PlayVS Launches PlayVS Recruit, Giving Colleges Direct Access to Verified High School Gaming Talent

The platform connects colleges with verified student competitors across thousands of schools, creating a new pipeline for recruitment through gaming.

LOS ANGELES, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PlayVS, the most comprehensive scholastic and collegiate gaming and esports platform, today announced the official launch of PlayVS Recruit, a new recruitment platform designed to transform how colleges and universities identify and connect with students who want to leverage their passion for gaming to advance their higher education opportunities.

PlayVS Recruit utilizes the company's K–12 and collegiate gaming ecosystem to create a direct, opt-in recruitment pipeline, connecting high school competitors with collegiate esports programs and admissions offices. Embedded within PlayVS's competition infrastructure, Recruit transforms the PlayVS College League (PCL) into a scalable recruitment network, enabling colleges to identify esports talent and students pursuing high-growth fields such as communications, computer science, engineering, and digital media.

Colleges that become 2026–2027 PlayVS College League (PCL) members will receive foundational access to PlayVS Recruit, including an initial set of qualified student leads as a core member benefit. Programs can expand their reach at any time through additional Recruit tiers, enabling engagement with a broader pool of verified, recruitable students. The platform is also available to non-PCL institutions seeking direct access to high school talent.

"PlayVS is building the most powerful competitive gaming platform in the market, extending far beyond leagues and titles," said Jon Chapman, CEO of PlayVS. "Recruit enables direct connections between students and universities that support matriculation, spark interest in high-growth careers, and unlock opportunity at scale. We're building a new pathway from competition to campus to career."

Benefits For High School Students

Recruit democratizes college recruitment by providing high school students an easy and free way to connect with college opportunities based on their gaming and esports experience, rather than their ability to pay for access. It transforms gaming from a recreational activity into a clear, trusted pathway to higher education, while giving high school programs tangible proof points that turn teams into direct pipelines for collegiate advancement at no administrative cost.

Benefits For Colleges & Universities

Recruit gives colleges and universities access to tens of thousands of verified high schoolers across more than 6,000 PlayVS partner schools, with real-time performance data and competitive history. Targeted recruiting campaigns enable programs to filter prospects by game title and experience, driving high-intent connections and higher conversion than traditional recruiting platforms.

Since its beta launch in February, more than fifty colleges and universities have joined the platform, including Alvernia University, Fisher College, Michigan Tech University, Quinnipiac University, Southern University and A&M College, Syracuse University, and University of Akron. The platform is already driving early recruitment results for the upcoming school year, with students like Brandon Tukua of California and Hector Tinajero of New Mexico earning esports scholarships and committing to Fisher College.

"Having the opportunity to continue competing at the next level means a lot to me," said Brandon. "PlayVS Recruit helped me connect with programs like Fisher College and made the process feel real and achievable. Earning an esports scholarship and committing to a school where I can keep competing is something I've worked toward for a long time, and I'm grateful for the opportunity."

"Earning an esports scholarship and committing to Fisher College is a huge step for me and something I've been working toward for a long time," said Hector. "I'm excited to compete at the next level while continuing to grow as both a player and a student. PlayVS helped make that opportunity possible."

"PlayVS Recruit has made the recruiting process incredibly seamless for us, allowing us to connect with students who are already competing at a high level," said Aaron Colaiacomo, Assistant Director of Esports at Fisher College. "Our focus is on attracting exceptional technical talent alongside students who help grow our program, and the platform has already enabled us to identify highly promising student-athletes who align with both our academic goals and competitive vision. We're especially excited to welcome Brandon and Hector to the Fisher family this fall."

Beyond competitive esports, Recruit helps institutions identify students with in-demand digital skills, including data analytics through match statistics and recorded gameplay review, broadcast and media production through live streaming, and strategic leadership developed through team coordination and competitive planning.

Learn more at playvs.com/recruit, where students can register for free and colleges can explore recruitment options.

About PlayVS

PlayVS is North America's leading scholastic and collegiate gaming platform, helping students unlock the educational, social, and personal benefits of competitive gaming. The company brings together students, coaches, educators, and schools through structured, education-aligned competition across K-12 and college. Launched in 2025, the PlayVS College League (PCL) builds on PlayVS's scholastic foundation by extending structured competition into higher education. PlayVS is the official esports partner of the NFHS Network, the Special Olympics, and more than 40 state and regional organizations across the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit playvs.com.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE PlayVS