UHSAA Approves Esports as Official Activity Starting 2025-2026 School Year
By Davis Brandi
March 29, 2024 marks the day the Utah High School Activities Association has officially sanctioned esports as an activity, marking a significant milestone in the Association's efforts to provide more opportunities for students.
Following a unanimous vote by the UHSAA Board of Trustees on March 28, esports will be a sanctioned activity beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.
Starting with the 2025-2026 school year, high school students across Utah will have the opportunity to compete in organized esports competitions under the auspices of the UHSAA. The inaugural season will run from January through April, offering students the chance to showcase their skills in a variety of popular video games while representing their schools with pride.
"We are thrilled to announce the sanctioning of esports as an official activity within the UHSAA," said Rob Cuff, Executive Director of the Utah High School Activities Association. "Esports provides a unique avenue for student engagement and competition, and we believe it has the potential to enrich the high school experience for a wide range of students."
There may be a concern of funding and community support in the beginning as it will compete with winter sports such as Basketball and wrestling. Esports has a chance to involve new audiences and help encourage more participation, school spirit, and benefit the aspects of other sports. Again it may take awhile for esports to pick up, but since the sport was introduced to the country in 2018, the sport has exploded. Last year more than $16 million in esports scholarships were awarded by U.S. colleges, helping to fuel the explosive growth of high school teams.
"We believe that esports has the power to bring students together in new and exciting ways, fostering teamwork, strategic thinking, and leadership skills," added Cuff. "By embracing esports as an official activity, we hope to provide students with opportunities for growth and personal development both on and off the virtual battlefield."
The Games that schools will be competing in have yet to be announced. But the UHSAA looks forward to the positive impact that esports will have on high school communities across the state and invites students, educators, and parents to join in this exciting new venture.
