Curiosity Weekly

Get a College Scholarship... For eSports


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The competitive landscape of eSports hasn't only spread to colleges and universities – it's now an activity that can land you a scholarship! Robert Morris University's Executive Director of eSports Kurt Melcher explains why his school was the first to offer a scholarship to League of Legends players, and why other schools are following suit.

Having worked in both traditional athletics and in eSports, Kurt brings a unique point of view on why eSports athletes aren't so different from what a person might think of as a "regular" athlete. Plus: what separates a professional eSports player from other competitive gamers.

Links we discussed:

  • 2017 Collegiate eSports Report via The Next Level
  • 25 Video Game Violence Studies, Summarized (via Kotaku)
  • eSports to be a medal event at 2022 Asian Games

More on Robert Morris University and other eSports:

  • Robert Morris University League of Legends Team Page
  • University League of Legends College Championship
  • North America League of Legends Championship Series
  • Europe League of Legends Championship Series
  • The International (Dota 2)
  • ELEAGUE (professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive league)
  • ESPN eSports Hub
  • Kurt Melcher's TEDx Talk "Gamers: The rising stars of collegiate athletics"

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Full episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/get-a-college-scholarship-for-esports

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