Alec Parent, a junior at the University of Utah, had to convince his parents before joining varsity esports, the competitive leagues for video gaming at the collegiate level. Now, as one of Utah’s star players, he’s won $1,000 a year in scholarships and splits tournament winnings with his teammates.
At the time, there were seven colleges and universities with varsity gaming teams. Today there are over 170 higher-ed institutions offering esports programs.
Parent is one of 34 students at the U of U with esports scholarships. He said that esports require some of the same skills that a college basketball or football player needs to compete, like self-discipline and working together as a team. But the skills that are unique to esports may translate more naturally to the professional, technologically advancing world, he said.
AJ Dimick, who oversees the U of U’s esports teams, said that his players tend to have better grades than traditional college athletes and are usually strong in math and science.
Kevin Dustin, the athletic director for Salt Lake Community College, is launching an esports program for the 2022-2023 school year. He recognizes video gaming as a sport, and likes the kind of student it might attract.
“If you come in as an esports student, then you might easily go over to the computer science department, get a graphic designer or software engineering degree,” Dustin said.
Parent is well aware that earning a college degree while playing video games sounds too good to be true.
“That is something that 10-year-old me would have dreamed about,” Parent said. “That’s a fantasy.”