The Difference Between Esports and the NCAA: Riot Games and the Future of Collegiate Gaming
Last week, the esports community was abuzz with controversy following comments made by NCAA president Mark Emmert regarding esports. During a speech at the NCAA’s national convention, Emmert expressed a lack of enthusiasm towards games that involve violence, stating, “we don’t particularly embrace games where the objective is to blow your opponent’s head off.” He also made it clear that while the NCAA was considering sponsoring esports, the values of the industry did not align with theirs.
Fortunately, esports never needed the NCAA in the first place. From its inception, esports has prioritized the well-being of its players, a mindset that sets it apart from the NCAA. The NCAA is a multi-billion dollar corporation that heavily relies on the unpaid labor of student athletes, whereas esports has always focused on empowering its players. As evidence of this, Riot Games, the publisher of League of Legends, has recently announced that they will be sponsoring additional university leagues this year in their 2019 esports roadmap.
Riot Games has long been a strong supporter of high school and university-level esports. They have sponsored conferences and tournaments and their latest announcement indicates that more conferences will partner with them in 2019. With the rise of varsity esports programs, Riot’s infrastructure for collegiate League of Legends is becoming increasingly attractive.
Riot’s decision to increase options for aspiring professional players is part of their broader push to cultivate talent. They plan to expand their bootcamp offerings, similar to Scouting Grounds, which allows top solo queue players to gain exposure to professional teams and receive coaching.
Riot is also investing in strengthening the semi-professional scene in Europe, particularly the regional league system. This system has produced numerous stars, and Riot aims to enhance it to further support the new LEC.
“We believe it is crucial to foster a new generation of superstars,” said Riot’s director of esports, Whalen Rozelle. “In order for League to become a true multi-generational sport, we need to ensure that today’s amateurs have the resources and opportunities to succeed in the future.”
Riot Games’ increased investment in collegiate, semi-professional, and amateur esports demonstrates their commitment to providing players with a seamless pathway to the professional stage. The NCAA is unnecessary in this equation.