ECU Interscholastic Meet Breaks Attendance Record

Annual high school academic competition sees over 700 students participate, with new events like esports added.

Mar. 18, 2026 at 4:04pm

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East Central University's 105th annual Interscholastic Meet, a long-standing tradition that brings high school students from across Oklahoma to campus, broke attendance records this year with over 700 participants. The event featured more than 25 academic tests and contests, as well as new additions like a graphic design competition and ECU's Tiger Esports program.

Why it matters

The Interscholastic Meet is an important pipeline for ECU, introducing high school students to the campus and academic programs. The record-breaking attendance shows growing interest in the event and ECU, as the university works to engage the next generation of students.

The details

This year's Interscholastic Meet saw 700 high school students from 37 different Oklahoma schools participate in a wide range of academic tests and competitions, from Shakespeare to Microsoft Office skills. New events like graphic design, business, and English were added, along with a photography competition, music performance, and two essay contests. The ECU Tiger Esports program also made its debut at the event, with 14 schools participating in the new esports component.

  • ECU has hosted the Interscholastic Meet annually since 1921.
  • In 2024, the event saw 575 participants, a record at the time.
  • This year's Interscholastic Meet, held on March 18, 2026, broke the previous attendance record with over 700 students.

The players

Mark Walling

Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at ECU, who has coordinated the Interscholastic Meet since 2024.

Wendell Godwin

President of East Central University, who provided new medals and t-shirts for participants.

Debra Reed

Executive Administrative Assistant at ECU, who was a major coordinator of the Interscholastic Meet.

Jamie Davis

Director of Event Management at ECU, who set up activities and information booths in the ECU Foundation Hall for visiting students.

Cody Soden

Coach of the ECU Tiger Esports program, which participated in the Interscholastic Meet for the first time this year.

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What they’re saying

“The number that jumped out at me is that we had 66 students register for the U.S. History exam and that's, by far, the biggest total we've had for a single exam in a long time. And that's just an example. We had more students in almost all exams.”

— Mark Walling, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

“Providing esports at the Interscholastic Meet was an incredibly unique way to engage students. This year was the first time esports was included and fourteen schools participated. We love to see the growth and support for esports on our campus.”

— Cody Soden, ECU Tiger Esports Coach

What’s next

ECU plans to continue growing the Interscholastic Meet, with plans to offer more academic tests and competitions for the 2027 event.

The takeaway

The record-breaking attendance at ECU's Interscholastic Meet demonstrates the event's enduring popularity and the university's commitment to engaging with the next generation of students. By expanding the academic offerings and adding new components like esports, ECU is positioning the Interscholastic Meet as a must-attend event for high school students across Oklahoma.