PlayVS And Urban One Form Three-Year Partnership To Build Esports Pathway From K-12 To HBCUs

A new partnership has formed to expand the esports pipeline to HBCUs.

National HBCU Esports Community

According to a press release, PlayVS, a scholastic and collegiate gaming platform, and Urban One, a media company with 80 million monthly unique users, have formed a three-year partnership to launch an esports community for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Gamers will benefit from organized competition, media amplification, and a gateway to collegiate esports opportunities.

“Black gamers are among the most influential audiences in the industry, yet Black professionals represent only about 5% of its workforce,” Tiffany Nasralla, Urban One’s chief revenue, said in a press release. “The gap isn’t about talent. It’s about access. Through our partnership with PlayVS, we’re using our platform to build a national stage for HBCU students, expanding visibility, structured competition, and real pathways into the industries they’ve long helped define. This is about turning cultural influence into lasting opportunity.”

Any HBCU interested in competing in esports can benefit from the partnership. The partnership will roll out in three phases. First, outreach to HBCU institutions will begin in the spring and summer of 2026, and PlayVS will simultaneously introduce collegiate opportunities to K-12 students.

Then registration opens in fall 2026, with participating institutions beginning competition through the PlayVS College League, in addition to invitational events targeting HBCUs to build momentum.

This will all lead up to the official launch of the National HBCU Esports Community in February 2027. Urban One will focus on covering the esports community beyond league competition to highlight “campus culture, academic excellence, and student leadership that define the HBCU experience,” as noted in the release.

Jaden Roberts, president of Howard University’s Esports Association, commented, per the release:

“For our students, esports is more than just competition; it is a gateway to technology, media, and leadership. It is inspiring to see Urban One, with its deep ties to Howard through the legacy of Cathy Hughes, partnering with PlayVS to elevate that opportunity. We are eager to participate in this new league and to contribute to a dedicated community that gives HBCU talent the national stage it deserves.”