This article expresses the views of its author(s), separate from those of this publication. Readers are encouraged to comment or submit a Letter to the Editor to share their opinions. To submit a Letter to the Editor, follow the instructions here.

The city of Jacksonville has given the University of North Florida a $3 million endowment meant to fund the building of an on-campus esports arena. 

The stated purpose of this endowment is to increase enrollment at UNF, in turn increasing workers in Jacksonville. 

A statistic touted by the city is that 80% of UNF grads stay in state and 70% stay in Jacksonville. 

But who exactly does the city want to attract to work locally, and more specifically, why was eSports the motivator the city chose?

In particular, both UNF and the city have emphasized STEM students in their statements highlighting the impact that this investment in eSports will have on UNF enrollment, but the generalities that have been used in public statements begs the question of the possibility of another reason for this large of an endowment. 

eSports Gender Divide

In a 2021 study using a sample of 27 public American schools, the AP highlighted that male students take up 90.4% of roster spots and 88.5% of scholarship funds. 

This AP study indicates a disparity between the gender makeup of gamers generally and gamers playing for university teams. In the article breaking down their study, the AP cites a study claiming that 41% of US gamers are females. 

Relatedly, the AP points to the lack of a central governing body for collegiate esports, as well as many esports teams existing as clubs rather than having varsity status, as exacerbating this gender problem. 

A similar study from North Carolina State University also points to a gender disparity in increasingly professionalized college esports programs. This study also reports that increased financial support for college esports pushes women out of the field. 

Sound familiar?

Dropping Male College Enrollment

At a time when male enrollment in colleges is falling across the country, including at UNF, it does make sense for UNF to try and find ways to attract more male students, especially with UNF’s goal of increasing their enrollment numbers to 25,000 students by 2028.

It is entirely possible that the city of Jacksonville and UNF put no thought into the gender identities of students who will enroll at UNF because of esports, but it is hard to imagine that demographics did not come up in any of the conversations leading up to the city handing over this endowment. 

When faced with vague language and ideas about why UNF needs millions of dollars for video games, most should feel the need to try and determine why this decision was made. This financial decision is especially important to consider since city council auditors have forecasted that Jacksonville will have budget deficits up to $105 million over the upcoming four years. 

Looking into the esports industry and finding gender issues is a lot worse than if someone had provided more exact reasoning for this large of an investment. 

___

For more information or news tips, or if you see an error in this story or have any compliments or concerns, contact editor@unfspinnaker.com.