Scholarships to play video games: Pennsylvania college fields varsity esports team

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Coulson Miller has always been a gamer.

He enjoys the rush of overcoming the odds and fighting for victory match after match, facing opponents who might not even be in the same hemisphere.

And he's good at it.

Miller fondly recalls spending hours playing Multiplayer Online Battle Arena, or MOBA, games with his friends throughout high school in southeastern Pennsylvania. The fun continued at nearby Lebanon Valley College, where he studies business administration and computer science. 

Miller was happy, but he never expected what would happen next.

In the spring of 2018, his junior year, he was recruited to join LVC's new varsity esports team – one of the first in Pennsylvania.

In an instant, Miller went from playing alone in his dorm room to playing with teammates in an esports facility. He had coaches, training regimens, tournament dates and top-tier equipment.

"I never thought I would be playing seriously like this," Miller said. "I always just played on my own, and I thought that was fun, but I never saw myself doing this." 

Parents: 'How is that a sport?'

The popularity of esports – or competitive gaming – is on the rise. Professional tournaments are filmed and streamed through Twitch, YouTube and other websites. The worldwide market itself is projected to reach $2.17 billion in 2023 according to gamesindustry.biz.

Many universities around the United States, such as the University of California, Berkeley and Boise State University, already formed varsity esports programs after realizing how big the sport had become.

And LVC, near Hershey, wanted in on it. The college recruited more than 20 other athletes to join the team. It offers esports scholarships of up to $10,000.

A little under $50,000 from donors went toward setup and the recruitment of players and coaches. The college secured sponsorships from Candoris and Alienware, technology companies that could ensure players would have access to the same equipment as pro gamers.

LVC began scrimmaging other schools, and the team hasn't looked back since.

But not everyone understood LVC's decision. 

"My parents thought it was odd at first," Miller said. "They were like, 'What? How is that a sport?' I had to explain to them how it's more like a team experience. You just have to play together and grow together."

Those unfamiliar with the sport believe competitive gaming is synonymous with casual gaming. Esports is so much more, said David Shapiro, director of LVC's esports program.

"It takes a lot of time and effort to practice, it's a lot of strategy, it's a lot of video review, it's a lot of communication, it's a lot of team building. It sounds just like soccer and football and any other sport we would play," Shapiro said. "It's just not the physicality. We're not hitting each other obviously, but the heart rate is still there, the mental awareness is still there, and the prep time is still there."

As months went by, the team repeatedly saw success. Their Hearthstone squad is ranked top 10 in the nation and their Rocket League team competed in a recent championship series. 

Now, approaching its one-year anniversary, the program has grown substantially. It features 41 men and women, including students who play other varsity sports at the college.

The team competes in six or seven games a year and plans to add up to two more. The season itself is year-round.

A model for other Pennsylvania colleges, a target school for international gamers

LVC has also worked to help other schools in Pennsylvania launch programs. The college has given tours to around 20 universities and 15 high schools to show and explain how to build a successful one.

High schoolers now are looking at the college specifically for esports, and high-ranking gamers around the world are seriously considering the Division III school, which is rare.

Shapiro sees the esports program continuing to expand. He expects to play more schools, big and small, in the United States and around the world. And he looks forward to turning out pro-esports gamers one day.

As for Miller, now a senior quickly approaching his final semester, he's something of a veteran. He's been there since the beginning and often shares his expertise with newer team members.

"At first people think that they might know what's right, but you have to accept that this is a new setting. There's going to be new rules. This is going to be a new experience," Miller said. "Everyone has to be in the same mindset and believe that each person adds value to the team."

He proudly wears his jersey around campus, looking forward to the next practice, scrimmage or tournament. He savors every second with the team but still looks to the future.

Upon graduating, Miller plans to become an information analyst, but wouldn't be against becoming a pro-gamer

"Anything with computers would be nice," Miller said.