Missing Fall Athletics? Try Tuning in to College Esports

Coronavirus has led many collegiate athletics leagues to cancel or postpone the fall 2020 college sports season. These cancellations affect more than just the players and coaches. Fans – both on and off campus – miss being spectators to high-energy competitive sports like college football that inspire school spirit and foster community. As a result, some schools are turning to competitive Esports to help fill the gap in their fall college athletics.

“Esports” refers to competitive team-based video games played at a high skill level. While video games and athletics may seem contradictory, Esports has become a fast-growing athletic sport in recent years. The National Association of Collegiate Esports, the largest U.S. Esports membership association, contains over 170 schools and more than 5,000 student athletes. Not only are colleges investing in Esports teams and state-of-the-art gaming arenas, many are also offering Esports scholarships to top players with both gaming and academic talent. Students with gaming skills in titles like League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League and Hearthstone may find themselves prime recruits for growing college Esports teams.

Especially in the current COVID-19 environment, Esports shine as an alternative to traditional sports. Esports are contactless sports and can be played virtually without significant changes to gameplay. Plus, they’re easy to stream online to a digital audience via services like Twitch and YouTube. Fans can cheer on their school’s team in the comments section in real time. And just like college football, Esports are exciting to watch. Those skeptical about enjoying watching someone else play a video game may be surprised with the level of skill and energy that goes into top-level Esports gaming.

Whether you’re a grandmaster-ranked gamer or longtime fan of video games, be sure to check out our list of Esports scholarships. And no matter what sport you play, you can try a free scholarship search to discover athletic scholarships that can help you pay for college tuition.