Higher Education Done Right: Esports and Poker Scholarships

Esports and Poker Scholarships

Video gaming and poker were once dismissed as the pastimes of wastrels and no-goods, but the glitz of these activities is shared by well over 700 million people globally. That’s the regular sort of man and woman and not the cliched world view of people who love card games and esports. The number of esports […]

Video gaming and poker were once dismissed as the pastimes of wastrels and no-goods, but the glitz of these activities is shared by well over 700 million people globally. That’s the regular sort of man and woman and not the cliched world view of people who love card games and esports. The number of esports fans alone in 2019 is 556 million, according to Newzoo, a marketing researching company.

In light of the growing popularity of the market, we have decided to explore a little-known side of these exciting past times: that they actually pave the way to higher education. We sat down and drew the most comprehensive map to esports and poker scholarships in the United States.

After studying the offer of 370+ colleges, universities, and high schools that provide varsity programs and poker education, we have put together a list of all the top venues that offer to help you along on your way to becoming a dab hand at poker, a dead shot in Overwatch, or the world’s best solo mid player in League of Legends.

What you will find in this blog:

College Esports Scholarships in the US

Today, there are well over 300 schools, colleges and universities all across the United States that offer varsity esports programs. High school esports is also shaping up as an important supplement of this education, with experts agreeing that much like regular education, talent should be nurtured in colleges.

As
the Lebanon
Valley University (PA)
puts it, the key to success in varsity program is to help players
“stay
ahead of the meta”

If
you are looking for the country’s top esports schools you have come
to the right place.
Around 376 of institutions of higher learning in North America are
now fully committed to creating exciting new opportunities for their
students to storm the world of competitive video gaming,
and varsity programs and scholarships are just a small part of the
equation.

Tespa's Esports Collegiate Series

The
number of actual esports players and school is much
bigger.
Tespa,
an official collegiate league for Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm,
Overwatch, Rocket League, and StarCraft II has a network of over 850
schools in the United States.

It’s
important to note that not all of these school offer scholarships to
their students. Tespa alone accounts for 30,000
collegiate esports players.
Estimated 70% of all college
students
are playing competitive video games, whether recreationally or with
the ambition of going pro.

Recommended
Universities with (Esports) Varsity Programs

Fullsail University's The Fortress Esports Arena

Have you heard of Full Sail University (FL)? Well, this private university recently opened “The Fortress,” the largest on campus esports facility in the United States to date. Other learning institutions that are taking their esports very seriously include the University of California, Irvine (CA), which started with a modest scholarship offer for League of Legend ($5,610) and Overwatch players ($2,500).

Here are some of the other universities that presently run varsity programs and are ranked as some of the best esports destinations for would-be college students:

The University of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

The
University of Harrisburg (PA)
is quite keen on topping off their esports potential with valuable
expert hires in the face of
Joe “Joemeister”
Gramano who played professionally in the Overwatch League for
Philadelphia Fusion and former Team SoloMid and Team Liquid League of
Legends player Alex “Xpecial”
Chu.

More about Harrisburg’s varsity program here.

Robert Morris University, Pennsylvania

Robert Morris University (PA) is one of the first institutions to offer young adults an opportunity to hone their esports skills and pursue professional video gaming as a career. The League of Legends team goes back to 2014 and since that time, the University has expanded its ranks of gamers to Overwatch, Dota 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO).

More about Robert Morris’ varsity program here.

Georgia State University, Georgia

Georgia State University (GA) hasn’t waited too long to join the esports fray themselves. The university has decided to go the full Monty with its varsity program, providing scholarships to talented players who are keen on competing in the staple League of Legends, but also those who are interested in titles that go slightly off the main grid, such as Smite and Brawlhalla.

More about Georgia State University’s varsity program here.

University of California, Berkeley, California

University
of California, Berkeley (CA) is definitely committed to creating
a place where esports athletes can find opportunities to study and
continue growing in their video game of choice. The college is also
one of the best places to be a female gamer, as they run a dedicated
women’s gamer squad.

There is a
dedicated Open Play Gaming Arena which houses the growing esports
talent on campus and the team is not shying away from any League of
Legends challenge.

More about California Berkeley’s varsity program here.

Becker College, Massachusetts

Next on the list we have Becker College (MA), a school that has decided to become the torch bearer in Massachusetts, offering the first state scholarships for gifted esports players. With an yearly funding of $1,000 up to $5,000, students have an opportunity to do what they love, pursuing a career in League of Legends, Smite and Paladins.

Keen on finding out more? Check Becker Colleges’ esports program here.

Bloomfield College, New Jersey

Esports
are in full bloom at Bloomfield College
(NJ), one of the latest signées with
the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE),
the insittuion has quite some way to go before it build itself into a
powerhouse of competitive gaming, but the foundations have been laid.

Learn more about Bloomfield College’s esports efforts here.

Shenandoah University, Virginia

Shenandoah
(VA) is the latest instituion
of higher learning to join the esports fray. Make no mistake when we
say that the university is going the full distance, with the team
already having its own custom made logo to proudly emblazon players’
jerseys with.

Plus, Shenandoah is all about crunching some solid data as well. The university knows that the esports industry needs a new workforce, and SU is prepared to train it. Esports is an understandable first step. Jump to our “esports jobs of the future” section to get the latest stats on the industry.

Learn more about SU’s esports program and get a chance to apply here.

Cornell College, Iowa

Forget
League of Legends, Cornell
College (IA) is
mounting a powerful offensive across the entire esports vertical,
with the newly-inaugurated esports team showing interest in quite a
few titles out there, including: CS: GO, Rainbow
Six: Siege, Super Smash Brothers, Hearthstone, and yes, League
of Legends.

Having hired
professional coach Mayson Sheehan,
the college is prepared to storm some of the highest summits of the
esports competition.

Want
to be part of Cornell College’s efforts? Make sure to check out their
esports program here.

Esports Scholarship Investment Throughout the Years

Investing in esports scholarships has started timidly, but with the industry hitting an important milestone of $1 billion in 2019, and the flow of sponsorship money reaching $456.7 million over the period, more schools are eager to attract top talent and reap the benefits thereafter.

Today, North America offers the largest opportunity for college students to be part of a professional scene that is quickly developing and nurturing talented young men and women to participate. Some $32 million has been awarded in varsity scholarships since 2014.

The Updated List of Varsity Esports Programs in North America

SchoolCity and StateRegionLeague Abilene Christian University Abilene, TexasMid SouthTespa Academy of Art University San Francisco, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Albright College Reading, PennsylvaniaNorth EastNACE Algonquin College Ottawa, OntarioCanadaTespa Amarillo College Amarillo, TexasMid SouthTespa Appalachian State University Boone, North CarolinaMid EastTespa Arizona State University Tempe, ArizonaSouth WestTespa Ashland University Ashland, OhioGreat LakesNACE Augustana College Rock Island, IllinoisGreat LakesTespa Averett University Danville, VirginiaMid EastNACE Ball State University Muncie, IndianaGreat LakesTespa Bates College Lewiston, MaineNew EnglandTespa Bay State College Boston, MassachusettsNew EnglandNACE Baylor University Waco, TexasMid SouthTespa Bellevue University Bellevue, NebraskaMid WestNACE Berklee College Boston, MassachusettsNew EnglandTespa Boise State University Boise, IdahoNorth WestNACE/Tespa Boston College Chestnut Hill, MassachusettsNew EnglandTespa Boston University Boston, MassachusettsNew EnglandTespa Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OhioGreat LakesTespa Brescia University Owensboro, KentuckyMid EastNACE Brigham Young University Provo, UtahSouth WestTespa Brigham Young University-Hawaii Laie, HawaiiWest CoastTespa British Columbia Institute of Technology Burnaby, British ColumbiaCanadaTespa Brown University Providence, Rhode IslandNew EnglandTespa Butler University Indianapolis, IndianaGreat LakesTespa California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa California State University-Chico Chico, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa California State University-Fresno Fresno, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Campbellsville University Campbellsville, KentuckyMid EastNACE Carleton University Ottawa, OntarioCanadaTespa Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OhioGreat LakesTespa Cazenovia College Cazenovia, New YorkNorth EastNACE Central Connecticut State University New Britain, ConnecticutNorth EastTespa Central Methodist University Fayette, MissouriMid WestNACE Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MichiganGreat LakesTespa Centralia College Centralia, WashingtonWest CoastNACE Centre College Danville, KentuckyMid EastTespa Cerritos College Norwalk, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Champlain College Burlington, VermontNew EnglandTespa Chapman University Orange, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Cincinnati Christian University Cincinnati, OhioGreat LakesNACE Clemson University Clemson, South CarolinaSouth EastTespa Coconino Community College Flagstaff, ArizonaSouth WestTespa Cogswell Polytechnical College San Jose, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Coker College Hartsville, South CarolinaSouth EastNACE College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University St. Joseph, MinnesotaMid WestTespa College of St. Joseph Rutland, VermontNew EnglandNACE Collin College-Spring Creek Plano, TexasMid SouthTespa Colorado School of Mines Golden, ColoradoSouth WestTespa Colorado State University Fort Collins, ColoradoSouth WestTespa Columbia Basin College Pasco, WashingtonWest CoastTespa Columbia College Chicago, IllinoisGreat LakesNACE Columbia University New York, New YorkNorth EastTespa Concordia University Montreal, QuebecCanadaTespa Cornell University Ithaca, New YorkNorth EastTespa Culver-Stockton College Canton, MissouriMid WestNACE Cypress College Cypress, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Daemen College Armherst, New YorkNorth EastTespa Dakota State University Madison, South DakotaNorth WestTespa Dalhousie University Halifax, Nova ScotiaCanadaTespa De Anza College Cupertino, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Defiance College Defiance, OhioGreat LakesNACE Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PennsylvaniaNorth EastNACE DeSales University Lehigh County, PennsylvaniaNorth EastNACE Dawson College Montreal, QuebecCanadaTespa Dickinson State University Dickinson, North DakotaNorth WestNACE DigiPen Institute of Technology Redmond, WashingtonWest CoastNACE Douglas College New Westminster, British ColumbiaCanadaTespa Drexel University Philadephia, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa Duke University Durham, North CarolinaMid EastTespa East Carolina University Greenville, North CarolinaMid EastTespa East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TennesseeMid EastTespa Eastern Oregon University La Grande, OregonWest CoastTespa Ecole de technologie superieure Montreal, QuebecCanadaTespa ECPI University Virginia Beach, VirginiaMid EastNACE Edinboro University Edinboro, PennsylvaniaNorth EastNACE Elon University Elon, North CarolinaMid EastTespa Embry Riddle Aeronautical University Prescott, ArizonaSouth EastNACE Emerson College Boston, MassachusettsNew EnglandTespa Emory University Atlanta, GeorgiaSouth EastTespa Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FloridaSouth EastTespa Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FloridaSouth EastTespa Flordia International University Miami, FloridaSouth EastTespa Florida Southern College Lakeland, FloridaSouth EastNACE Fontbonne University St. Louis, MissouriMid WestNACE Fort Hays State University Hays, KansasMid WestTespa Full Sail University Winter Park, FloridaMid EastNACE/Tespa George Mason University Fairfax, VirginiaMid EastTespa Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GeorgiaSouth EastTespa Georgia Southern University Statesboro, GeorgiaSouth EastNACE Georgia State University Atlanta, GeorgiaSouth EastNACE/Tespa Grand Canyon University Phoenix, ArizonaSouth WestTespa Grand View University Des Moines, IowaMid WestNACE Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter, MinnesotaMid WestTespa Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaNorth EastNACE Hartwick College Oneonta, New YorkNorth EastNACE Harvard University Cambridge, MassachusettsNew EnglandTespa Hawkeye Community College Waterloo, IowaMid WestNACE Hofstra University Long Island, New YorkNorth EastTespa Huntington University Huntington, IndianaGreat LakesTespa Husson University Bangor, MaineNew EnglandTespa Illinois College Jacksonville, IllinoisGreat LakesNACE Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IllinoisGreat LakesTespa Illinois State University Normal, IllinoisGreat LakesTespa Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IllinoisGreat LakesNACE Indiana Institute of Technology Fort Wayne, IndianaGreat LakesNACE/Tespa Indiana State University Terre Haute, IndianaGreat LakesTespa Indiana University Bloomington, IndianaGreat LakesTespa Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis Indianapolis, IndianaGreat LakesTespa Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge, IowaMid WestNACE Iowa State University Ames, IowaMid WestTespa James Madison University Harrisonburg, VirginiaMid EastTespa Jarvis Christian College Hawkins, TexasMid SouthNACE Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MarylandNorth EastTespa Johnson & Wales University-Denver Denver, ColoradoSouth WestTespa Johnson & Wales University-North Miami Miami, FloridaSouth EastTespa Juniata College Huntingdon, PennsylvaniaNorth EastNACE Kansas State University Manhattan, KansasMid WestTespa Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, KansasMid WestNACE/Tespa Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GeorgiaSouth EastTespa Kent State University Kent, OhioGreat LakesTespa King University Bristol, TennesseeMid EastNACE Lackawanna College Scranton, PennsylvaniaNorth EastNACE Lamar University Beaumont, TexasMid SouthTespa Lebanon Valley College Annville, PennsylvaniaNorth EastNACE Lees-McRae College Banner Elk, North CarolinaMid EastNACE Lehigh University Bethlehem, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, North CarolinaMid EastTespa Lewis University Romeoville, IllinoisGreat LakesTespa Liberty University Lynchburg, VirginiaMid EastTespa Limestone College Gaffney, South CarolinaSouth EastNACE Longwood University Farmville, VirginiaMid EastTespa Los Medanos College Pittsburg, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, LouisianaMid SouthTespa Lourdes University Sylvania, OhioGreat LakesNACE Marian University-Wisconsin Fond du Lac, WisconsinGreat LakesTespa Marianopolis College Westmount, QuebecCanadaTespa Marietta College Marietta, OhioGreat LakesNACE Marist College Poughkeepsie, New YorkNorth EastTespa Maryville University St. Louis, MissouriMid WestNACE/Tespa McMaster University Hamilton, OntarioCanadaTespa McPherson College McPherson, KansasMid WestNACE Mendocino College Ukiah, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Menlo College Atherton, CaliforniaWest CoastNACE Miami University Oxford, OhioGreat LakesNACE/Tespa Michigan State University East Lansing, MichiganGreat LakesTespa Midland University Fremont, NebraskaMid WestNACE/Tespa Mississippi State University Starkville, MississippiMid SouthTespa Missouri Baptist University St. Louis, MissouriMid WestNACE Missouri State University Springfield, MissouriMid WestTespa Missouri Valley College Marshall, MissouriMid WestNACE Montana State University Bozeman, MontanaNorth WestTespa Morningside College Sioux City, IowaMid WestNACE Mount St. Joseph University Cincinnati, OhioGreat LakesNACE Murray State University Murray, KentuckyMid EastTespa Neumont College of Computer Science Salt Lake City, UtahSouth WestTespa New Jersey Institute of Technology Newark, New JerseyNorth EastTespa New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New MexicoSouth EastTespa New York College of Technology Brooklyn, New YorkNorth EastTespa New York Institute of Technology New York, New YorkNorth EastTespa North Carolina State University Raleigh, North CarolinaMid EastTespa Northampton Community College-Bethlehem Bethlehem, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa Northeastern University Boston, MassachusettsNew EnglandTespa Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, ArizonaSouth WestTespa Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IllinoisGreat LakesTespa Northern Virginia Community College Springfield, VirginiaMid EastNACE/Tespa Northwest Christian University Eugene, OregonWest CoastNACE Ohio Northern University Ada, OhioGreat LakesNACE Ohio State University Columbus, OhioGreat LakesTespa Ohlone College Fremont, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Oklahoma State University Stillwater, OklahomaMid SouthTespa Old Dominion University Norfolk, VirginiaMid EastTespa Orange Coast College Costa Mesa, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Oregon Institute of Technology Klamath Falls, OregonWest CoastNACE Pace University New York, New YorkNorth EastTespa Pacific Luthern University Tacoma, WashingtonWest CoastTespa Park University Parkville, MissouriMid WestNACE Penn State University State College, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa Penn State University-Harrisburg Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa Penn State University-Hazleton Hazleton, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa Point Loma Nazarene University San Diego, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Portland State University Portland, OregonWest CoastTespa Principia College Elsah, IllinoisGreat LakesNACE Purdue University West Lafayette, IndianaGreat LakesTespa Purdue University Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IndianaGreat LakesTespa Queen’s University Kingston, OntarioCanadaTespa Quinnipiac University Hamden, ConnecticutNew EnglandTespa Randolph-Macon College Ashland, VirginiaMid EastNACE Rensslaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New YorkNorth EastTespa Renton Technical College Renton, WashingtonWest CoastTespa Ryerson University Toronto, OntarioCanadaTespa Robert Morris University Chicago, IllinoisGreat LakesNACE/Tespa Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, New YorkNorth EastTespa Rowan University Glassboro, New JerseyNorth EastTespa Rutgers University New Brunswick, New JerseyNorth EastTespa Saint John Fisher College Rochester, New YorkNorth EastTespa Saint Louis University St. Louis, MissouriMid WestTespa Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TexasMid SouthTespa San Diego State University San Diego, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa San Francisco State University San Francisco, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa San Jose State University San Jose, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Savannah College of Art & Design Savannah, GeorgiaSouth EastTespa Schreiner University Kerrville, TexasMid SouthNACE/Tespa Shawnee State University Portsmouth, OhioGreat LakesNACE/Tespa Shenandoah University Winchester, VirginiaMid EastNACE Simon Fraser University Burnaby, British ColumbiaCanadaTespa Siena Heights University Adrian, MichiganGreat LakesNACE South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, South DakotaNorth WestTespa Southern Arkansas University Magnolia, ArkansasMid SouthTespa Southern Methodist University Dallas, TexasMid SouthTespa Southern Methodist University-Plano Plano, TexasMid SouthTespa Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IllinoisGreat LakesTespa Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, New HampshireNew EnglandNACE Southern Oregon University Ashland, OregonWest CoastTespa Southern Regional Technical College Thomasville, GeorgiaSouth EastTespa Southwest Baptist University Bolivar, MissouriMid WestNACE Southwestern College Chula Vista, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa Southwestern Oregon Community College Coos Bay, OregonWest CoastNACE St. Ambrose University Davenport, IowaMid WestNACE St. Clair College Windsor, OntarioCanadaNACE St. Louis College of Pharmacy St. Louis, MissouriMid WestNACE St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, New YorkNorth EastNACE St. Thomas University Miami Gardens, FloridaSouth EastNACE Stanford University Stanford, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa State University of New York-Albany Albany, New YorkNorth EastTespa State University of New York-Canton Canton, New YorkNorth EastNACE State University of New York-Cobleskill Cobleskill, New YorkNorth EastTespa State University of New York-Old Westbury Old Westbury, New YorkNorth EastTespa State University of New York-Oneonta Oneonta, New YorkNorth EastTespa State University of New York-Polytechnic Institute Utica, New YorkNorth EastTespa Stephens College Columbia, MissouriMid WestNACE Stevens Institute of Technology Hoboken, New JerseyNorth EastTespa Stevenson University Pikesville, MarylandNorth EastNACE Stony Brook University Stony Brook, New YorkNorth EastTespa Talladega College Talladega, AlabamaSouth EastNACE Tarleton State University Stephenville, TexasMid SouthTespa Temple University Philadephia, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa Tennessee Tech University Cookeville, TennesseeMid EastTespa Texas A&M University College Station, TexasMid SouthTespa Texas Tech University Lubbock, TexasMid SouthTespa Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth, TexasMid SouthNACE The College of Saint Scholastica Duluth, MinnesotaMid WestTespa The George Washington University Washington, D.C.North EastTespa Trine University Angola, IndianaGreat LakesNACE Union County College Cranford, New JerseyNorth EastNACE Universite de Moncton Moncton, New BrunswickCanadaTespa University of Advancing Technology Tempe, ArizonaSouth WestTespa University of Alabama-Birmingham Birmingham, AlabamaSouth EastTespa University of Alabama-Huntsville Huntsville, AlabamaSouth EastTespa University of Alaska-Fairbanks Fairbanks, AlaskaWest CoastTespa University of Alaska-Southeast Juneau, AlaskaWest CoastTespa University of Antelope Valley Lancaster, CaliforniaWest CoastNACE University of Arizona Tucson, ArizonaSouth WestTespa University of Arkansas Fayetteville, ArkansasMid SouthTespa University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, ArkansasMid SouthTespa University of British Columbia Vancouver, British ColumbiaCanadaTespa University of British Columbia-Okanagan Okanagan, British ColumbiaCanadaTespa University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of California-Davis Davis, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of California-Irvine Irvine, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of California-Merced Merced, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of California-Riverside Riverside, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of California-San Diego San Diego, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of Central Florida Orlando, FloridaSouth EastTespa University of Central Missouri Warrensburg, MissouriMid WestTespa University of Central Oklahoma Edmond, OklahomaMid SouthTespa University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OhioGreat LakesTespa University of Colorado-Boulder Boulder, ColoradoSouth WestTespa University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, ColoradoSouth WestTespa University of Connecticut Mansfield, ConnecticutNew EnglandTespa University of Delaware Newark, DelawareNorth EastTespa University of Denver Denver, ColoradoSouth WestTespa University of Florida Gainesville, FloridaSouth EastTespa University of Georgia Athens, GeorgiaSouth EastTespa University of Houston Houston, TexasMid SouthTespa University of Houston-Clear Lake Clear Lake, TexasMid SouthTespa University of Houston-Victoria Victoria, TexasMid SouthTespa University of Idaho Moscow, IdahoNorth WestTespa University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign Urbana-Champaign, IllinoisGreat LakesTespa University of Jamestown Jamestown, North DakotaNorth WestNACE University of Kansas Lawrence, KansasMid WestTespa University of Kentucky Lexington, KentuckyMid EastTespa University of Louisiana-Lafayette Lafayette, LouisianaMid SouthTespa University of Louisiana-Monroe Monroe, LouisianaMid SouthTespa University of La Verne La Verne, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of Louisville Louisville, KentuckyMid EastTespa University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Belton, TexasMid SouthTespa University of Maryland-Baltimore County Baltimore, MarylandNorth EastTespa University of Maryland College Park, MarylandNorth EastTespa University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MassachusettsNew EnglandTespa University of Memphis Memphis, TennesseeMid EastTespa University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MichiganGreat LakesTespa University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MinnesotaMid WestTespa University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MinnesotaMid WestTespa University of Mississippi Oxford, MississippiMid SouthTespa University of Montana Missoula, MontanaNorth WestTespa University of Mount Union Alliance, OhioGreat LakesNACE University of New Haven West Haven, ConnecticutNew EnglandTespa Unversity of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NevadaSouth WestTespa University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NevadaSouth WestTespa University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, North CarolinaMid EastTespa University of North Carolina-Charlotte Charlotte, North CarolinaMid EastTespa University of North Carolina-Greensboro Greensboro, North CarolinaMid EastTespa University of North Dakota Grand Forks, North DakotaNorth WestTespa University of North Florida Jacksonville, FloridaSouth EastTespa University of North Texas Denton, TexasMid SouthNACE/Tespa University of Oklahoma Norman, OklahomaMid SouthTespa University of Ontario Institute of Technology Oshawa, OntarioCanadaTespa University of Oregon Eugene, OregonWest CoastTespa University of Pikeville Pikeville, KentuckyMid EastNACE University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Bradford, PennsylvaniaNorth EastTespa University of Providence Great Falls, MontanaNorth WestNACE University of Rio Grande Rio Grande, OhioGreat LakesNACE University of Saint Mary Leavenworth, KansasMid WestNACE University of San Diego San Diego, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of South Alabama Mobile, AlabamaSouth EastTespa University of South Carolina Columbia, South CarolinaSouth EastTespa University of South Carolina-Sumter Sumter, South CarolinaSouth EastNACE University of South Carolina-Union Union, South CarolinaSouth EastNACE University of South Florida Tampa, FloridaSouth EastTespa University of Southern California Los Angeles, CaliforniaWest CoastTespa University of the Cumberlands Williamsburg, KentuckyMid EastNACE University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TennesseeMid EastTespa University of Texas-Austin Austin, TexasMid SouthTespa University of Texas-Dallas Dallas, TexasMid SouthNACE/Tespa University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Rio Grande Valley, TexasMid SouthTespa University of Texas-San Antonio San Antonio, TexasMid SouthTespa University of Toronto Toronto, OntarioCanadaTespa University of Utah Salt Lake City, UtahSouth WestTespa University of Virginia Charlottesville, VirginiaMid EastTespa Unversity of Washington Seattle, WashingtonWest CoastTespa University of Waterloo Waterloo, OntarioCanadaTespa University of Western Ontario London, OntarioCanadaTespa University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WisconsinGreat LakesTespa University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WisconsinGreat LakesTespa University of Wyoming Laramie, WyomingNorth WestTespa Upper Iowa University Fayette, IowaMid WestNACE Utah State University Logan, UtahSouth WestTespa Utah Valley University Orem, UtahSouth WestTespa Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VirginiaMid EastTespa Virginia Tech University Blacksburg, VirginiaMid EastTespa Washington and Lee University Lexington City, VirginiaMid EastTespa Washington State University Pullman, WashingtonWest CoastTespa Weber State University Ogden, UtahSouth WestTespa West Virginia University Morgantown, West VirginiaMid EastTespa West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West VirginiaMid EastNACE Western Carolina University Cullowhee, North CarolinaMid EastTespa Western Kentucky University Bowling Green, KentuckyMid EastNACE Western Washington University Bellingham, WashingtonWest CoastTespa Wilfrid Laurier University Waterloo, OntarioCanadaTespa Wilmington University New Castle, DelawareNorth EastTespa Worcester Polytechnic Institute Worcester, MassachusettsNew EnglandTespa Word of Life Bible Institute Chester, New YorkNorth EastTespa York University Toronto, OntarioCanadaTespa

Eligibility Requirements for Esports Leagues & Scholarship

Esports competitions have a very low-entry level in terms of age, allowing talented players to quickly progress and shape themselves up playing against the best and proving themselves as adequate players.

So
far as the eligibility age for actual esports scholarships goes, each
university and high school is entitled to dictate their own terms.
Refer to the list of varsity programs to find out in detail which
schools out there offer great scholarship opportunities and what the
specific terms of each sponsorship is.

Esports Jobs of the Future

You probably haven’t heard about Lyubomir “Splendour” Kozlovski, a former Heroes of the Storm Bulgarian player educated in the United Kingdom who entered the esports fray in 2015. Then a fresh graduate, Splendour managed to secure his first victory with Natus Vincere in the 2015 HWC – Europe Championship.

Two years later, he had already earned $82,000 and was out on his way to land a job with a game development company, thanks to scientific and technical school and university backgrounds. To put things in perspective, HotS is one of the lowest-paying esports titles, but the segment is highly-profitable.

Esports Education for Girl Gamers?

While
female gamers still shying away from stepping into the limelight, the
audience is full with girl gamers and fans. Just like men, women love
to play games and if that was something unusual going back 15 years,
today it’s very much the norm. You would hardly see an esports event
where a discernible part of the audience isn’t female.

Female esports gamers.Girls in college esports are beginning to play a far more important role.

Hathaway Brown School in Shaker Heights, Ohio has become the first all-girls school to create its own esports team, promoting competitive video gaming among teenage girls. This is the first such initiative with colleges and universities being generally open to talented players regardless of their gender. Yet, less than 5% of all collegiate esports players are female, even if on a management level the stats is improving quickly.

The Connection between Esports and Poker?

For all their whimsical sides, esports players have a lot in common with actual athletes. Science has proven that an esports player can develop the pulse of the marathon runner in the most intense battles and that nutrition and good regiment are a must to a successful career.

The same is largely applicable to poker players whose pulse is quickening every time the pot grows a little more. Proper mental and physical health has an effect on how well you can perform in a game of poker, whether you play online or at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). The point of intersection between the two activities is trading card games such as Hearthstone and Magic: The Gathering.

Randy Lew poker & esports pro.Randy “Nanonoko” Lew flashing a smile during a game of poker.

Having a poker background has helped on at least two occasions, namely in the cases of Team Liquid’s Randy “Nanonoko” Lew and Adrian “Lifecoach” Koy who both used to play poker before switching to esports.

The opposite is also true, with poker pros such as Eugene Katchalov, Doug Polk, and Betrand Grospellier dominating both the felt and the digital world.

Can You Study Poker in Higher Education?

Knowledge
and poker go hand in hand. Iconic new players as Maria Konnikova
are the living proof that to succeed in poker, you need an analytical
mind and an academic approach to the game. Still, most of the advice
Konnikova gives, for example, has mostly to do with how much will
power you have to progress from a novice to a professional. This
raises the question, are there scholarships designated for poker
players?

We know that poker has been used to raise funds for various educational initiatives, but not necessarily to send people to school. The Anne Arundel Community College (MD) wants to change that but approaching the subject differently.

Instead of offering scholarships for poker players, the AACC offers players to train and become casino dealers, a profession that can pay as much as $50,000 a year, the college argues. The college offers a limited number of scholarships.

More about AACC’s scholarship opportunity here.

Not Enough Poker Scholarships? Try Magic: The Gathering

Poker scholarships are indeed not as many and indeed, you would be hard-pressed to find enough institutions that use poker to teach statistics, probabilities, and other valuable skills. True, if you pursue technical sciences, you will most likely pick up the skills you need to win at a game of poker, but there is a fun way to learn the game.

Have you heard about Magic: The Gathering? Yes, the trade card game. Before you get all dismissive, you should know that there are a number of players who have made a successful transition from MTG to poker, including WSOP bracelet winner David Williams (8,769,934), John Parker ($3,780,538), and of course, Phil Ivey (26,398,145).

All of them have been avid MTG fans and made the switch to poker for one reasonably significant reason – the cash flow was better. This may be changing, because MTG recently released a TCG online, allowing players to now compete for $10 million in 2019. This far beats Hearthstone for example.

Plus, a player can be making as much as $75,000 yearly just as part of his streaming deal. True, this is not quite yet in the same area of competition as poker, but it comes close. Plus, it’s spreading like a wildfire, with more tournament opportunities cropping up. Should you become a student of MTG? The choice is entirely yours.

Knowledge is Power

Whether you play competitive poker or esports, knowledge will be your biggest ally. You can change your fortunes by understanding the game, other than developing the right composure for it. More importantly, you don’t have to go out on a limb these days, as there are many opportunities to receive a proper scholarship opportunity to pursue both your poker and esports ambitions.

Author: Justin Watson