MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The director and two members of the world-class WVU Esports team visited the students at South Middle School to talk about careers Wednesday.
WVU Esports Competitive Director Josh Steger and WVU Esports professionals Noah Johnson and Jarrett Birch talked to the 7th graders about video games, the WVU program, and career possibilities. The students also heard about more conventional opportunities within the Esports Business and Entertainment (ESPT) Bachelor of Arts program
“What we do in the gaming program and what it takes to get into that program,” Steger said. “And some outside job opportunities they can get into if they want to do this as a career.
Like any other organization, esports teams have a need to market themselves, create a brand, and develop a plan to launch, compete, and sustain. There are many typical business functions that have an esports twist and provide opportunities to start a meaningful career.
“A lot of people don’t know how much the gaming space intersects with different organizations,” Steger said. “There’s traditional sports, game publishers, marketing firms, and producers of music, so there are plenty.”
There are opportunities at every level of the sport and industry. From Noah Johnson, who has won multiple national championships, to Jarrett Birch, who is a professional player with a goal to follow the career path of Steger.
“Some people are doing two-year degrees, some people are doing four-year degrees, and some kids don’t even go to college because they’re so good,” Steger said. “From the industry standpoint, there are a lot of ways you can start at a young age, get a lot of experience, and make your own pathway.”
Johnson is a LevelNext Madden National Champion in 2021, a LevelNext Madden National Runner-Up in ’22, LevelNext Madden Big 12 in 2021 and ’22, and a Collegiate Madden Showcase Quarterfinalist in 2024. Along the way, Johnson has racked up $300,000 in earnings as well.
“I don’t really know, to be honest, and that’s so fun about esports,” Johnson said. “It’s always evolving, changing, and the ecosystem is getting better, so I’m taking it one at a time and seeing what opportunities are out there.”
Birch is the captain of the Rocket League team that has also won multiple national titles. In fact, the championship team is the only one in the country that has scholarship females participating.
“I’m looking into a master’s degree after finishing my business degree, and I’m in my last semester,” Birch said. “Then I want to transition into college esports and help kids like myself who didn’t know what to do with video games but were really good and help them develop.”