When most people think of sports scholarships, they think of the big three (Baseball, Football, Basketball) or track and field sports. However, Robert Morris University in Illinois is pioneering the way for a new kind of sport scholarship. They have become the first college in the United States to add e-sports to their athletic program and will offer scholarships to those who play League of Legends.
This fall, RMU will be able to issue scholarships to gamers with up to half of their tuition as well as room and board, which according to the RMU site could be around $20,000 for 2014-2015. The school is recruiting 27 high-school aged players from the League of Legends High School Starleague to compete for RMU in the Collegiate Star League whose season begins in September. The league includes teams from 103 different institutions. The teams also compete in Riot‘s North American Collegiate Championship who’s prize purse is $100,000 in scholarship money.
This is a huge step for gamers, Particularly those good enough to play on teams competitively and would like to earn a degree. Why not be given the same opportunity as those with talents in traditional sports?
If you are interested in possibly applying for this scholarship, you can read about the League of Legends scholarship and get school contact information here.
