More and more schools are offering esports scholarships with each passing year, making esports one of the fastest-growing sectors of awarded scholarships. This doesn’t mean that every school has an esports program that can offer financial aid, though, so be direct and ask if a college you’re interested in offers scholarships when you get a chance. You’re most likely to get awarded a scholarship if you’re an exceptional player, but there are exceptions to this. It’s rare but not entirely unheard of to see student-coaches or other staff members to get scholarships to come work for a school’s esports program.
Even if you don’t end up getting a scholarship, there are other ways you can make esports work for you on a college campus. You might be able to earn “work studies” hours while working on esports in addition to free merchandise and equipment. More important than that, though, is that collegiate esports allows you to network with other people looking to find a career in esports. Remember, networking with like-minded individuals is one of the biggest benefits colleges and universities offer, so take advantage of opportunities to meet people. You never know when a connection will end up paying off in a big way.
With all of that being said, you can’t use college to further your career in esports if you can’t stay at that college. Make sure you focus on your academic standing first before prioritizing your esports work. It is 100% understandable and respectable to take time from your esports job (that you might be working for free) to focus on your studies. Most people who get esports scholarships end up graduating with a degree and with connections to further their esports career, and there’s no reason you can’t do it too.
Once you make it to the collegiate level, you’ll have a chance to compete with teams across the country. There are a couple of leagues that operate in the collegiate scene that are different from the organizations you might have participated in during your high school career. We’re going to go through a couple of the major ones here and describe what they are, what they do, and how they can help you. If you have more questions, we encourage you to check out each organization’s websites included in the Links & Materials tab below.
“Tespa is a network of students, competitors, and club leaders. Together, our students are changing the world of collegiate esports both on campus and on stage.”
Tespa is one of the biggest collegiate esports organizations in the world, and that’s backed up by the numbers. Over 1,350 schools have competed in Tespa tournaments, which translates to over 40,000 student competitors. In addition, a whopping $3.3 million in prize money and scholarships have been awarded to students since Tespa’s inception in September of 2013.
Tespa has several elements under its umbrella. For competitors, Tespa offers year-round leagues in Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Call of Duty. These leagues use a proprietary MMR system that matches schools against opponents with a similar skill level, meaning everyone competing in the league gets a chance to win some glory and some of that scholarship money. Some games also offer in-game rewards for competing in a Tespa league.
Tespa isn’t just an esports league, though. Schools can start or join chapters that serve as “an open and inclusive hub for all types of games and gamers.” Tespa chapters help esports event organizers with hosting an event by supplying prizes and other branded assets for tournament use. If you’re a tournament organizer or manager, see if your college is involved with Tespa and work with Tespa to host the best events possible on a college budget.
“The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of our member institutions. Together, our members are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space. We are collaborating to lay the groundwork in areas such as: Eligibility, Path to Graduation, and Competition & Scholarships.”
NACE is similar to Tespa in its broad reach. Over 170 schools are members of NACE, with over 5,000 student-athletes earning $16 million in scholarships and financial aid. NACE also offers an annual national convention and a private Discord server for athletic directors and coaches. For competitors, NACE offers eight seasonal leagues: in the fall, NACE supports Overwatch (through Tespa), Paladins, Champions of the Realm, Rocket League and Smite, Battleground of the Gods. In the spring, NACE offers Counter-Strike, Fortnite, Rocket League, and League of Legends (through the RSAA, or Riot Scholastic Association of America).
There are other organizations other than these two, but the collegiate esports scene is mostly comprised of these two organizations and Riot’s RSAA, which oversees League of Legends competitions. Depending on what game you’re trying to get a scholarship to play, research these different leagues and see if you can benefit from joining.
Just like with collegiate traditional sports, some schools rise above the rest. No one school dominates every competitive game, so make sure you do independent research on which school is currently at the head of your chosen esport. That being said, here are some of the schools that stand out as leaders of the pack.
HU Storm is Harrisburg College’s collegiate esports program located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. HU Storm is the 2019 Collegiate Overwatch Champion, earning $1,700 per player in scholarships. HU Storm also has competitive teams in Hearthstone and League of Legends. HU Storm is partnered with the Overwatch League professional team, the Philadelphia Fusion.
Maryville University, located in St. Louis, Missouri, is one of the most successful collegiate esports organizations competing today. Maryville is historically dominant in League of Legends, winning three national titles (2017, 2019 x2) and featuring a wide berth of former League of Legends pro players and staff. Maryville also has a strong Overwatch program and is looking to expand into other games.
UCI, located in Irvine, California, is one of the best esports schools in North America for a variety of reasons. They host competitive scholarship teams in multiple esports: League of Legends, Overwatch and Super Smash Bros., with those teams finding national success and top-five status in their respective leagues. UCI is also very active in engaging the community through their Twitch channel, where they help train students in esports broadcast production. UCI also hosts live events in the UCI Esports Arena, a state-of-the-art facility for esports.
Outside of esports, UCI is very active in the world of gaming through its efforts to make esports and technology opportunities available for everyone. As recently as February of 2020, UCI received a $50,000 donation from popular gaming personality and streamer Imane “Pokimane” Anys for student scholarships. An initial $25,000 gift for 2020 will be combined with the remaining $25,000 in 2021 to create an endowment that will fund tuition and fees for gamers selected by UCI Esports.