Is there a single-word verb equivalent to "make something more professional"?

Question

I am an employee at a non-profit start-up that makes scholastic chess tournaments more professional.

For example -- we provide all equipment a professional chess tournament would have (e.g. DGT boards, country flags, etc), enforce professional conduct (e.g. recording moves, no cheating, etc), reward prizes reminiscent of professional chess tournaments (e.g. big purses, trophies, etc). We do a lot more to make the tournaments more professional, but that's beyond the scope of the question.

Anyways, we want to add the following line to our website:

We [insert verb here] scholastic chess.

We've considered the following verbs, but they either don't completely fit or the word has a negative connotation (e.g. romanticize - think of as better than reality would warrant).

• Romanticize
• Up the ante
• Spruce up
• Glamorize

Answer 1

It seems kind of obvious and you may have dismissed it, but why not use professionalize?

From Dictionary:

verb (used with object), pro·fes·sion·al·ized, pro·fes·sion·al·iz·ing. to give a professional character or status to.

Answer 2

Consider elevate:

2 Raise to a more important or impressive level.
_Lexico

As in:

We elevate scholastic chess.

For a phrase, consider take to the next level

Further improve or develop something that is already successful.
_Lexico

As in:

We take scholastic chess to the next level.

Answer 3

Try:

formalize, "give (something) legal or formal status" (Oxford);

[fully] organize , "coordinate the activities of (a person or group of people) efficiently" (Oxford);

officialize, "make (something) official" (Oxford);

legitimize, "make legitimate" (Oxford);

standardize, "to bring into conformity with a standard especially in order to assure consistency and regularity" (Merriam-Webster);

regularize, "to make regular by conformance to law, rules, or custom" (Merriam-Webster).

Answer 4

You could say that you sanction scholastic chess matches, provided that the non-profit start-up considers itself to be an independent officiating body.

verb [with object] 1 give official permission or approval for (an action): only two treatments have been sanctioned by the Food and Drug Administration.

There's also authorize, accredit, mandate.

In my experience, the point of having such regulations is to standardize play and thus make results comparable across a league. So if you're going to institute regulations--with all the attendant pomp--you might as well deem yourself an officiating body with the right to sanction play.