We bet that each of you has tried playing video games many times. It is one of the most popular free-time activities among teens and students. And there are plenty of reasons for that. After all, gaming is fun and exciting, and it’s also a good way to relieve stress. But we bet that not everyone knows that there is space for competitive gaming in college too.
Want to learn more? In this article, an expert from EssayService, a professional cheap paper writing service for students, will introduce you to the fascinating world of college esports and answer all questions you might have. Let’s dive in!
College Esports: Getting Clear on the Concept
For anyone interested in video gaming, it shouldn’t be a secret that modern gaming has developed so much that it has become a separate branch of competition, similar to sports. So, that’s what esports is in a nutshell. It is a combination of traditional sports with competitive gaming.
Now, if we are talking about college esports, the main thing that differentiates it from regular esports is that it implies that gamers affiliate with the schools they attend. Simply put, to enter college esports, you will need to join your college’s esports team the same way you would join a football or basketball team. And after you do this, you will be representing your school in various esports leagues.
Best part? Just like participating in any other sports, being in college esports unlocks plenty of exciting scholarship opportunities.
The History of College Esports
These days college esports is gaining momentum. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing activities in modern colleges. But how did it all start?
Though not everyone knows this, the history of competitive gaming in college is pretty long and can take a while to study thoroughly. So, if you are researching this topic to write an essay or another academic paper on it, don’t forget that you can always get the best essay writing service reviews help. But if you are just interested in college esports, let us give you a short introduction to its history.
According to experts, competitive gaming and college have been closely related for decades. In fact, even the first-ever recorded tournament in video gaming took place in college. To be more precise, it was held in 1972 at Stanford University.
Since that time, for 50 years already, competitive gaming has been integrating into the college ecosystem deeper. It was used as a way to help students relieve stress and bond. But it was rather just a hobby than something really big. It also wasn’t such a widespread practice until the early 2010s. But then, the Texas Esports Association changed everything.
Teaming up with Blizzard, TESPA created League of Legends tournaments. These tournaments became so popular that schools started developing their own esports teams to participate.
Later, another popular developer, Riot, drove even more transformation. Riot convinced colleges to treat esports like other conventional sports such as baseball, football, etc. This formalized the practice of creating college esports teams and contributed to the creation of special esports scholarships that took college-level competitive gaming to the next level. And it keeps growing today.
Top 9 Esports Games Played at a College Level
After esports became no less important in colleges than other conventional sports, the practice of creating own teams and participating in various leagues became trending among colleges and universities. Today, college esports is very diverse and involves a wide variety of games, with new options added regularly.
But we can outline a few of the most popular college esports games. These include:
- League of Legends
- Rocket League
- Rainbow Six: SIEGE
- Valorant
- Call Of Duty: Warzone
- Hearthstone
- Overwatch
- Fortnite
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
These are the top games played at a college level. So, if you are interested in getting into college esports, these might be the best games to master. Having solid skills in playing them can help you get on a team and even win a scholarship to fund your studies.
The Biggest College Esports Leagues
Since the field of college esports is still shaping, there are not so many leagues worth your attention at this stage. To be more specific, there are only four most notable college esports leagues these days:
- NAC Esports
- PlayVS
- Collegiater6
- NCAA
These leagues have been around for the longest time and have already gained some reputation. But as this field keeps evolving, we expect more leagues to appear and gain popularity in the future. After all, experts claim that esports has a big future in colleges.
The Bottom Line
Now you should have a better idea of how college esports was developing and at what stage it is today. You’ve also learned about the most popular games and the biggest leagues existing today.
At the end of this article, we want to highlight that college esports is still developing and gaining momentum. This sector is evolving and changing rapidly. But its popularity only grows bigger. Along with other conventional sports, it has now become an integral part of the college experience. So, if you are a gamer yourself, you have to know that there are plenty of exciting opportunities for you!
