Too much is on the line in collegiate esports to leave data to chance.
With the professional gamers of tomorrow walking the college campuses of today, the importance of verifying, authenticating, and protecting data has never been greater. In an ever-growing industry, collegiate esports’ most significant asset is not only the data of these athletes but the trust from their universities that said data is secure. After all, success in the digital arena comes not only in-game but also in efficiency, ease of use, and reliability.
Esports are better when student data is secure and resources such as administrative support are used optimally. This is why eFuse is an industry leader in the esports ecosystem. eFuse is known for an adaptable League Management System (LMS) called eRena, built for collegiate competition.
However, eFuse doesn’t accomplish that task alone.
eFuse works in tandem with consumer-permissioned data provider MeasureOne to automate and secure student data through an API integration.. MeasureOne’s comprehensive and extensible consumer-permissioned data platform enables it to transform the way any businesses, including those in an emerging industry such as esports, can access and leverage consumer data.
A stream of data in need of a secure solution
In the world of esports, student enrollment verification has historically been an arduous endeavor. Before a student player in VALORANT or Rocket League puts on headphones and competes, their data undergoes a journey. From the bursar's office to the tournament organizer, this is a data stream that once had to be verified and authenticated via raw manpower. With MeasureOne, however, eFuse now has the ability to perform one to one thousand (or more) student verifications a month, significantly streamlining the verification process with CPD technology.
“The competitive integrity of collegiate esports is crucial to the success of its events and leagues. Without integrity as a cornerstone, any event crumbles, as fair play is fundamental to thriving competition,” says Austin May, VP of Product at eFuse. “There are bad actors in all forms of competition, but eFuse aims to filter out these bad actors through secure student verification solutions like MeasureOne."
Swift authentication is a game changer
The authentication systems at work with eFuse’s own LMS, eRena, and MeasureOne’s API saves the students' and tournament operators' time. The data and academic verification can extract academic records, empowering tournament operators to remove the guesswork from eligibility. It also removes stress and strain from student-athletes who are wondering if a fallible human system will get in the way of their competition. This is done by compartmentalizing student-athletes, allowing automation to make the process easier.
This automation comes on the back of an integrated and adaptable API, able to work with third-party systems such as eFuse and its own tournament platforms. This takes the guesswork out of whether or not a student meets the eligibility requirements for tournament organizers. While also providing peace of mind for students that the all-too-vulnerable academic data is protected at all points of contact.
This system has allowed eFuse to impact the competitive collegiate scene at an industry-leading level. This includes over 800,000 registered and protected users, nearly 300 registered events, and over one million dollars in prize money awarded.
That last part is critical, as the esports scene is a young industry that–due to the amount of money involved–can be a target for bad actors and cheaters when data isn’t protected. Allton says that what MeasureOne and eFuse accomplish together in data protection is impactful for businesses and consumers alike.
Data protection ensures competitive integrity
Perhaps the biggest impact is holding together and defending the integrity of esports and collegiate competition. The spirit of competition is at the heart of college athletics, and it’s no different in the digital arena. The integrity and pureness of that competitive heart draws in players, fans, and companies.
But data protection doesn’t come free or easy. Manual verification is rife with user error, hidden expenses, and carelessness. It’s a reality of the world we live in that one mistake can sometimes sink even the best of intentions. Why take such a risk? The MeasureOne and eFuse partnership removes the doubt in these questions and offers only stability, care, and a team of motivated allies in data protection.
Data protection is paramount, and MeasureOne’s tech-driven product-centric approach will open doors in esports to larger scale collegiate endeavors.
Esports is just one facet of MeasureOne's work, nevertheless it’s an exciting new direction for the industry – a brand new market that can reap the rewards of a superior data verification process.
A process that ensures accurate data processing, direct access to enrollment data straight from the source – students’ school accounts, and real-time data access for utmost accuracy. The work between eFuse and MeasureOne is unlike anything in the industry. As esports continues to leverage technological innovations such as MeasureOne’s CPD platform, the opportunities that will arise are boundless.
A true student verification powerhouse in the making.
Will Harrison is a Content Editor for the eFuse industry content destination esports.gg, providing coverage of both the college and professional world of esports.