USA Esports has officially launched as a non-profit national body with the primary goal of securing official National Governing Body (NGB) status from the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
According to an official statement by President & CEO Jesse Bodony, USA Esports aims to unify the fragmented American landscape across the professional, collegiate, and K-12 levels. Also led by Executive Director Daniel Clerke, the venture follows a one-year discovery process supported by the President’s Advisory Council—a consortium of university chancellors—to establish a federally-backed entity comparable to USA Basketball or US Soccer.
The launch is anchored by the USA Esports Alliance, a coalition of the country’s most prominent professional clubs and academic institutions. Founding professional members include Team Liquid, Cloud9, TSM, 100 Thieves, NRG, FlyQuest, M80, and other traditional organisations. On the collegiate side, the alliance is supported by major programs including UCLA, University of Kentucky, TCU, and Georgia Tech. By bridging the gap between these sectors, USA Esports intends to create a standardised “pathway to pro” and implement safety and training standards that have historically been absent in the domestic scene.
Regarding the organisation’s long-term vision, the leadership stated: “Gaining NGB status would provide structural, institutional legitimacy for esports in the United States as a federally-backed entity. It’s a 30-year project. If we do it right, it will outlive us.”
The Board of Directors features a mix of competitive veterans, industry executives, and academic leaders. Key members include legendary professional players Soren “Bjergsen” Bjerg and Jordan “n0thing” Gilbert, alongside Todd Harris (Skillshot Media, Resurgens Gaming), Heather “Sapphire” Mumm (Raidiant), and Dr. Gene Block (former Chancellor of UCLA). The board structure is intended to ensure that the organisation’s mission—supporting athletes in achieving competitive excellence—is balanced with institutional stability and academic integration.
The formation of USA Esports mirrors recent developments in Europe, specifically the launch of the UFCEP (French Union of Professional Esports Clubs) in France. Like the UFCEP, which includes top teams like Team Vitality and Karmine Corp, USA Esports is moving away from a purely commercial model toward a structured, representative body that can advocate for legislative reform and administrative recognition.
While the UFCEP focuses heavily on a legislative push for social and fiscal status within the French legal framework, USA Esports is focused on the U.S. NGB model. Both organisations signify a global shift where the world’s most successful clubs are seeking to move beyond individual operations and into unified, “purpose-built” national entities to compete with state-backed programs in regions like the Middle East and Asia.
The organisation is currently operating as a service-led charity, managed by its board, with the intent to finalise the pipeline from K-12 to the professional tier. The Esports Radar is investigating if the entity has applied to be the national representative of the U.S. at the Esports Nations Cup (ENC), although it most likely is: The “teams” section in USA Esports’ website displays all games confirmed at the upcoming ENC.
Follow The Esports Radar on social media:
