The Voice of Intercollegiate Esports (VOICE) has made massive strides this semester with the announcement of 3 Advisory councils, their new “Empowerment Through Esports” Grant, and a new whitepaper.
VOICE is a nonprofit organization with the goal of “creating a united voice for higher education in collegiate esports.”
Since March, VOICE has announced 3 advisory Councils: The Presidents Advisory Council, made up of 10 university presidents and chancellors from across the country; the Competition Advisory Council, made up of representatives from 5 competitive conferences across college esports; and the Directors Advisory Council.
VOICE Advisory Councils
The Directors Advisory Council, the latest development, will “comprise directors from leading collegiate esports programs”.
According to VOICE, the council’s objectives include:
- Facilitate open dialogue and resource sharing among program directors
- Identify and address key issues impacting collegiate esports
- Foster a holistic educational experience for student-athletes
Additionally, VOICE shares they will support the council by “providing a structured framework for regular meetings and discussions, managing logistics and operations, and funding research initiatives to inform policy development and industry improvements.”
For student leaders, VOICE teased a Student Advisory council coming in Fall 2024.
The announcement of the council of directors came just days after the organization announced their Competition Advisory Council, which brings together leaders from ECAC Esports, NACE, EsportsU (operated by CSMG), NECC, and NJCAA.
Council members include:
- Lydia Fister from ECAC
- Michael Brooks from NACE
- Angela Bernhard Thomas from CSMG / EsportsU
- Jacob VanRyn from NECC
- Jeff White from NJCAA
On the Competition Advisory Council, VOICE shares: “Acknowledging the complexities and unique dynamics of uniting competitors, the Council is founded on the principle that collective action can transcend rivalry, harmonizing efforts for the greater good of the collegiate esports community.”
Eligibility Whitepaper
In late April, VOICE released their second white paper, which covers eligibility in college esports:
“This White Paper aims to provide a detailed analysis of the current state of eligibility in collegiate esports while also providing research that sheds light on the pressing challenges and opportunities for making the collegiate esports ecosystem more fair, transparent, and academically aligned,” reads the description.
On X, they shared a description of their methodology, writing:
1. Analyze current esports eligibility standards.
2. Compare with traditional collegiate athletics.
3. Collect eligibility survey data from 71 esports program directors, coaches, and faculty.
4. Conversations with leagues, conferences, and tournament organizers.
VOICE has not yet shared the topics of upcoming white papers.
More developments and looking towards Fall 2024
In late March, VOICE announced their first-ever “Empowerment Through Esports” grant, “designed to empower individuals and organizations that share a mission for bettering collegiate esports.”
With their first grant, VOICE selected College Esports News as the first recipient.
On the topic of the fall semester, Co-Executive Director of VOICE, Jesse Bodony shared: “Our hope is to help encourage action and follow-through on some of the eligibility policies the data suggested should be implemented.”
“Other than that, you can expect more research and publications,” he said. “The kernels of some larger projects are being incubated, but we can’t speak to those directly just yet.”
