eSports in Louisiana: The Bayou State’s Growing Competitive Gaming Scene

Without question, eSports have blown up in the past decade and a half, as this landscape is now on track to pull in annual revenues of $7.5 billion in the next five years, per a February 2025 Market.US report.

While California and New York are the regions most associated with US eSports, Louisiana is doing its part in assisting the United States esports rise, with the Bayou State boasting grassroots tournaments in local cafes and various collegiate programs, which have helped its gaming scene gain momentum, and that is what we are examining in detail below.

Louisiana’s Esports Landscape Today

The United States somewhat pioneered eSports, as the earliest beginnings of this competitive arena happened on US soil, all starting with Stanford’s Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics in the early 1970s.

In the current-day US eSports climate, as mentioned, California and New York are at the top of the heap, joined by states like Pennsylvania, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Wisconsin. According to Action Network, Louisiana ranks in the 19th position as far as eSports earnings go.

Louisiana’s eSports scene, while still developing, is, for sure, vibrant and diverse. It features a vast array of local LAN events, online tournaments, and a growing collegiate presence. The latter is something to be highlighted, and which we will get into more in this article. So, even though the state has yet to host a major event for top competitors in games like Overwatch League, Dota 2, or CS2, players and teams with roots in Louisiana make waves in national competitions. Much of that has been thanks to the Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation (LASEF), which has been instrumental in fostering scholastic eSports.

Collegiate Esports Growth

Connecting to the last point in the previous subheading, universities in Louisiana have invested in various video gaming programs for a while now, ones that combine competitive gaming with academic and career development.

There are multiple examples of this. Louisiana Tech University is one of the most prominent schools that has taken a stab at this, and did so earlier than most. In 2017, it founded its Tech Esports Club, which currently has a roster of teams that compete in games like Call of Duty, Rainbow Six, LoL, CS2, Valorant, and many other top choices. The club’s center is outfitted with dozens of high-spec PCs and console stations that help members train and stream their in-club matches. Since the club is part of the university structure, it has access to its funding and use of other on-campus facilities.

Louisiana State University has a similar program running called Esports LSU, which also hosts intramural tournaments for casual players and accepts donations through its dedicated site. Northwestern State University opened its gaming wing in January 2021, on the bottom floor of the Friedman Student Union, as part of its program that supports both varsity-level competitive teams and casual play sessions. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has Ragin’ Cajuns teams that compete in various numbers of games, and the same goes for Louisiana Christian University, which has its Esports Club, but which only has teams for Overwatch, Rocket League, and League of Legends.

Local Louisiana Esports Tournaments

As discussed above, there are no super high-profile ones that draw nationwide attention. For the most part, video game contests in the state get organized with the help of multiple state-funded or non-profit programs. Namely, the Louisiana High School Athletic Association partnered with Playfly Esports to develop competitive high school gaming for Rocket League and Overwatch 2 gamers. The Louisiana 4-H program runs its eSports season as well, featuring Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for junior players.

The Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation supports competitive gaming at all academic levels, with notable recurring events being the NOLA Smash Monthly tournaments in New Orleans and the East Baton Rouge Parish School System's EBREL season. Even though the state permits retail and online sports wagering, one will not find the possibility of these events listed for betting on eSports in Louisiana, at the state-regulated mobile bookies or offshore ones, since they are not very important on the national level.

It is vital to highlight that the Louisiana Scholastic Esports Federation also organizes tournaments through its East Baton Rouge Esports League (EBREL) and Capital Area Esports League (CAEL). Plus, the state’s competitive video game scene is not limited to these.

Economic & Cultural Impact

As far as the economic effects of eSports in Louisiana go, they are not noticeable, as this field really does not do much in terms of job creation or tourism. Per the cited Action Network report, Louisiana only generated around $1.4 million in annual eSports earnings. It is clear from everything laid out above that its eSports landscape is primarily driven at the academic level, not the high pro one. New Orleans and Baton Rouge have the potential to be homes to major events, with their history of large conventions, but have yet to do so. Though they remain prime candidates for future such events.

Culturally, eSports do resonate with Louisiana’s inclusive ethos. Competitive gaming gives students who are not interested in traditional sports an opportunity to foster a sense of belonging to their chosen school and develop skills that can be monetized in the real world, since eSports are growing in popularity with each passing year.