who participate in the team’s charitable efforts. Possibly most notable is Grizzly Esports’ involvement with the annual Can the Cats food drive, coinciding with the “Brawl of the Wild” between the University of Montana and Montana State University football programs.
Some of the strongest correlations between academics and the esports team come from the many degrees at UM that are directly related. Several esports student-athletes parlay their game expertise into majors like cybersecurity, game design and interactive media, computer science, management information systems and more.
Any interest in video games or the Grizzly Esports culture is all you need to join the team. One ground rule is that you must abide by the team’s guiding principles of inclusivity, meaning you bring a warm and welcoming attitude – no toxicity allowed.
Grizzly Esports currently plays eight games competitively against other schools. Each game has one to four teams competing based on skill level. Tryouts occur every semester, and teams generally have one to two scheduled weekly practices.
Current competitive games played:
Although these games are the focus on the competitive side of the team, any and all games are played in the UM Esports Arena. Not to mention several extracurricular tournaments, gatherings and celebrations that have become hallmarks of Grizzly Esports.
Follow Grizzly Esports on Instagram for the latest event information.