UC Irvine Announces Scholarship Program

Riot·Mar 29, 2016·3 votes·44,971 views

Today, the University of California, Irvine announced that it will be launching a full-scale esports scholarship program this Fall - a first of its kind for a public research university. Additionally, with Riot’s support, the school’s administration has approved the construction of a 3,500 square-foot esports arena equipped with 80 high-end gaming PCs open to all UC Irvine students!

Riot has followed the University of California, Irvine’s student-run gaming community as it’s grown from a few members to one of the largest in North America. The students and administration at UCI approached us with the idea of creating a permanent home for gamers on campus and we were eager to help them in any way possible.

We’re excited for the future of UCI’s gaming community and we hope that this will inspire similar programs at colleges and universities across North America. If you’re a school administrator at a college or university in the U.S. and Canada interested in working with Riot Games to incorporate gaming into your student life programs, we’d love to hear from you! Please contact us at [email protected].

206 Comments

EXasinezMar 30, 201673 votes

Just imagine this: When league esports is growing big as other sports, probably every college will offer scholarship program. In high school there will be varsities competing each other. There will be a NCAA national league of legends tournament, everyone would create a bracket to predict the tournament outcome. Because there are way too many league players want to go pro, there will be lcs draft. Just imagine:"With the first pick of 2016 lcs draft, Team Liquid select..." Just imagine, when the esport franchise grow as big as NBA franchise, would every esport team have there own Arena? Would there be thousands of fans wearing the same colored shirt, cheering for their home team in lcs playoffs? Would there be full coverage of lcs playoff on national tv? Mark my words, all this thing is going to be reality in next 40 years. If after 40 years this DO become reality, just find this post, find this comment, and upvote this, and call me a prophet. If all this imagination will not become reality, there will be a live stream featuring cutting my dick off. Mark my words.

Drama AlertMar 30, 201620 votes

league will probably die before this happens

rapidlightningMar 31, 201631 votes

League Will Never Die.

MeepMyselfnChimeApr 4, 20162 votes

Is league going to leave us? ;-;

AhriHTXMar 31, 20165 votes

I mean tetris is still a popular game among the elderly and some middle aged... Maybe League is the new tetris for our generation?

PDE5 InhibMar 31, 20165 votes

I will be playing League in my nursing home.

Gùrl GâmérApr 1, 20163 votes

and you will be calling other elderly men and women, scrubs and will be telling them to get rekt.

Wyld Stallionz1Mar 30, 20161 votes

I do believe esports will grow in popularity, but if you look at soccer in the united states you get a pretty good representation of how foreign sports grow in U.S. schools. Soccer is way more popular than league across the world, and its growth is still very slow here. While all this would be great, 40 years is pretty short for the kind of changing you are talking about.

PDE5 InhibApr 1, 20162 votes

Soccer hasn't grown in popularity here because we have football.

Which hey, if baby-backed bitches keep suing the NFL because they're pretending that they didn't know putting on helmets and hitting each other can lead to injuries, and because the millions they made just wasn't quite enough, then the NFL will be forced to turn into flag football and soccer will probably become more popular.

V PMar 31, 20162 votes

My teacher already plays worlds on the projector. Only get to see an 1 and a half of it but its great!

Klepp8Mar 31, 201611 votes

National Collegiate Athletic Association

ßoosted VayneMar 31, 20163 votes

I await the live stream.

ThePerson76Mar 31, 20168 votes

NCSA National Collegiate Sitting Association

hidęMar 31, 20163 votes

You do understand that there is no difference between league players and "Athletes." League players sustain injury, they practice longer than athletes do, the list goes on.

PDE5 InhibApr 1, 20164 votes

You do understand that there is no difference between league players and "Athletes."

LMFAOOOOOOOO

The only people that would ever say this are people that have never played a sport past 11/12 year old leagues. League players are literally the equivalent of chess or poker players. It's a mind sport. I don't think the NCAA includes mind sports, but I could be wrong. It's has "athletic" for a reason.

LémMar 31, 20164 votes

ur a prophet m8

BugBotMar 31, 20162 votes

"Would there be thousands of fans wearing the same colored shirt, cheering for their home team in lcs playoffs?"

I don't know where you've been, but this is already happening.

PotatoChipzApr 5, 20162 votes

This is not VGHS Caitlyn

ObamaJuiceMar 30, 201640 votes

So that's why I got declined from this school last week... Maybe if I hit challenger they will reconsider me.

i think ur cuteMar 31, 20163 votes

same, never lucky

SeethslayerMar 30, 20169 votes

I now know where to go to college

Hawkeye5454Mar 30, 2016103 votes

Maybe they can teach you to spell college.

PDE5 InhibMar 30, 201610 votes

http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/kelso-burn.jpg

KnavishMammalApr 1, 20165 votes

Ayyy, my hometown, I myself was very disappointed in this.

uR fAv LiBrAMar 31, 201611 votes

I signed in just to like your comment lol.

Pokemon RangrMar 31, 201610 votes

I signed in just to like your comment about signing in to like his comment lol

ChickenPoptartMar 31, 20165 votes

i signed in just to like your comment about signing in to like his comment about signing in to like the other guys comment.

PDE5 InhibMar 31, 20165 votes

http://cdn.meme.am/instances/63886109.jpg

CaptainMarblezMar 31, 201610 votes

I was already signed in

Virgin RayMar 31, 20163 votes

He's spitting fire like his poro icon.

Get PlankedMar 31, 20164 votes

KogMaw I'm spitting out something else

Concerted EffortMar 31, 20165 votes

i think ill paint a collage now. Caitlyn Olaf Leblanc LeeSin Ezreal Gnar summoner 3

                                                                ^^where u wont be going^^

BuileyMar 30, 20168 votes

Is that boxbox?

MAD JAVMar 30, 20166 votes

what a fuckin joke

HGILLISMar 30, 201613 votes

signed in just to down vote ya :)

Captain CreamyMar 30, 20165 votes

Gotta agree with him personally. League isn't a sport, It is a video game and it doesn't belong associated to college education.

KoiberryMar 30, 20166 votes

you dont understand because youre only level 19...you are not yet enlightened item 2050

Luffy D MonkeyMar 30, 20165 votes

who know perhaps games can help the younger generations all be friends and stop discrimination. perhaps im a bit 2 naive

PDE5 InhibApr 1, 20164 votes

Have you played League of Legends?

DumbDeafAndBlindMar 30, 20163 votes

Does anyone else see that they are playing on the old summoners rift?

MarbleWolfMar 31, 20161 votes

They're not? The one on the right is playing ARAM, and the others are playing new SR with the new HUD and everything.

oden321Mar 31, 20162 votes

they are playing on the old, blow up the picture the brush for the guy right nexto the aram person does not have the portrates above minimap and the other give away is the wall that is different in the regular map along with the colloring of this map is overall darker and its not the photo.

neonstrobelightsMar 31, 20163 votes

sadlife... got rejected :( it was my #1 too.... well, here's to another reason to transfer to uci in 2 years!

trash sionMar 31, 20162 votes

Mind if I ask your GPA and ACT/SAT scores? Looking to apply but I wanna know if I'm wasting my time.

bathingsoapMar 31, 20162 votes

As a student at UCI, I couldn't be happier with this announcement. GPA 3.6, SAT 2000, ACT 33. Can probably still get in with a tad lower scores.

AngryGummyBearsApr 1, 20162 votes

Hey, I'm a senior and I was just accepted to UCI not long ago and I'm planning to attend. I have a 4.2 GPA with 1990 SAT. It depends by major but I am majoring in electrical engineering.

AngryGummyBearsApr 1, 20162 votes

Weighted GPA

PDE5 InhibApr 1, 20162 votes

Weighted GPAs are for bitches....though not your fault.