With the growth of eSports at all levels, it was only a matter of time until American universities jumped on the bandwagon. Collegiate eSports is growing, and now it can help students pay for their studies.
Robert Morris University in Chicago will offer 50% scholarships to students who will play varsity League of Legends for them. That’s right, LoL could help cover a ton of college fees. Why do they need this? Well, they’re joining a league. A league of League of Legends?
RMU will join the Collegiate Star League, made up of 103 institutions of higher learning and compete against other universities including Arizona State, George Washington and Harvard. Significantly, Robert Morris University is among the first in the nation to offer substantial scholarships for members of the first RMU Varsity eSport League of Legends team. Qualified gamers can earn scholarships of up to 50% tuition and 50% room and board.
There are currently 750 schools that participate in League of Legends High School Starleague (HSL) and Robert Morris University is looking for eSport athletes with experience in the HSL or similar. Teams in the collegiate league actually compete in Riot’s North American Collegiate Championship and can win $100k in scholarship money.
This makes me really happy. For years, quality athletes have managed to advance their educations through university scholarships. Play football at Stanford and you could leave with a master’s degree – the same goes for a wide range of universities with a ton of strange and wonderful sports. Now, eSports is getting the recognition it deserves with universities actively seeking athletes to join their team. This should help raise the bar on the quality and diversity of eSports athletes, as well as raise awareness of rising stars. Here’s hoping other universities follow suit.
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Last Updated: June 20, 2014
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 20, 2014 at 09:18
What?
Dutch Matrix
June 20, 2014 at 09:24
Play games. Get a degree in Nuclear Physics.
Shave your head, grow a goatee and get your friends to yell Kane Lives! whenever you enter a room.
Rince&exhale
June 20, 2014 at 09:25
I’d buy that for a $1!
Mossel
June 20, 2014 at 09:34
We used to have CS comps against the other koshuise while I was at Stellenbosch! It was awesome.
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 20, 2014 at 09:40
Thinking about it, but I just can’t do the meth.
Admiral Chief Cyber Commando
June 20, 2014 at 09:25
Wat?
Rince&exhale
June 20, 2014 at 09:24
Wow… Next you’ll be telling us that games are blamed for real world violence.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 09:34
And football?
http://d3dsacqprgcsqh.cloudfront.net/photo/aozvpn2_460sa_v1.gif
Alien Emperor Trevor
June 20, 2014 at 09:35
OMG HE KILLED HIM!
Mossel
June 20, 2014 at 09:48
Boom backshot?
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 10:01
XD
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 10:02
It looks like he’s used to running and stabbing people, only no knife
Kensei Seraph
June 20, 2014 at 10:13
On the one hand we have a team that gives it’s players martial arts lessons, but on the other hand we have a team that gives it’s players acting lessons.
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 10:56
hehe
Rags
June 20, 2014 at 09:25
Its all about the money. Its not about esports.
CAE9872
June 20, 2014 at 09:27
Yip more than likely.
CAE9872
June 20, 2014 at 09:28
On one hand = craziness; on another = if a guy can get into college because he can throw a ball forward, then why not!
Hammersteyn
June 20, 2014 at 09:34
hahaha
Charl van der Merwe
June 25, 2014 at 09:22
exactly!
MrChinwag
June 20, 2014 at 10:40
Just fucking retarded.. What the fuck.. They think that Video game Highschool is real. America is getting dumber and fucking dumber this here is proof. I dont wanna study i’ll play game to get into College so that i can get drunk and whore around. We better all start learning chinese soon..
Allah the Creator
June 20, 2014 at 11:00
What’s the big deal? You have other “normal” sports scholarships in America so why not an e-sports scholarship? It’s all about making money and if the universities can make money by doing this then they will. I’m surprised they haven’t done the same for Dota2 considering The International III prize pool is just shy of 10 million USD.
A few people getting into university on any form of sports scholarship isn’t going to bring about the downfall of the American education system so kindly shut the fuck up with your garbage.
Go learn Chinese, that’s a good idea regardless.
MrChinwag
June 20, 2014 at 11:14
eSport is not a sport. Its a Hobby, it a fun time with your mates. Same as Swimming isnt a Sport its a Survival tactic. just happens that couple of ppl ended up going ” hey I bet u i can not drown faster than u” and now they doing it in the Olympics. let me guess u want Dota and LoL as an Olympic event as well.. that will be awesome to watch. 4 fat pimply face teens sitting in some Overly Priced Stadium at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics drinking Monster and eating Cheetos, While real actual Athletes spend 8 Days a Night training hard and sacrificing everything to get be the top of their Discipline .. And FYI the American Education system already in a spiraling Downfall..
Allah the Creator
June 20, 2014 at 14:10
Sport – “is all forms of usually competitive physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing entertainment to participants, and in some cases, spectators.”
Swimming is a physical activity in which people can compete at various levels up to professional and is enjoyed by spectators. It is a sport whether you like it or not. The Olympics would be pretty dull if they took out all the things you didn’t consider sports wouldn’t it? No swimming, running, cycling etc… But then I guess you aren’t a very interesting person.
While sports typically involve physical activity they don’t have to. Mind based games like Chess are considered sports
Your definition of sport is not the absolute, it’s just your opinion and, quite frankly, will not change anything. So cry all you want, people will go on competing at swimming, running, LoL/Dota etc.. regardless.
eSports are not sports, they’re eSports and again your opinion doesn’t matter and would fall under the same sport category as Chess, only on a computer. I don’t care if they take LoL or Dota or to the Olympics. They shouldn’t because LoL and Dota are poor spectator games, I don’t watch them myself. But if they, for whatever reason, took them to the Olympics then fine. Who cares? Just don’t watch them if you don’t want to.
What makes football players “real” athletes in comparison to professional LoL players? Running round on a pitch for 8 hours? Is there something special about doing that?
I don’t care about any type of athlete. LoL or football, they are equally as insignificant to me, but not to you? Oh no, some whiny little elitist. Why?
Considering the way universities are run scholarships are given out for whatever reason at the discretion of the admissions board or department/faculty. Most are indeed to help the underprivileged but that is not their sole purpose.
I don’t know why you’re bringing this up, you obviously didn’t attend university given your lack of intelligence and inability to spell so how would you know? Nonetheless, humour me; what is wrong with the American education system?
MrChinwag
June 20, 2014 at 14:29
i 5P3lL inCoRR3c7lY No7 KU2 i didn’7 9o 7o 4 unIv3R5I7y WHIch i 4C7U4LLY dID, I 5P3ll incorr3c7LY ku2 I c4n nO7 83 4r53d 7o KorR3c7 mY 5p3LLiN’. 42 FOr PrOOF 7h@ 73h 4m3rIc4N 3DUC47iON 5Y573M iN on 4 DowNf4Ll W3Ll 83lOw r 4 f3W lINk 7O 422I57 U in 7h@.
http://visual.ly/10-staggering-facts-about-education-america
http://www.oprah.com/relationships/Shocking-Education-Statistics
Charl van der Merwe
June 25, 2014 at 09:21
Same could be said for sports scholarships really.
Gerhard Davids
June 20, 2014 at 11:25
This is very good progress for the esports scene. I hope this trend catches fire.
Tom Krager
June 20, 2014 at 12:22
well I missed this opportunity