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US college offers athletic scholarships to 'LOL' players

NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798
in Off-Topic Discussion

apologies if this was already posted

 

Robert Morris University in Illinois adds video game to its sports program

http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/19/5826158/college-athletic-scholarships-for-league-of-legends-players

Illinois' Robert Morris University has become the first college in the United States to add e-sports to its athletic program and offer scholarships to professional gamers. The college has started to recruit high-school aged players of Riot Games' League of Legends for its new program, set to open this fall. RMU says it will be able to provide its e-athletes with up to 50 percent of their tuition fees and living costs, a figure that IGN says amounts to $19,000.

The free-to-play League of Legends is one of the biggest games in the world: more than 67 million people play the game at least once a month, with 27 million playing on a daily basis. Riot Games' e-sport events offer millions of dollars in prize money for teams across the world, figures that help to blur the lines between traditional sports and e-sports.

 

Last year, showing these changing attitudes, the US government awarded visas to top-tier gamers that recognized them as professional athletes.

..

The university is recruiting 27 students to form three teams of nine people. Recruited gamers will play in the Collegiate Star League to compete for the North American Collegiate Championship and its $100,000 scholarship prize pot.

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Comments

  • bcbullybcbully Member EpicPosts: 11,838
    This is awesome.
    "We see fundamentals and we ape in"
  • VendakuVendaku Member Posts: 77
    I wonder how they ended up approving this. :)
  • LudwikLudwik Member UncommonPosts: 407
    This looks cool on paper but won't be in practice.

    Much like college athletes, those kids are going to be expected devote all their time to gaming. This will end up preventing them from taking advantage of their scholarships.

    I think it's awesome that gaming is picking up in this country but you just know that big business is going to grab it and exploit the shit out of those kids...and us.
  • DamonVileDamonVile Member UncommonPosts: 4,818
    Originally posted by Ludwik


    Much like college athletes, those kids are going to be expected devote all their time to gaming. This will end up preventing them from taking advantage of their scholarships.

     

    Colleges can't just hand out scholarships and then let them fail at school. If they don't maintain a level of graduation they lose the scholarship. It's not like the movies.

  • SpottyGekkoSpottyGekko Member EpicPosts: 6,916
    Originally posted by DMKano
    The only reason this is popular is because there is money to be made. LOL winners can make money. Note that there is no help for other games - no profits. Schools and sports = let's make money.

    It's the American Way !

     

    Very clever move on the part of the college, the free publicity they'll receive from this move will be massive.

  • LudwikLudwik Member UncommonPosts: 407
    Rashad McCants and UNC. Story is only 2 weeks old and it's the 5th time UNC has faced these kind of charges.

    If we were talking Stanford, I may agree with you. But this is Robert Morris, if you show up with a pencil I bet you're at least guaranteed a C.
  • zevianzevian Member UncommonPosts: 403
    I wonder if an education will make you a better video game player?.   Or will it be all the practice they are getting playing that makes them better.
  • NaralNaral Member UncommonPosts: 748
    Originally posted by DamonVile
    Originally posted by Ludwik


    Much like college athletes, those kids are going to be expected devote all their time to gaming. This will end up preventing them from taking advantage of their scholarships.

     

    Colleges can't just hand out scholarships and then let them fail at school. If they don't maintain a level of graduation they lose the scholarship. It's not like the movies.

    They will likely do what they do for a lot of sub par (academically speaking) college athletes and just pass them through to the degree. The problem with college sports, is the level of money involved is staggering. The universities will not jeopardize that income. I doubt, as popular as LOL is, the level of funds involved will approach NCAA sports anytime soon.

  • Superman0XSuperman0X Member RarePosts: 2,292

    I do believe that this is a great step forward... but I do have a question (that perhaps some of you can answer).

     

    Why LoL, and not DOTA 2? It seems that there is a LOT more money with DOTA 2 at this point. It would even make much more sense to do an all MOBA program, or even all profesional gaming program. So why just LoL?

  • TheLizardbonesTheLizardbones Member CommonPosts: 10,910
    Originally posted by Superman0X

    I do believe that this is a great step forward... but I do have a question (that perhaps some of you can answer).

     

    Why LoL, and not DOTA 2? It seems that there is a LOT more money with DOTA 2 at this point. It would even make much more sense to do an all MOBA program, or even all profesional gaming program. So why just LoL?

     

    LoL is the highest played and most popular of the MOBAs and they are fielding a university team in a college league.  Does DOTA2 even have a collegiate league?

     

    **

     

    http://na.lolesports.com/articles/north-american-collegiate-championship-finals

    I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.

  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    Originally posted by Sukiyaki

    Lol, how exactly does the school benefit from that one?

    Its not like this is Korea and 3/4 of the population had at least seen some giant ass game or competition ad about the game on their streets, TV or cars or their food or lunchbox.

    "Yeah we one the LOL college finals!"

    "What is LoL?"

    "One of the most played online games in the world! Ten millions play it every day."

    "Oh! One  these shooter games where you kill people?"

    And there isnt exactly a high demand of professional tutors and coaches for LoL pro gamer job market where they could land a job.

    It is a good point, of course there is also the fact that games like LOL etc have a very definite shelf life, it wasn't all that long ago after all, that Starcraft was the game they were all competing in, it probably won't be much longer before yet another game replaces it.image

  • DauzqulDauzqul Member RarePosts: 1,982
    Originally posted by Zarbyte
    I wonder how they ended up approving this. :)

    The Dean is probably a huge fan.

  • SEANMCADSEANMCAD Member EpicPosts: 16,775
    Originally posted by Phry
    Originally posted by Sukiyaki

    Lol, how exactly does the school benefit from that one?

    Its not like this is Korea and 3/4 of the population had at least seen some giant ass game or competition ad about the game on their streets, TV or cars or their food or lunchbox.

    "Yeah we one the LOL college finals!"

    "What is LoL?"

    "One of the most played online games in the world! Ten millions play it every day."

    "Oh! One  these shooter games where you kill people?"

    And there isnt exactly a high demand of professional tutors and coaches for LoL pro gamer job market where they could land a job.

    It is a good point, of course there is also the fact that games like LOL etc have a very definite shelf life, it wasn't all that long ago after all, that Starcraft was the game they were all competing in, it probably won't be much longer before yet another game replaces it.image

    gaming culture in the western world is increasing.

    Thus if you charted it and assume that increase will continue one might extrapolate that what is happening in asia might at sometime happen here in the western world as well.

    Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.

    Please do not respond to me

  • CecropiaCecropia Member RarePosts: 3,985
    Originally posted by lizardbones
    Originally posted by Superman0X

    I do believe that this is a great step forward... but I do have a question (that perhaps some of you can answer).

    Why LoL, and not DOTA 2? It seems that there is a LOT more money with DOTA 2 at this point. It would even make much more sense to do an all MOBA program, or even all profesional gaming program. So why just LoL?

     LoL is the highest played and most popular of the MOBAs and they are fielding a university team in a college league.  Does DOTA2 even have a collegiate league?

    **

    http://na.lolesports.com/articles/north-american-collegiate-championship-finals

    Hmmm, I thought those were MMOs....aka Online Games.

    Why make it so confusing with the inconvenient labels. For convenience sake, let's just call them all MMOs, k?

     

    "Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb

  • nariusseldonnariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775

    Well, first the US govt recognize them as athletes, and now this.

    E-sports is certainly getting big and mainstream. I wonder how many more devs will decide classical MMO is no longer the future, and e-sport type focused pvp game is.

     

  • fineflufffinefluff Member RarePosts: 561
    Unfortunately if you want to play LoL at a top level you need to practice many, many hours each day and that can take away from their study time. Hope they get to pick an easy major then.
  • SEANMCADSEANMCAD Member EpicPosts: 16,775
    Originally posted by nariusseldon

    Well, first the US govt recognize them as athletes, and now this.

    E-sports is certainly getting big and mainstream. I wonder how many more devs will decide classical MMO is no longer the future, and e-sport type focused pvp game is.

     

    there is a huge future in gaming as a spectator 'sport' however, that doesnt mean there isnt also a strong demand for PvE MMO style gaming. Gaming industry overall is growing and anyone who grew up with games as I did could have told anyone that this (major growth) would happen

    Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.

    Please do not respond to me

  • nariusseldonnariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775
    Originally posted by SEANMCAD
    Originally posted by nariusseldon

    Well, first the US govt recognize them as athletes, and now this.

    E-sports is certainly getting big and mainstream. I wonder how many more devs will decide classical MMO is no longer the future, and e-sport type focused pvp game is.

     

    there is a huge future in gaming as a spectator 'sport' however, that doesnt mean there isnt also a strong demand for PvE MMO style gaming. Gaming industry overall is growing and anyone who grew up with games as I did could have told anyone that this (major growth) would happen

    Well, i would agree  that there is obviously a huge market for co-op pve games (otherwise, D3, Borderlands 1 & 2, ... would not have sold so many copies).

    But I think classical wow type MMO is no longer viewed as a cash cow as it once was.

    Even Blizz is no longer focusing on a new game in that market. That should tell you something. And if you look at new games like Destiny, the approach is to combine a single player game more seamlessly with multiplayer, and totally forget the persistent world stuff.

     

  • SEANMCADSEANMCAD Member EpicPosts: 16,775
    Originally posted by nariusseldon
    Originally posted by SEANMCAD
    Originally posted by nariusseldon

    Well, first the US govt recognize them as athletes, and now this.

    E-sports is certainly getting big and mainstream. I wonder how many more devs will decide classical MMO is no longer the future, and e-sport type focused pvp game is.

     

    there is a huge future in gaming as a spectator 'sport' however, that doesnt mean there isnt also a strong demand for PvE MMO style gaming. Gaming industry overall is growing and anyone who grew up with games as I did could have told anyone that this (major growth) would happen

    Well, i would agree  that there is obviously a huge market for co-op pve games (otherwise, D3, Borderlands 1 & 2, ... would not have sold so many copies).

    But I think classical wow type MMO is no longer viewed as a cash cow as it once was.

    Even Blizz is no longer focusing on a new game in that market. That should tell you something. And if you look at new games like Destiny, the approach is to combine a single player game more seamlessly with multiplayer, and totally forget the persistent world stuff.

     

    I agree that WoW style gaming is the past. I just took issue that PVP was the replacement future.

    I think we are on the same page though.

    I want to see the first competition against an AI.

    Please do not respond to me, even if I ask you a question, its rhetorical.

    Please do not respond to me

  • nerovipus32nerovipus32 Member Posts: 2,735
    They are not athletes.
  • dave6660dave6660 Member UncommonPosts: 2,699
    And the value of a US college degree continues to fall.

    “There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody's expense but his own.”
    -- Herman Melville

  • zach_bzach_b Member Posts: 28
    Originally posted by lizardbones
    Originally posted by Superman0X

    I do believe that this is a great step forward... but I do have a question (that perhaps some of you can answer).

     

    Why LoL, and not DOTA 2? It seems that there is a LOT more money with DOTA 2 at this point. It would even make much more sense to do an all MOBA program, or even all profesional gaming program. So why just LoL?

     

    LoL is the highest played and most popular of the MOBAs and they are fielding a university team in a college league.  Does DOTA2 even have a collegiate league?

     

    **

     

    http://na.lolesports.com/articles/north-american-collegiate-championship-finals

    Does LoL have 10million in prize money in just 1 of their tournaments? Hell, all of their tournaments combined don't even come to 5 million. If you're playing LoL competitively, you're losing money or you're self-aware enough that you know you wouldn't even be in the top 25% if you switched to dota2. LoL is popular because it's easymode, not because it's a better game.

  • nariusseldonnariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775
    Originally posted by SEANMCAD

     

    I agree that WoW style gaming is the past. I just took issue that PVP was the replacement future.

    I think we are on the same page though.

    I want to see the first competition against an AI.

    There are pve games with ladders and rankings .. but that makes them somewhat pvp.

    I think pve games have a big market, but you never get the e-sport type of publicity just because it is viewed as an entertainment product, and not a sport.

     

  • nariusseldonnariusseldon Member EpicPosts: 27,775
    Originally posted by zach_b
    LoL is popular because it's easymode, not because it's a better game.

    "easy mode" in pvp? LoL.

    Are you the number 1 LoL player in the world? If you are not, beat the number 1 team before tell us it is easy mode.

     

  • Superman0XSuperman0X Member RarePosts: 2,292

    Originally posted by zach_b
    Originally posted by lizardbones
    Originally posted by Superman0X I do believe that this is a great step forward... but I do have a question (that perhaps some of you can answer).   Why LoL, and not DOTA 2? It seems that there is a LOT more money with DOTA 2 at this point. It would even make much more sense to do an all MOBA program, or even all profesional gaming program. So why just LoL?
      LoL is the highest played and most popular of the MOBAs and they are fielding a university team in a college league.  Does DOTA2 even have a collegiate league?   **   http://na.lolesports.com/articles/north-american-collegiate-championship-finals
    Does LoL have 10million in prize money in just 1 of their tournaments? Hell, all of their tournaments combined don't even come to 5 million. If you're playing LoL competitively, you're losing money or you're self-aware enough that you know you wouldn't even be in the top 25% if you switched to dota2. LoL is popular because it's easymode, not because it's a better game.
     

    It looks like DOTA 2 does have a collegiate league:

    http://www.cstarleague.com/dota2/news

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