Robert Morris University in Chicago put out a call recruiting League of Legends players to its first varsity eSports team earlier this month. According to Riot Games, RMU will become the first university to offer a competitive team at the varsity level, and will offer scholarships to players “of up to 50 percent tuition and 50 percent room and board.” RMU is in the process of recruiting its team to join the Collegiate Star League in the fall quarter, beginning in September. The CSL consists of teams from 103 educational institutions, including Arizona State, George Washington and Harvard, though RMU is the only one currently offering scholarships for competition. Robert Morris University’s team comprises one varsity team and two practice teams.
The future of college sports is League of Legends. At least, according to Robert Morris University, who will be adding the game to their athletic program. The Robert Morris University Illinois Eagles will be competing alongside 103 other schools in the Collegiate Star League this upcoming season, but they’ll be unique in that they’re offering scholarships worth up to 50 percent tuition and 50 percent room and board to “qualified” gamers. That’s as much as $19,000 per student. “Robert Morris University has always been at the forefront of providing opportunities for a diverse student population with different interests and skills,” said associate athletic director Kurt Melcher. “League of Legends is a competitive, challenging game which requires significant amount of teamwork to be successful.” The school’s League players will be student athletes, complete with the requisite perks like “coaching, staff support, tutoring, and scholarships.” That’s a first in collegiate esports, where teams are usually student-based initiatives born from gaming clubs or a particularly competitive group of players or friends. Colleges aren’t the only major organizations to recognize esports as a legitimate sport. Midway through last year the United States gave its seal of approval by issuing athletic visas for esports players. Universities are a natural next step with so much of the student body participating in video games.
