Bringing Fighting Games Into Collegiate Esports

How do you create opportunities for students who have never considered college before?

We sat down with Jason Clark, Co-Founder and CEO of Collegiate FGC, to discuss how fighting games are reshaping the collegiate esports landscape. With a background in education, esports program development, and a deep understanding of the community-driven nature of the FGC (Fighting Game Community), Jason shares his insights on accessibility, diversity, and the future of collegiate fighting games.

Q: Jason, your path into esports wasn’t traditional. How did you get started?

It was definitely not a straight line. I started in the military and then went to college, where I got a political science degree because all I had to do was talk and write. But I quickly realized I didn’t want to go into politics.

So I went into education. I got my Master’s in Teaching, started as a high school social studies teacher, and thought it was great—summers off, decent stability. But I wasn’t passionate about just standing in front of a class talking about Napoleon.

Everything changed in 2018, when I had students in an entrepreneurship class pitch the idea of starting an esports club. I was already a huge gamer, so I told them, “Let’s do it.” I expected maybe 10–15 kids, but at our first meeting, we had 108 students show up—87 of them had never been involved in any other school activity.

That moment was huge for me. It showed that esports wasn’t just a game—it was a way to connect students to school who might have otherwise fallen through the cracks.

Q: At what point did you see esports as more than just a school club?

It was when I saw how dramatically esports improved student engagement. The school I was teaching at had a 54% graduation rate, but research shows that if you get students involved in something they care about, their academic performance improves.

Within a year, the esports students' average GPA increased by a full letter grade. That’s when I realized esports could be used as an educational tool—not just a competitive one.

From there, I got involved with state-level high school esports organizations, then moved into collegiate esports, and eventually co-founded Collegiate FGC, the first league built specifically for fighting games in college esports.

Q: You could’ve focused on any esport. Why did you choose fighting games?

A few reasons. First, fighting games were always overlooked in collegiate esports. Every semester, I had students asking, “Why isn’t there a space for us?” The existing college esports model wasn’t built for fighting games, and I wanted to change that.

Second, fighting games are incredibly diverse. When I looked at my player base, I saw way more Black, Asian, LGBTQ+, and marginalized gender players than in traditional FPS or MOBA games. That told me that this community wasn’t being given the same opportunities.

Finally, fighting games are far more accessible. You don’t need a $1,500 gaming PC, a mechanical keyboard, or a high-end mouse. You just need a controller. That makes it easier for students from lower-income backgrounds to compete at a high level.

Q: Fighting games have historically struggled with collegiate support. What changed?

A few things. Online play finally caught up. Before rollback netcode, it was tough to run online fighting game tournaments without lag issues. Now, we have players competing across the country with solid connections.

Also, industry support is growing. Capcom, for example, put a lot of money into Street Fighter 6’s collegiate scene, and that got more schools interested in adding fighting games to their programs.

When we launched Collegiate FGC in Spring 2023, we expected 50 players. By Fall 2023, we had 408 players from 39 states and four Canadian provinces. The demand was always there—we just had to build the right structure for it.

Q: How is the FGC different from other collegiate esports?

The biggest difference is the community.

If you look at collegiate Rocket League, League of Legends, or Call of Duty, the conversations in their Discord servers are usually: "Our match is at 7 PM. See you then."

In Collegiate FGC, our Discord is non-stop. Players are matchmaking, trash-talking, calling each other out for sets, and hyping each other up. The C in FGC stands for "Community," and that makes a huge difference.

We also had to change the format. In most collegiate leagues, you play one match per week—which works fine for team-based games. But in fighting games, that’s way too little. Nobody wants to play one 15-minute match per week.

So we designed a new ELO-based ranking system where players get matched up multiple times per week, keeping them engaged and constantly improving.

Q: Some schools hesitate to support fighting games because of their violent themes. How do you handle that?

We don’t gatekeep. Some schools are hesitant about streaming Mortal Kombat because of the violence. That’s fine—we won’t force them to. But we do encourage them to stream games like Street Fighter or Tekken, which have more cartoonish violence.

For us, it’s about normalizing fighting games in collegiate esports. If you can walk into a university esports center and see Rocket League, League of Legends, and Call of Duty, why not Tekken and Street Fighter too?

The more we integrate fighting games into school programs, the more schools will start recognizing them as just another esport.

Q: What’s next for Collegiate FGC?

We’re focused on growing our reach and providing even bigger opportunities for students. With the rapid expansion of our player base, we’re looking to elevate the experience with larger events, including in-person finals. Ideally, we’ll host a standalone championship in the fall and collaborate with major FGC events like Combo Breaker or EVO in the spring.

We’re also working to expand into high school leagues, ensuring that more students have access to competitive fighting games at the scholastic level. Many schools lack the resources to support fighting games, so we’re building partnerships to help provide game keys, training, and infrastructure to make these opportunities more accessible.

Ultimately, our goal is clear: If someone talks about fighting games in collegiate esports, Collegiate FGC should be part of the conversation.

Wrapping It Up

Jason Clark is breaking new ground in collegiate esports by creating a dedicated space for fighting game players. His journey from high school teacher to collegiate esports entrepreneur proves that esports can be more than just competition—it can be a tool for education, opportunity, and community.

About Jason Clark

Jason Clark is the Co-Founder and CEO of Collegiate FGC, an organization dedicated to bringing fighting games into the collegiate esports ecosystem. He is also a Corporate Faculty member at Harrisburg University, teaching in their Esports Management, Production, and Performance degree program.

With a background in education, technology, and esports leadership, Jason has helped develop multiple high school and collegiate esports programs, focusing on student engagement, diversity, and accessibility. His work continues to shape the future of fighting games in collegiate esports.