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Collegiate esports—competitive video gaming—has grown dramatically in recent years. Small private colleges and large state universities alike have built programs to attract students, grow name recognition, and pull in sponsorships. However, the expensive esports arenas in which students compete, and the annual budget commitments that come with new programs, have only attracted sponsors in a few places. Aside from a handful of standout programs, most esports programs have had little success in bringing revenue to their colleges. While esports is cheaper to get into than football or basketball, it may still be another financial weight. A Martin Center review of...

Two weeks in, NASCAR and iRacing have toppled even the most optimistic expectations with their nationally televised virtual races, which have averaged more than a million viewers. The third edition of the eNASCAR series takes place Sunday, when drivers will log online to square off in a simulation at Bristol Motor Speedway. Here's a primer to catch you up on the sports surprise of the spring: Where can I watch Sunday's eNASCAR race, the Food City Showdown? At 10 a.m. Pacific time, the race will be broadcast on Fox or Fox Sports1 as well as the Fox Sports app, with...

4' Broadcasters and Analysts during the Collegiate Esports Championship. PHOTO BY PHIL ELLSWORTH / ESPN IMAGES Wrapping Up the ESPN Collegiate Esports Championships at Comicpalooza CARLOS BRANDON | MAY 13, 2019 | 5:30AM Comicpalooza and ESPN brought the inaugural Collegiate Esports Championships to Houston with a spectacular live studio arena and a Twitch stream viewed by thousands. The event was the first of its kind and the first major esports tournament hosted by ESPN's recently developed esports division. Over three days of match play, collegiate champions were crowned in five titles: Overwatch, Hearthstone, Star Craft II, Heroes of the Storm,...

More money flows to arenas and building upgrades. The hunt for recruits gets more competitive. University presidents brag about how their new program will make the school nationally known. But the cause isn’t basketball or football. This time around, the athletics arms race on campus is for “esports”—competitive video gaming. And it’s a trend driven by many small colleges hunting for students. Though new, esports are not a niche. Within only a few years, they have gone from small, student-driven clubs to official extensions of the university. So far, 126 colleges have joined the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE),...

There's no better way to practice than going to South Korea. But this might very well change, as teams are already trying to recreate the Korean boot camp experience. The 2018 World Championship is coming! With that, many Western teams have already taken the first customary step to prepare for the event. Of course, I’m talking about the Korean boot camp. The boot camp practice is widespread, and competitive powerhouses like TSM, Fnatic, Immortals, G2 Esports have all spoken out on how much better it is to train in South Korea compared to their home regions. For one, Korea has...

Chances are you’ve heard about how huge esports is becoming. It’s on TV channels like ESPN and TBS, it has hundreds of thousands –or even millions — of dollars in prizes. And it’s the industry that’s drawn investment from a number of mainstream brands, and even A-list celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Shaquille O’Neal. And while you might be aware of the gigantic sums of money these players (often teens) are playing for, you’re probably not aware just how many other career paths exist in esports. Gone are the days where you could only make a living in professional...

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As far as the United States government is concerned, eSports and traditional sports are equal. Five months after American immigration officials first cleared professional video game players to apply for the same visas as traditional athletes, the first StarCraft 2 pro has finally obtained a P-1A visa. Kim “Violet” Dong Hwan, a 23-year-old South Korean professional StarCraft player, followed trailblazing League of Legends star Danny Le to become an internationally recognized athlete on Dec. 9. Kim said he teared up over the phone when he was finally assured that he’d be allowed to live, compete, and earn a salary in...

CBS) The world's best video game player practices for hours to hone the skills that have earned him more than $450,000 in prize money. But being the best is also a matter of being the fittest, says Jonathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel, who credits exercise with being an integral part of his training. 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft profiles Wendel this Sunday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.