Students can play video games in college and possibly get a scholarship?
Yes, they can. Esports is taking the passion of video games to the collegiate level. Players compete against other colleges and will eventually have opportunities for a scholarship just like any other sport.
However, due to COVID-19, the scholarship is currently on hold due to funds being limited.
The esports team at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, which began competing in the fall of 2020, has 32 members. Although they are all part of the same team and represent the school, they do not all compete in the same game.
There are mini teams within the team. Each mini team plays a specific game against other schools. For a better understanding, here is a list of the members for this semester and their primary (and secondary) games, courtesy of esports coach Travis Yang.
The mini teams practice call-outs, or calling the position of the enemy; scenarios of possible enemy positions, like in football; and their overall skills in the game.
Yang said he is looking for more of a strongly connected team rather than skill.
“I want to build a friendly environment first because it’s the most important part,” Yang said. “You can have an amazingly skilled player, but if he is toxic towards his teammates, his skill doesn’t matter.”
To join or keep up with the A&M-San Antonio esports team, visit their Instagram or twitter, @tamusaesports, and follow the linktr.ee link to apply to the team, as well as their other social media links such as Discord, Twitch and YouTube.
This story was updated at 8:05 p.m. on March 25 to reflect the authors revisions.
