Dust off that gamertag; there may be a scholarship in it for you.
No really. Gamers who never thought twice about Concordia University Texas, or college for that matter, are finding a path to careers by doing what they already love.
If you haven’t heard, esports could soon be among the most heavily watched sports in the world. Debate if you will what it means to be a “sport.” Bottom line is, with streaming sites like Twitch, competitive video gaming is now far beyond the basement LAN parties of yonder.
Marc Valdoria, CTX esports coordinator, says it’s for that reason we now see more than 140 universities and colleges creating esports teams of their own.
"These aren’t the geeks some assume they would be."
Where most teams rely on a grassroots effort to get started, Valdoria and CTX took the “top-down” approach. By building the first state-of-the-art playing arena on campus in July of 2019 with room for players and the public, the draw was almost immediate.
“That was the idea. We wanted to drive up enrollment and explained to the school this was the most cost-effective way,” Valdoria said.
Current and prospective students didn’t have to look far to see the commitment from CTX, which now offers a scholarship of up to $1,000 each semester for esports competitors.
These same students are studying communications, psychology, business, the arts and, of course, computer science.
“The most incredible thing is seeing the variety of careers these students want to pursue. These aren’t the geeks some assume they would be. They’re just people who love gaming,” Valdoria said.
Now nearly one year after announcing the Concordia Tornados esports team, they recently faced Schreiner University’s squad.
As part of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference, CTX joins seven other teams between Texas and Colorado. The league says they hope to one day expand to over 16 schools competing to make room for divisional play.
Each showdown features games like Overwatch, League of Legends, Rocket League and Super Smash, with a championship scheduled for late March.
Most matchups don’t require seeing your opponent in person, cause you know ... technology. That doesn’t mean Valdoria and his team take competing lightly. Two hours before game-time and you’ll find the Tornados running drills and warming up.
A packed Valhalla Esports Lounge tunes in from Austin, but spectators online can also draw crowds rivaling anything other varsity sports could offer.
“We’re still lagging behind in North America for esports, but the good thing is universities are understanding this is a path. Now is the time to get other people’s attention,” Valdoria said.
Valdoria says the next step for his team is to begin scheduling face-to-face competition. A dynamic he believes will show others that esports can compete like any other sport.
