Meet the Gen Z college students who turned Excel into a competitive esport—they’re competing in spreadsheet challenges and it’s helping them land jobs

If you’ve ever opened a spreadsheet, chances are you probably didn’t find it particularly fun—or feel eager to open it again in your free time. 

But at dozens of universities across the country, devoted Excel fans are gathering in classrooms, firing up their laptops, and racing against the clock to solve complex spreadsheet challenges. What started as a niche hobby has evolved into a competitive collegiate esport that culminates each year in a global competition sponsored by Microsoft...