How CSU Global Is Redefining Online Community Through Esports and Inclusive Gaming

Guest article by Bryan Hummel, CSU Global esports coach

In today’s digital landscape, where competitive gaming and virtual collaboration shape how students connect, Colorado State University Global is redefining what an online community can look like. As the nation’s first fully online public university, CSU Global recognized early that esports was more than a trend—it was a powerful pathway for engagement, belonging, and professional growth.

Launched in 2019, the university’s esports program began with competitive teams in titles like Valorant, Overwatch, and League of Legends. Early victories, including a decisive 2020 matchup against the University of Utah, showcased strong gameplay and hinted at the program’s expanding potential.

But as the program matured, its leaders—a dedicated student advisory board with me serving as esports coach—identified a deeper need. With enrollment spanning all 50 states and more than 20 countries, CSU Global’s 15,000-plus students often grapple with the isolation that can accompany online learning. Esports isn’t just about winning. It’s about creating bonds that last beyond the screen.

That insight sparked a pivot in late 2024, shifting the program from a competitive model to a broader “Gaming for Connection” framework designed to unite a global student body through inclusive events, collaborative play, and shared virtual experiences.

No longer solely a competitive club, the program now emphasizes accessibility, offering low-pressure events that prioritize fun over rankings. The transition leveraged existing Discord servers and Twitch streams to host hybrid activities. By spring 2025, participation had doubled, with over 500 active students and alumni engaging, evidence that gaming can bridge the gaps in a remote academic world.

At the heart of this evolution are weekly game nights hosted through Discord-integrated gaming lobbies that bring together new and current students. These aren’t cutthroat qualifiers but relaxed drop-in sessions where students pair up for cooperative play in favorites like Among Us, Jackbox Party Pack, Fall Guys, and Fortnite. A marketing major from Texas might pair with a cybersecurity student in Alaska to outwit impostors, all while chatting about midterms and hometowns. Themes rotate—  “Retro Revival” for classic Nintendo titles, “Co-Op Chaos” for narrative-driven adventures like It Takes Two—and attendance is free. No skill level is required, and facilitators encourage simple icebreakers, such as, “What’s your go-to snack during a binge session?”

Complementing these gatherings is a quarterly guest speaker series that spotlights industry trailblazers. Curated to inspire and inform, the series frames esports as a profession while offering practical insight into content creation, legal considerations, infrastructure, sponsorship, and more. Since its launch in fall 2024, the series has drawn hundreds of live viewers, with recordings generating thousands more on the CSU Global channels. These sessions aren’t dry lectures; they’re interactive fireside chats with Q&A and post-talk gaming lobbies where attendees can grill speakers about their Steam libraries.

Among the standout voices has been Murph Vandervelde, co-founder and former president of Oxygen Esports, as well as owner of the Call of Duty League’s Boston Breach. A Harvard alumnus turned esports executive, Vandervelde delivered a February 2025 talk titled “From Campus LAN Parties to Global Arenas.” He recounted building the Helix Esports centers in New Jersey and navigating the volatile world of professional franchises. He shared stories from the 2022 Call of Duty League season, where his team clinched major wins amid sponsorship droughts, and emphasized resilience: “Esports rewards the grinders who build communities first.” Attendees praised his honesty in discussing early missteps, such as underestimating travel logistics for LAN events, saying it humanized the “pro gamer” image. One student, a computer science major from Florida, tweeted post-event: “Murph’s session made me realize esports isn’t just buttons; it’s business smarts.”

Another notable guest was Bill Patchett, CEO of P2 Telecom, whose career spans fiber optics and network infrastructure. In a January 2025 fireside chat co-hosted with me, Patchett connected gaming performance to telecom fundamentals, explaining how low-latency networks influence competitive outcomes. With decades in sales, he drew parallels between closing multimillion-dollar deals and clutch moments in Fortnite. “In telecom, like in gaming, it’s about predicting the opponent’s move — whether that’s latency spikes or market shifts,” he said. His insights on emerging technologies, including 5G’s growing role in mobile esports, resonated with IT-focused students. Patchett, the father of a professional Fortnite player known as “Crackly,” closed the session with a headset giveaway for top Q&A participants. Students later shared that the talk connected their coursework to real-world applications in esports, with one attendee noting, “Bill showed me how my sales classes apply to esports sponsorships. Game-changer for my internship hunt.”

Rounding out the recent lineup was Justin Jacobson, an entertainment attorney and one of the earliest agents representing professional gamers and content creators.  Jacobson’s March 2025 appearance, “Navigating the Legal Arena: Contracts, IP, and Esports Stardom,” unpacked the complexities of the industry he has helped shape since 2010.

As managing partner of The Jacobson Firm, P.C., and author of Esports & Professional Video Gaming, Jacobson walked attendees through real-world cases: from Twitch streamer disputes to NIL deals for collegiate gamers.

“I was the first attorney to rep esports talent full-time,” he said, describing his leap from music law to signing early stars in League of Legends. His session included a mock contract negotiation workshop emphasizing ethics and creator protections., especially relevant amid rising conversations around AI in game mods. “Justin’s talk turned my hobby into a career blueprint. Now I’m drafting my portfolio with legal eyes wide open,” said a graphic design student from California.

These speakers are part of a broader series that has featured more than a dozen experts, including Rebecca Dixon, co-founder of the*gamehers, who spoke about

diversity in gaming, and Cody Dragon of Ghost Gaming, who focused on monetizing streams. Each event ties back to the community, often continuing into  “Speaker Spotlights” where industry professionals join game nights for casual matches. This blend of inspiration and interaction has expanded the program’s reach, with alumni crediting it for helping them land roles at Riot Games and ESL.

What sets CSU Global’s initiative apart is its ability to bring together students “from all over CSUG” for unscripted fun. In a university without a physical campus, these virtual hubs dissolve geographic boundaries. Game nights have sparked study groups, mentorship connections, and even off-screen meetups at conferences. One popular thread on the program’s Discord chronicled a cross-country road trip sparked by a shared love of Rocket League, soon dubbed “The Esports Exodus.”

Looking ahead, CSU Global plans to expand the initiative with AR and VR integrations that create more immersive “campus” events and future partnerships. As Vandervelde noted during his talk, “Communities win championships.”

In an era when connection can feel optional, CSU Global’s gaming program shows just how essential it is. By leveling the playing field—literally—the initiative isn’t just building gamers; it’s building a global family.