This is Part One of a multi-part series about the infrastructure of esports leagues. Part two will focus on the differences between the Overwatch and League Of Legends academies, the role collegiate esports could play in this system, and both leagues’ “Path to Pro” initiatives.
For traditional sports leagues, stability has come over time. The leagues that have survived, like MLB, the NFL, and the NBA, have at some point merged with competitors, forced competitors out, and built up effective systems to feed and weed talent, whether via an official minor league or a collegiate feeder system.