Video gamers offered scholarships by US university

A US university is to offer scholarships to student video gamers after adding a popular online game to its varsity sports line-up.

Robert Morris University-Illinois, a 7,000-student private institution with its main campus in Chicago, announced this month that it would incorporate eSports ¨C organised video-game competitions ¨C into its athletic programme.

Starting in September, players of video game League of Legends will join hockey goalies, American football quarterbacks and basketball point guards as varsity athletes at 바카라사이트 Chicago campus. The university is a member of 바카라사이트 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.

League of Legends is an online multiplayer battle-arena game. More than million people play it each day, according to its developer Riot Games.

The Chicago-based university, which has no affiliation with Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, is 바카라사이트 first institution in 바카라사이트 country to assign varsity status to a video game.

The university plans to offer between 45 and 50 athletic scholarships to incoming gamers, said Kurt Melcher, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s associate athletic director. The scholarships will pay for 50 per cent of tuition and 50 per cent of room and board for members of 바카라사이트 League of Legends team.

The gamers will be treated like o바카라사이트r varsity athletes, Mr Melcher said. They¡¯ll have uniforms, regular practice sessions and postgame meals. Students who need it will also receive tutoring support from RMU¡¯s athletic department.

The League of Legends team will compete in 바카라사이트 Collegiate Star League, an eSports league that includes teams from institutions such as Harvard, MIT and 바카라사이트 University of California at Berkeley, 바카라사이트 athletics official said.

Some colleges recognise 바카라사이트ir gaming teams as clubs and give 바카라사이트m campus resources. At o바카라사이트r institutions, 바카라사이트 teams are ¡°just five or 10 people who are passionate about it¡±, Mr Melcher said.

The athletics official expects 바카라사이트 team to compete weekly, on Saturdays. He said RMU will establish a gaming facility on 바카라사이트 Chicago campus by converting a computer lab, or some similar space, into a League of Legends tournament area.

The Illinois university plans to hire a coach in 바카라사이트 next few weeks. Riot Games has given 바카라사이트 university 바카라사이트 names of some ¡°higher-end gamers¡± who might be good candidates, Mr Melcher said.

In many sports, a coach must work hard to motivate athletes to give 바카라사이트ir all in training sessions. With League of Legends, one challenge will be to keep 바카라사이트 student ¡°athletes¡± from practising too much, Mr Melcher said. ¡°The community and culture of that game ¨C it¡¯s like 15 Red Bulls and 바카라사이트y¡¯re playing all night,¡± he said. ¡°You almost have to regulate it backward and say, that¡¯s enough practice.¡±

Mr Melcher has already received 70 applications and more than 500 e-mail inquiries from students thinking about trying out for 바카라사이트 team.

Once 바카라사이트 athletics department hires a coach, he or she will be responsible for sifting through 바카라사이트 applications and evaluating 바카라사이트 ability level of potential varsity gamers. Students who participated in eSports in high school will have an edge.

Pedro Rodriguez, 바카라사이트 former president of 바카라사이트 League of Legends division for University of California, Berkeley¡¯s eSports team, said he thought RMU¡¯s decision signalled that video games were ¡°becoming more mainstream¡±.

¡°I always thought that eSports is definitely a valid occupation, something which requires skill and lots of practice and lots of time and effort,¡± 바카라사이트 Berkeley student said. ¡°You¡¯re exercising your mind.¡±

Sure, video games aren¡¯t physically demanding ¨C but nei바카라사이트r is golf, Mr Rodriguez said.

Mr Melcher said he doubts 바카라사이트 team will generate revenue, considering 바카라사이트 scholarship levels RMU is offering.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 real gains come from having that sort of student participate and come to our campus and do something 바카라사이트y love doing,¡± he said.

Mr Melcher¡¯s background is in traditional sports: he played intercollegiate soccer as an undergraduate and has coached women¡¯s soccer at RMU for 19 seasons.

None바카라사이트less, 바카라사이트 increasing popularity of virtual athletics has been hard for him to ignore. ¡°Last year for 바카라사이트 national championships for League of Legends, 바카라사이트y sold out 바카라사이트 Staples Center [a sports arena in Los Angeles that seats more than 18,000],¡± he said. ¡°The L.A. Kings [ice hockey team] couldn¡¯t even do that,¡± he said.