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posted by cmn32480 on Sunday September 17 2017, @12:33AM   Printer-friendly
from the up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-b-a-start dept.

Varsity esports teams are becoming increasingly common on college campuses as more schools tap into the rising popularity of competitive gaming.

Experts say 50 U.S. colleges have formed varsity gaming teams that offer at least partial scholarships over the past three years, and many have hired coaches and analysts like other sports teams.

Michael Brooks is executive director of the National Association of Collegiate eSports. He says it has grown "dramatically" and caught organizers off guard.

The success of professional esports has spurred many smaller schools to start varsity teams as a way to boost enrollment numbers.

Among those with new teams is the College of St. Joseph, a school of 260 students in Vermont. The school's athletic director says "nearly every kid on campus wants to be a part of this."

"Dear Admissions Committee, I should get a full sports scholarship because I'm, like, really good at Pong and stuff."


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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Mykl on Monday September 18 2017, @02:46AM

    by Mykl (1112) on Monday September 18 2017, @02:46AM (#569604)

    I've always found the existence and elevated importance of College Sport to be anathema to the purpose of a College or University - that is, to engage the mind. The fact that someone can make their way into college simply by virtue of being able to 'stop that guy getting past me' or 'kicking a ball between two sticks a couple of times an hour' is ridiculous. The amount of College funding that is diverted away from education toward sport is even worse.

    I have the same problem with competitive gamers. Why should someone gain entry to higher learning just because they've got great twitch reflexes? That's not what College and University is about. I'm perfectly fine with the existence of competitive gaming in general (same as competitive sports), but I don't think Colleges need to be involved in this at all.

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