Landy Lu, PhD, sport management assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology, has received the European Association of Sport Management (EASM) New Researcher Award for her study, “Relational Pluralism, Organizational Status, and the Adoption of Collegiate eSport Programs in the U.S.” 

Lu’s research focuses on an interesting collegiate-level organizational change around eSports in the United States. Between 2014 and 2020, more than 170 universities/colleges launched varsity eSports programs. Her study examines how relational ties (e.g., athletic associations, athletic conferences, and state community settings) shape the adoption of eSports programs and how organizational status (e.g., ranking) moderates this relational influence. 

The study’s findings indicate that an athletic association’s position around eSports influences member schools’ decisions whether to adopt. Results also show that universities are likely influenced by peers in the same athletic conference when it comes to eSports adoption. Once the number of local peer schools reaches a critical mass, universities with a higher ranking are more likely to adopt. The universities/colleges included in Lu’s story are affiliated with the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the predominant collegiate eSports association in the U.S. 

Lu presented her research and received her award virtually at the EASM Festival of Sport Management Research and Practice on September 16, 2021.