FILE – In this March 12, 2020, file photo, Mid-American Conference commissioner Jon Steinbrecher speaks
to the mediain Cleveland. Aiming to recruit and engage more competitive video gamers, a dozen schools in
the Mid-American Conference are creating a standalone esports conference to offer structured competition
without the extensive rules that govern intercollegiate athletics. “There’s boatloads of kids out there
that want to do this – well, they’re doing it already,” MAC Commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said. “And so
to have some level of organization that provides for regular competitive opportunities that are
well-run, on a regular basis, we think will give our schools a leg up in terms of attracting these
students to their campuses.”