When Kettering University was invited this year to join the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference for esports, the milestone represented more than another place to compete.
It marked how far a student-driven program had come.
Kettering Esports began in 2020 with 25 students competing in three titles. By spring 2026, 119 students were competing across 12. Along the way came a national championship, regional and divisional titles, a dedicated facility, a full-time director and regular conference competition against established collegiate programs.
But President Dr. Robert K. McMahan focused less on what the University had added than on who had made the growth possible.
“Membership in the WHAC gives them a conference schedule and steady competition against established programs,” he said. “The students built this program, and they earned the invitation.”
Esports can be easy to evaluate through what is visible: the computers, the games, the competition and the space required to support them.
But Kettering’s experience suggests that its greater value shows up in what happens when students are given ownership, expectations and a meaningful reason to build something together.
1. Give students something worth owning
Daniel Nowaczyk describes Kettering Esports less in terms of what the University has built for students than in terms of what students expect from one another.
“The students are what make this program what it is,” Kettering’s Director of Esports said. “They keep pushing each other, they want to get better, and they’re proud to represent Kettering.”
There is a significant difference between joining an activity and becoming responsible for what that activity becomes.
As Kettering’s program grew, so did the number of teams, competitors and shared expectations students had to sustain. Success depended not only on individual performance, but on students preparing together, holding one another accountable and contributing to an identity that extended beyond any single match or title.
That kind of ownership does not require a large collegiate program to cultivate.
At the high school level, veteran players can help onboard new teammates. Captains can help establish practice expectations. Students can take responsibility for equipment, match review, team communications, broadcasts or other pieces of the program that depend on someone following through.
The goal is not simply to give students more tasks. It is to give them responsibilities whose outcomes matter to other people.
When teammates are counting on them, leadership stops being theoretical.
2. Put structure around the competition
Kettering teams compete across national collegiate organizations, including NACE and NECC. The University’s Rainbow Six Siege team won a national championship in 2023, and teams have continued to earn regional and divisional championships across multiple titles.
Competing at that level takes more than being good at the game. Students have to practice consistently, communicate under pressure, review losses and remain accountable to teammates.
Nowaczyk sees that as central to the experience.
“Our students have put so much into growing this program and competing at a high level,” he said. “Joining the WHAC gives them another opportunity to challenge themselves, compete against great programs, and show what Kettering Esports can do.”
Clear expectations, practice schedules, defined leadership roles and consistent competition give students repeated opportunities to prepare, perform, respond to setbacks and come back ready for the next match.
3. Build roles beyond the roster
Not every student who contributes to an esports program has to be on the competitive roster.
Competitive esports depends on technology, network reliability, broadcasting, data analysis, event organization, communications and content creation.
Those needs create roles for students interested in computer science, engineering, information technology, marketing, media and management.
At Kettering University, the University has expanded its own commitment alongside student participation, establishing a dedicated facility with 21 gaming PCs and three iRacing simulators, offering partial scholarships and creating a full-time Director of Esports position.
The equipment supports the competition. The larger opportunity is what students learn to run, produce, analyze and manage around it.
4. Build the space around the experience
Technology matters. The physical environment matters. But a better question is what students should be able to learn, lead and accomplish once they enter the room.
That perspective is one reason the Kettering/GMI Alumni Association is supporting the Michigan High School Esports League’s Esports Lab Makeover Contest.
Better technology matters when it gives students more to do with it.
The goal is a space where students can compete, take responsibility, develop skills, find teammates and build something they are proud to represent.
Kettering’s esports program began with 25 students and an idea.
Six years later, students had built a nationally competitive program with 119 participants, a national championship and a new conference affiliation.
The games give students a reason to compete.
What schools build around that competition gives them a reason to lead.
About Kettering University
Founded in 1919, Kettering University is a nationally recognized STEM university known for its industry-embedded educational model. Undergraduate students alternate between rigorous academics and paid, full-time professional Co-op experiences, graduating with up to 2.5 years of relevant work experience. More than 600 employers have partnered with Kettering over the past five years, and 98% of graduates are employed or enrolled in graduate school within six months of earning their degree.
Kettering is ranked No. 4 among Regional Universities Midwest in the 2027 U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges rankings, is one of The Princeton Review’s Best 392 Colleges for 2027, and was ranked the No. 1 undergraduate institution in the nation in the 2026 Launchpad Rankings.