Oklahoma University announces partnership to continue career opportunities in the collegiate esports industry
The University of Oklahoma Esports & Co-Curricular Innovation (OU ECCI) department recently announced a landmark partnership with McDonald’s Gaming.
This partnership seeks to support the institution’s Sooner Dojo Series (SDS), a year-round four-event series offering casual and competitive competition.
The continuing momentum of collegiate esports will invite other partnerships to emerge and higher education institutions to explore partnership options similar to the one at the University of Oklahoma.
Having this partnership will enhance the in-person and online event formats in a variety of ways for students, fans, and McDonald’s Gaming alike.
Historically, the majority of collegiate esports events are funded through program budgets, student investment, or not at all.
This adds a financial obstacle for students to explore career pathways in esports beyond a competitive career. However, the partnership between McDonald’s Gaming and OU ECCI is far from solely being of monetary value. It will focus on nurturing the community base and broadening student-centric opportunities in the areas of event coordination, implementation, and innovative design.
Partnerships between higher education intuitions and brands are nothing new, but it’s just now the industry is starting to see brands take the initiative and partner with collegiate esports programs as a new avenue of marketing and engagement by connecting their brand with new demographics and generations.
Familiar Territory for McDonald’s
Collegiate esports partnerships are familiar territory for McDonald’s.
In May of 2024, McDonald’s of North Texas was the presenting sponsor for the Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC) held in Arlington, Texas. During the Fall 2024 semester, local McDonald’s locations in St. Louis are also teaming up with Maryville Esports and offering an $8 “Meal Deal” selected by the esports team.
Additionally, McDonald’s continued its partnership with Gen.G and the Black Collegiate Gaming Association (BCGA) to connect several HBCUs to esports industry opportunities, career professionals, and other collegiate esport athletes this past September.
The continuation of McDonald’s investment into collegiate esports initiatives shows and team success stories like Maryville esports show strong evidence that brand and collegiate esports partnerships create harmonious success.
On the student side, these partnerships allow students to continue to build upon the foundation of their institution’s esports programs and themselves in the esports industry.
Companies like MTN Dew, Coca-Cola, and a variety of tech companies such as Lenovo and Dell have already stepped foot into the collegiate esports industry through sponsoring tournaments, teams and arenas across the country.
Continuing Momentum in Collegiate Esports
This milestone from the University of Oklahoma and McDonald’s Gaming directly showcases the evolution of collegiate esports. With this collaboration, the Sooner Dojo Series will continue the momentum of its esports ecosystem and be able to offer new career development and community engagement opportunities.
As more brands recognize the potential of esports, we can expect to see an increase in similar collaborations across higher education institutions.
More and more colleges and universities are investing in their esports programs. New arenas, scholarship dollars, head coaches, and now a variety of partnerships and sponsorships all are avenues that higher education institutions are strategically using to position themselves in the collegiate esports ecosystem.
As more institutions continue to grow and build momentum in their programs, the more competitive the recruitment and enrollment of esports athletes becomes. It is becoming increasingly taxing on coaches and team members to recruit new first-year athletes.
The partnership between the University of Oklahoma Esports & Co-Curricular Innovation department and McDonald’s gaming, as well as the success of the Sooner Dojo Series, gives the university a strong advantage when looking for the next rising esports stars.
To read more on the full partnership, visit OU ECCI.
