In order for an activity to become sanctioned, the North Dakota High School Activities Association requires that it have at least 12 schools competing and that it exist for at least a year, Rerick said.

Having esports sanctioned would "hold more weight" and allow for a statewide championship, he said.

"We believe in (esports) enough that we really believe that if we can get a few schools started, it'll grow like wildfire," he said.

As more North Dakota high schools form their own esports teams, state colleges and universities stand to benefit from having a larger recruitment pool.

The University of Jamestown started its esports team in 2017, and it offers scholarships that range from $2,000 to $2,500, according to Chris Hoke, the university's chief information officer.

Hoke said the school has recruited students from high school leagues across the country but has struggled to recruit within North Dakota.

"When it came to trying to draw local students, it was always kind of a challenge, so having these high school teams is going to make things a little bit easier for us to draw local kids to the University of Jamestown," Hoke said.