Streamer University
Creator bootcamp founded by Kai Cenat
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Streamer University is an in-person creator bootcamp event run by American streamer Kai Cenat. Cenat initially announced the concept of the event in May 2025 on a live stream. The first installment of Streamer University was hosted at the University of Akron in 2025, spanning three days. During Mafiathon 3 in 2025, Cenat stated that there would be another Streamer University event in 2026, which he opened applications in June 2026.
- May 22–25, 2025
- July 15–20, 2026
- University of Akron, Akron, Ohio (2025)
- Hendrix College, Conway, Arkansas (2026)
| |
| Date |
|
|---|---|
| Location |
|
| Organized by | Kai Cenat |
| Website | streameruniversity |
Background and concept
Kai Cenat is an American online streamer, YouTuber, and internet personality. Cenat is the most-subscribed and most-followed Twitch streamer in the world.[1]
Streamer University is described as a "live-streamed creator bootcamp" by Complex;[2] run by American streamer and internet personality Kai Cenat[3] where students would learn about content creation.[4] In February 2025,[5] during a live stream, Kai Cenat posed the idea of renting out a university for the weekend to help streamers with their careers.[6] Cenat wanted to act as principal and have other big names teach classes.[6][7][8]
During another live stream in early May 2025, Kai Cenat announced Streamer University, stating he's "going to rent out a university over a course of a weekend" stipulating, "no matter if you’re big, no matter if you’re a small streamer, you can stream the entire weekend."[3][9][10]
The University of Akron was willing to loan their campus to Cenat for this event.[11] Brandon Alexander, the university's director of conference and events services, stated, "[our] team is committed to helping the greater Akron community and beyond take advantage of all [University of Akron] has to offer by hosting successful events on our campus. As we establish campus as an incredible option for large-scale conferences, it only serves to benefit the region."[11]
Launch and timeline
Streamer University 2025
On May 6, 2025,[12][10] Cenat posted on X an announcement trailer featuring visuals similar to the Harry Potter movies to enroll.[6][11][7] Within minutes of opening the applications, reportedly 1 million applications were submitted.[9][13][8] Within hours of launching the website, Cenat shared that the site had crashed due to receiving over 6 million requests.[6][12][10] On May 18,[14] Kai Cenat handpicked the student streamers and professors, some including his friends, such as 2xRaKai, Rayasianboy, and MC Tota.[3][15][16]
Streamer University was hosted at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio.[17] The event lasted three days,[18][19] from May 22, 2025, to May 25, 2025.[17][20] Streamer University had 17 professors and 120 students,[21] each gifted a personal T-Mobile phone from sponsorship.[17][22] The event's opening stream, titled "Orientation/Move-In Day," amassed over 10 million views.[21] During the event, on May 25, a female student got an eye injury from an Orbeez gun.[23]
Before ending Streamer University, an award ceremony was hosted, including awards for "Worst Behavior", "MVP," and "Best Roommates."[18] The event was commemorated by Canadian musician Drake.[24][25]
Streamer University 2026
During Cenat's Mafiathon 3 (2025), he revealed that Streamer University would be coming back in 2026, mentioning that preparation was in progress.[19] Cenat officially opened applications for Streamer University 2026 on June 8,[26] marking the end of his hiatus.[a] The Streamer University trailer for 2026 notes that a "selected alumni will return" for this second installment.[27] The application process for the 2026 event allowed individuals to apply under three distinct roles: students, who attend to develop content creation skills; professors, who teach specific areas of expertise; or club directors, who oversee extracurricular activities.[29] The 2026 application pool attracted interest from numerous established content creators, including food critic Keith Lee,[30] internet personality Mike Holston, shooting coach Lethal Shooter, and music artists Cleotrapa and Sugarhill Ddot.[29]
Following the online rollout, Cenat announced an in-person application tour across three major cities: New York City on June 12, Los Angeles on June 14, and Atlanta on June 16.[31] The first stop on Manhattan's West Side drew massive crowds on 11th Avenue and West 58th Street, requiring intervention from the New York City Police Department to manage the crowds and monitor the area via helicopter.[32] Atlanta auditions for Streamer University were scheduled for June 16, 2026, but were cancelled the day before due to capacity concerns.[33][34][31] According to Newsweek, the situation was further complicated by a reported bomb threat scare, contributing to heightened safety concerns and the eventual cancellation.[31] Crowds nevertheless gathered at the original neighborhood venue, which the Atlanta Police Department described as "large unpermitted gathering."[33] Seven people were arrested over June 15 and 16 on charges including disorderly conduct, obstruction, and battery on law enforcement officers.[33][31] Cenat later announced that the auditions would be rescheduled for June 17 at State Farm Arena.[33]
_Arena,_Atlanta,_GA_(46558861525)_-_2019.jpg)
According to CBS News, the situation later escalated further when the event at State Farm Arena also drew a large crowd, prompting the police to monitor crowd control and publicly address viral misinformation that circulated online.[35] Due to an overwhelming surge of people, State Farm Arena officials and police were forced to shut down the event entirely on the same day.[36][37] On July 6, 2026, Cenat announced accepted students on a live stream for Streamer University 2026.[38][39][28] He also stated that Streamer University will happen "every goddamn year for as long as I am alive."[40] On July 13, 2026, Cenat posted another Harry Potter-inspired trailer for Streamer University.[41]
The second installment of the event started on July 15,[41] which takes place at Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas.[42][43] The participants of the event were welcomed by Drake through a video.[44][45][46] The event is set to end on July 20.[47]
Reception and impact
After Streamer University ended in 2025, it had reached a total of 27 million watch hours on Twitch, according to Tubefilter,[18] and 23 million according to People.[48] In 2026, Cenat’s first post-hiatus stream announcing the participants peaked at 1 million viewers.[49] The impact that Streamer University had on streamer participants were significant growth.[11] Media outlets implied that major platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime were interested in buying the streaming rights for Streamer University,[11][50][20] rejecting their offers.[2][51][52] Cenat also stated that he and his team were working on "owning the idea of" Streamer University,[53] stating that it "was so big that [he] had to take legal action into owning the idea, owning the name, and making it [his]."[53]
Competition and related projects
On June 9, 2026, after Cenat announced Streamer University 2026, American rapper Soulja Boy wrote on Twitter, "If you don't let me in Streamer University @KaiCenat we beefin. I let u slide the first time."[54][55][56] The next day, Soulja Boy announced a project called Rapper University, a "competition" to Streamer University,[57] on Twitter. The post included an AI-generated image that depicted him standing in front of a university campus.[26] On July 8, Soulja Boy announced that he was postponing Rapper University due to an overwhelming amount of applications he received.[58]
Awards and nominations
| Year | Ceremony | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The Streamer Awards | Best Streamed Event | Won | [59] |