The following has been sent to Inven Global as a press release.

Faculty members at Texas Wesleyan University have been hard at work creating an academic program in sports communication that not only meets the growing industry needs of the blossoming esports field, but also establishes connections to the burgeoning sports communication industry in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. This degree aims to prepare students to work in any positions in the esports and sports communication fields both now and in the future.

“We are very fortunate in the DFW area to have so much esports related activity happening right now,” said Eugene Frier, executive director of esports & recreation at Texas Wesleyan University. “I am thrilled to be working at an institution that has not only showed support for the co-curricular side of esports, but also for the academic side as well.”

The creation of the Bachelor of Science in Sports Communication degree is a first in Texas and the surrounding states, and Texas Wesleyan is excited by the collaborations being utilized to make this a reality. Faculty on campus are in current talks with Twitch, Mavs Gaming, the Esports Stadium in Arlington and many other groups to not only enrich the educational opportunities for our students, but also provide them with practical experience to help them as they move toward entering the workplace.

“Our new sports communication major builds on the strengths of our general mass communication by offering students real-world, practical experience through our relationships with professional sports teams and the esports community,” said Dr. Kay L. Colley, associate professor and department chair of mass communication. “Our students will leave this program with an electronic portfolio that demonstrates their abilities and shows potential employers that they can do what the industry wants and needs.”

The new Bachelor of Science in Sports Communication degree will officially start in fall 2020, but Texas Wesleyan University is already making connections to help make this a meaningful educational experience for its students. To that end, the Mass Communication Department has added several professionals to its advisory board that represent the esports and sports communication industries to help faculty and students as they move through the program. Faculty are also looking at ways to add esports specific curricula to each course with a hope of developing specializations in areas such as shoutcasting.

The TXWES Esports & Gaming Program focuses on four areas: Competition, Creation, Community and Career. Competition involves teams for Overwatch, Hearthstone, Smash Ultimate, FIFA, and Rocket League. Creation is home to the TXWES Content Creation teams who develop and distribute digital media for YouTube. Community is the event management arm hosting tournaments, socials, and philanthropy events on campus. Career is over encompassing arm of the program as the program strives to make students career-ready for any field they want to go into.

For more information on the academic program, please contact associate professor of mass communication and department chair, Dr. Colley (kcolley@txwes.edu) or go to the program website (https://txwes.edu/academics/artsletters/undergraduate-majors/sports-communication/). For more information on the rest of the TXWES Esports & Gaming Program, please contact director of esports & gaming Eugene Frier (ejfrier@txwes.edu).