A new networking platform provides collegiate esports programs with resources to recruit up-and-coming talent.
For many student-athletes, they do not know how to start their collegiate esports recruitment journey, but the newest recruiting platform, VarsityGG, aims to solve this problem and connect these athletes with colleges.
Newly founded in 2026 by Ro Nathani, VarsityGG is “a two-sided digital marketplace designed specifically for collegiate esports.” Within its design, it is made for networking purposes between prospective high school students and collegiate esports programs looking for talent.
With the combination of Ro Nathani’s collegiate and professional experience, he built VarsityGG. He focuses on his goal of providing universities and student-athletes with tools and resources that represent the realities of modern gaming within the industry.
According to VarsityGG’s official website, VarsityGG was founded to “help elevate the standard of collegiate esports and create long-term opportunities for the next generation of competitors.”
In their mission statement, they emphasize their dedication to the high school and collegiate esports scene: “VarsityGG is committed to shaping the future of collegiate esports by creating a sustainable environment where universities can elevate their programs, players can develop their potential, and competitive gaming is supported with the same standards and professionalism as traditional varsity athletics.”
Collegiate esports is considered one of the fastest-growing industries in the space, and VarsityGG continues to change the game. From their official website, the site says, “As collegiate esports continues to expand, universities are looking for modern, centralized tools to support program management, player development, and competitive visibility. VarsityGG was built to partner with institutions in meeting that need.”
Ro “Curryshot” Nathani, CEO and founder of VarsityGG, shares more about the program. “Colleges offer scholarships to play video games competitively. VarsityGG is where they find the players. We are like the social network of esports,” Nathani said.
Within the collegiate circuit, there are other recruiting platforms such as Stay Plugged in, League OS’ recruiting portal, and PlayVS Recruit, but Natahani believes that VarsityGG provides a “one-stop shop” experience that they do not believe is offered anywhere else within the collegiate esports circuit.
Many high school students do not know where to begin in the recruiting process. With the help of VarsityGG, players can get their name out there by creating a profile and getting started.
With over 2.5 million dollars in available scholarships to offer, the platform is able to provide connections within collegiate esports and help enable students financially with scholarships from schools. As a collegiate esports staff member, you can recruit talent, access the tournament circuit, and player development through a screen.
In collaboration with high school esports and students, the organization plans to offer scholarships through VarsityGG. On top of this, they will create a circuit with a prize pool where collegiate coaches will be able to view the tournament and progress of players throughout their season.
Nathani shares how they plan to host workshops to connect collegiate esports directors and high school players. “We also will hold Zoom workshops with esports directors where students can directly ask questions they normally wouldn’t be able to.”
With many different opportunities to connect with collegiate coaches, VarsityGG plans on hosting and throwing events with their partner universities to provide as many opportunities to students interested in going to the next level.
Inside of the program itself, student-athletes and collegiate coaches are able to connect via direct message. In these messages, players and staff can exchange information back and forth. Another immersive part of the program is the API keys that the VarsityGG team created to verify game statistics.
Nathani talks about how the experience is unique compared to competitors, “Other competitors have pre-loaded messages with canned responses and want to take conversations to 3rd party platforms like Discord to save on server costs.”
With a newer system in place, it may seem complicated at first, but Nathani explains how quick the process is: “You can sign up to VarsityGG by going to VarsityGG.com. Once you make a profile, feel free to message schools directly. We encourage students to do this to get their name out there. It’s free to make a profile.”
Many high school student-athletes talk about the difficulty in getting into collegiate esports, but with the creation of VarsityGG, these students and collegiate staff can connect and help collegiate esports expand together.
The system can connect students and collegiate esports programs directly. Many schools have already connected with VarsityGG and are recruiting on the site actively.
Many of these schools are recognized across the country and have prestigious esports programs. With twenty-two schools part of the program (as of Mar. 11, 2026), many of these offer scholarships to students who are interested in playing collegiate esports.
Some of the first schools to join that were highlighted on VarsityGG’s social media were University of California Berkley, University Wisconsin-Stout, and Cleary University. Many of these schools are utilizing the program to actively recruit for upcoming and future semesters, providing scholarships to students who are actively engaged, keeping up with their grades, and are committed to their craft.
Two of the biggest schools on the platform are Maryville University and Winthrop University. Both of these schools have national championships, LAN experience, and have created many professional players in the industry through the path to pro system. Fisher College is the latest to join VaristyGG:
With VarsityGG’s creation in 2026, there are still many things in the works for the future. With the development still underway, Nathani shared some of the upcoming plans: “We plan on building the infrastructure that esports currently does not have at the collegiate level. We have big plans on how we can shape the ecosystem for the better, and we have three huge announcements coming in the next one to two months. It will change the collegiate esports landscape forever for the better, and while I cannot reveal much, it has not been done before.”
After a successful first few months, VarsityGG is on track to continue connecting high school and collegiate esports one step at a time. For anyone wanting to sign up or learn more, you can visit VarsityGG’s official website.
