Should Rice invest in esports?

I admit as someone who grew up without videogames, the concept is weird at first. But as esports grows in popularity, would this sport, which costs nearly nothing and fits the Rice diaspora far better than most other sports, make sense to invest in?

esports is coming - people are investing : http://www.espn.com/college-sports/story...cs-esports

Where do we want to be?

I think this is a great idea, for Rice particularly

I wouldn't be surprised if there were already some club type teams around campus.

(11-22-2017 12:34 AM)Antarius Wrote:  Should Rice invest in esports?

I admit as someone who grew up without videogames, the concept is weird at first. But as esports grows in popularity, would this sport, which costs nearly nothing and fits the Rice diaspora far better than most other sports, make sense to invest in?

esports is coming - people are investing : http://www.espn.com/college-sports/story...cs-esports

Where do we want to be?

Sorry, that’s not in the McKinsey Report. No can do.

(11-22-2017 01:32 AM)flash3200 Wrote:  I wouldn't be surprised if there were already some club type teams around campus.

Definitely. I was more thinking a university sponsored group under the athletics department. With funding and maybe even scholarships.

Scholarships to play video games.

Our civilization is doomed.

There was an old thread about this. The Rockets were looking at getting into professional esports I believe.

(11-22-2017 12:37 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  Scholarships to play video games.

Our civilization is doomed.

How is this any different than say, scholarships to a bunch of guys to amble around a large field and whack a small ball every once in a while with a stick? (Golf)

eSports has the potential to build an audience. Most of our sports don't. I do not think we should knock it just because we haven't done it before.

(11-22-2017 12:39 PM)cr11owl Wrote:  There was an old thread about this. The Rockets were looking at getting into professional esports I believe.

I had to google it - the team, owned by Fertitta is called Clutch Gaming.

Interesting: https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends...-lcs-18845

(11-22-2017 12:54 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(11-22-2017 12:37 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  Scholarships to play video games.

Our civilization is doomed.

How is this any different than say, scholarships to a bunch of guys to amble around a large field and whack a small ball every once in a while with a stick? (Golf)

eSports has the potential to build an audience. Most of our sports don't. I do not think we should knock it just because we haven't done it before.

Education has always included the notion of training body as well as mind, building character through teamwork and discipline, etc. That's why PE is part of the educational curriculum. College athletics is a tangent of that.

I'm not going to defend golf scholarships, but even in golf there's the notion of training, discipline and exercise.

Video games aren't even relevant to the purpose of athletics in education. To participate in esports is to be a couch potato. Nothing wrong with being a couch potato - I do it a lot, but don't expect to get paid for it - but it's sort of the opposite of doing something athletic.

(11-22-2017 12:59 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  

(11-22-2017 12:54 PM)Antarius Wrote:  

(11-22-2017 12:37 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  Scholarships to play video games.

Our civilization is doomed.

How is this any different than say, scholarships to a bunch of guys to amble around a large field and whack a small ball every once in a while with a stick? (Golf)

eSports has the potential to build an audience. Most of our sports don't. I do not think we should knock it just because we haven't done it before.

Education has always included the notion of training body as well as mind, building character through teamwork and discipline, etc. That's why PE is part of the educational curriculum. College athletics is a tangent of that.

I'm not going to defend golf scholarships, but even in golf there's the notion of training, discipline and exercise.

Video games aren't even relevant to the purpose of athletics in education. To participate in esports is to be a couch potato. Nothing wrong with being a couch potato - I do it a lot, but don't expect to get paid for it - but it's sort of the opposite of doing something athletic.

That assumes you play videogames at the level the average person does - with a beer and friends. No different than watching a movie or honestly, any of us playing golf on a weekend.

http://www.espn.com/espn/story/_/id/1305...h-pinnacle

There is a lower barrier for entry - yes. You do not need to be born tall and athletic to succeed. That said, it isn't fair to act like these are a bunch of guys who play for fun like any of us.

Competitive esports takes time, skill and practice. Sure it is less athletic than basketball or football, but there are several sports like shooting that take little to no movement (but a ton of practice and skill) - do we discard them too?

(11-22-2017 12:59 PM)Frizzy Owl Wrote:  Education has always included the notion of training body as well as mind, building character through teamwork and discipline, etc. That's why PE is part of the educational curriculum. College athletics is a tangent of that.

I see nothing with esports that disputes your assertion.

(11-22-2017 01:05 PM)Antarius Wrote:  You do not need to be born tall and athletic to succeed. That said, it isn't fair to act like these are a bunch of guys who play for fun like any of us.

Competitive esports takes time, skill and practice.

This can also be said of chess, poker, Scrabble, and bridge.

We may have to agree to disagree, but I cannot be persuaded that videogaming is a sport.

There already is a league for universities called the Collegiate Star League and a couple of schools already offer scholarships for esports.
https://blog.starters.co/17-colleges-wit...01b5c4f3ce

It doesn't cost alot of money and could put Rice on the forefront of what is pretty much already here.

Is there really an 'audience' for esports? I'm old I admit, but nothing is more boring to me than watching someone else play a video game unless I'm 'next'.

I see it as a sport of sorts that places like Cal Tech or even Full Sail should dominate with the 'professionals' being the video game companies, but not a spectator sport.

(11-22-2017 01:13 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  Is there really an 'audience' for esports? I'm old I admit, but nothing is more boring to me than watching someone else play a video game unless I'm 'next'.

I see it as a sport of sorts that places like Cal Tech or even Full Sail should dominate with the 'professionals' being the video game companies, but not a spectator sport.

This was several years ago, but League of Legends tournaments routinely sell out arenas worldwide.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/...4ff22b32b8

(11-22-2017 01:13 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  Is there really an 'audience' for esports? I'm old I admit, but nothing is more boring to me than watching someone else play a video game unless I'm 'next'.

I see it as a sport of sorts that places like Cal Tech or even Full Sail should dominate with the 'professionals' being the video game companies, but not a spectator sport.

Yeah, there are video game tournaments broadcasted on ESPN and TBS, among others networks. So there's definitely an audience, albeit a very demographically narrow one.

(11-22-2017 01:13 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  Is there really an 'audience' for esports? I'm old I admit, but nothing is more boring to me than watching someone else play a video game unless I'm 'next'.

I see it as a sport of sorts that places like Cal Tech or even Full Sail should dominate with the 'professionals' being the video game companies, but not a spectator sport.

There is one growing. Here is a link: https://newzoo.com/insights/articles/esp...n-in-2017/

I admit, I don't watch eSports myself much. But I have several friends that do. And what they have shown me is different than waiting till it is your turn. These guys playing are at such a high level that it is almost like a football game between two heavyweights, albeit more fast paced.

Stuck in the boonies all week for Thanksgiving. No cable (at least internet has improved since last time). But they do have the Stadium channel over-the-air, and while I was flipping the channels earlier today, they had ultimate frisbee on (or whatever they called it but it was what used to be known as ultimate frisbee). I suspect they show esports on that channel too.

(11-22-2017 01:12 PM)owl95 Wrote:  There already is a league for universities called the Collegiate Star League and a couple of schools already offer scholarships for esports.
https://blog.starters.co/17-colleges-wit...01b5c4f3ce

It doesn't cost alot of money and could put Rice on the forefront of what is pretty much already here.

Agreed. It is a low cost, high potential investment.

Also, there likely is a lot of overlap between people interested in competitive gaming and our student body/potential student body.

Add esports and women's sand volleyball to ensure compliance with Title whatever-it-is. Talk about the odd couple of sport additions.