VANTA ESPORTS
Project Overview
This project focused on developing a go-to-market and competitive positioning strategy for Vanta Esports as it evaluated opportunities to expand within the scholastic and collegiate esports ecosystem. The work addressed how Vanta could differentiate in a fragmented market by clarifying its value proposition, pricing logic, and growth priorities while navigating structural constraints across schools, programs, and budgets.
Context & Business Problem
The esports ecosystem is expanding rapidly, but institutional adoption remains uneven. While interest in scholastic and collegiate esports continues to grow, programs vary widely in maturity, funding, and purpose. Intentions for programs range from retention-focused clubs to recruitment-driven varsity programs.
For Vanta, the challenge was not simply entering the market, but determining where to focus, who to serve first, and how to compete against both entrenched platforms and adjacent service providers without overextending resources or diluting value.
Market Landscape & Competitive Dynamics
Analysis of the competitive landscape revealed a highly fragmented market with no single platform fully addressing the operational, educational, and recruitment needs of esports programs. Existing players tend to specialize narrowly—focusing on league management, coaching marketplaces, or recruiting, while leaving significant gaps in credibility, data depth, and institutional alignment.
Key market observations included:
Most programs operate under strict budget constraints, with willingness to pay varying significantly by program maturity
Recruiting platforms often lack the depth and trust required for consistent adoption
In-person events and community credibility continue to outperform purely digital recruiting tools
Many schools view esports as a retention tool first, not a recruitment engine
These dynamics suggested that differentiation would depend less on feature parity and more on clarity of positioning and alignment with institutional realities.
Strategic Framing & Target Segmentation
Rather than pursuing a one-size-fits-all solution, the strategy reframed the market around program intent and maturity. Programs were evaluated based on whether they were:
Established vs. emerging
Recruitment-focused vs. retention-focused
This segmentation clarified where Vanta could deliver immediate value and where expectations would need to be managed. The analysis indicated that emerging and mid-tier programs, particularly those seeking structure, credibility, and guidance, represented the strongest initial opportunity.
GTM STRATEGY & RECOMMENDATION W/ FINANCIALS
BIG 12
To further ground the strategy in institutional realities, this work extended into analysis prepared for a athletic director at Baylor University, a Big 12–affiliated university. The objective was to assess how esports programs within Power Five conferences are structured, funded, and positioned, and what constraints shape adoption, sponsorship, and long-term viability at the institutional level.
The analysis examined a cross-section of Big 12 and adjacent Power Five programs, focusing on facilities investment, competitive structure, scholarship availability, academic integration, and community engagement. Programs varied widely in maturity and institutional support, reinforcing the need for flexible, tiered strategies rather than a single operating model.
Esports programs are often positioned as retention and engagement tools before recruitment engines
Facilities investment and academic integration are stronger indicators of long-term stability than competitive results alone
Scholarship availability is inconsistent and rarely the primary adoption driver
Institutional decision-making is constrained by budget cycles, governance, and risk tolerance
These findings reinforced the importance of aligning Vanta’s positioning and pricing with institutional realities rather than aspirational program models. The work supported a go-to-market approach that prioritizes credibility, operational clarity, and partnership over feature breadth, particularly for programs navigating early-stage development or internal skepticism.