In traditional college sports, numerous scholars have measured and shown the Flutie effect - a significant positive impact that successful sporting seasons have on a university's enrollment, prominence, and overall exposure. This has been found across multiple sports and multiple schools. In the 21st century, a new type of competition has exploded in popularity: Esports. Competitive gaming has permeated the lives of the newest generations, and has extended to university clubs and programs. The question, then, is does the Flutie effect extend toward Esports as well? If so, to what extent?
This research aims to do three things:
1) Draw upon the works of previous scholars to better define what the Flutie effect is and how it impacts universities, creating a relative scale.
2) Measure the changes in enrollment and exposure of universities with highly successful Esports programs.
3) Compare those changes with the established relative scale to argue for or against the extension of the Flutie effect into Esports circles.