The world of collegiate esports is an oft-ignored segment of the esports industry. As esports as a whole grows and gains recognition, the collegiate scene will follow suit. It is getting easier for college students to access esports. Games like Counter Strike: Global Offensive and League of Legends are free. This means more players have a chance to play them. Additionally, players don’t need high-end computers to play the games.
We’ve already seen some universities picking up the esports trend with their own programs and scholarship opportunities. A couple months ago Riot Games hosted the ULoL College Championships, showcasing the best teams in North America. They even established their own governing body, the RSAA (Riot Scholastic Association of America), for the ULoL competition.
The Tournament
This week the International College Cup is taking place in Hong Kong as part of the e-Sports and Music Festival. Twelve teams, including North America’s own Maryville University, have gathered from around the world to showcase the best League of Legends the collegiate level has to offer. The teams were placed into groups of six, and have only one game left to play. There’s been great top-level action from all sides, and more is coming. Only six teams remain, and they’ll be fitting to claim the title of best college team in the world.
The tournament features several high profile sponsors too, including Republic of Gamers and Logitech.
Over the next few days, we’ll have a look at each team at the event, regardless of whether they’re still competing. We want to share their stories, and show esports how awesome collegiate can be as a competitive opportunity.
To keep up with the rest of the action, watch the International College Cup live on here or on the front page of Esports Uncut under Live Now.
Photo courtesy of e-Sports and Music Festival Hong Kong
