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The University of Utah announced Thursday that it will create a varsity program for Esports, beginning with League of Legends. As time goes on, more and more games will be added to the competitive docket.
Before I continue, I’d just like to say that this is the greatest news of all time. For any kid who’s ever been picked on in high school because they weren’t good at sports, now is your time to shine. For anyone who has grown sick of being picked last come recess, here’s your chance to show ’em what you’re made of. If you couldn’t tell, I wasn’t very good at sports back in the day.
Players will potentially be able to earn partial scholarships by participating in this program, The Salt Lake Tribune reports. The University of Utah broke the news itself on its website and explained the rationale behind the Esports program:
“Esports has had a dramatic rise in popularity in the U.S. over the last few years – especially on college campuses,” said A.J. Dimick, director of operations for the U’s new esports program. “We think college esports is a great opportunity and we want our students to be part of it.”
The school claims it will be the “first of the Power Five athletics conference [schools]” to support an Esports program. Right on, University of Utah, we salute you.
Not only is this perfect for the athletically-challenged, but this also provides an safety valve for lazy college students who would rather play video games than study for their Econ final. What better way to show your value than a gaming marathon?
