The competitive element is not the primary focus of the event; it is an opportunity for student poets to showcase their art and to develop their writing and presentation skills so as to take advantage of future opportunities in poetry.
[4][needs update] The increase in attendance coincides with the growth of slam poetry itself.
[5] Several videos of poems performed at CUPSI having gone viral on the internet, including Lily Myers's poem "Shrinking Women", which was viewed by over three million people within a year of its posting,[6] and Patrick Roche's "21," which gained over three million views in its first two weeks after publishing.
[7] Poems from CUPSI have been featured on several popular political blogs and news sites, including The Huffington Post,[8] Upworthy,[9] and Jezebel.
The first two days of the tournament are preliminary bouts, and the rankings from these determine which teams advance onto semi-finals.