Esports is increasingly becoming a legitimate sport in schools and universities (Credit: Yan Krukau/ CC-BY-SA-2.0/ Pexels)

After years of reluctance, educational institutions across the United States are finally embracing competitive video gaming, commonly referred to as esports. Since 2018, over 8,600 high schools and about 175 colleges and universities have added esports as an extracurricular activity. And the numbers keep growing.