WKU Varsity eSports: Recruting Players + Offers Degrees and Training for Multiple eSports Careers
In May of this year, Western Kentucky University became the 2nd public university in the country to establish a varsity eSports program. Our new eSports arena is nearing completion, and our program is ready to kick into high gear going into 2017.
PLAYERS - Whether your next goal is to join a Challenger team or to be recruited by a professional eSports team, WKU is committed to preparing our players for the next level of competition. We provide our players with facilities for practice and competition, a coaching staff, brand new Alienware PCs and accessories from top brands (headsets, mice, keyboards, webcams, chairs, etc). Players will receive team apparel including professional quality competition jerseys. In addition to coaching, equipment and facilities, WKU will also work to support all of our players who wish to reach the professional level by helping our players create and market their personal brand. We take extra steps to ensure our players have a smooth transition to the next level of competition.
The upcoming 2017 school year will be the first year WKU recruits players from outside of the university. The selection process does not rely on rank alone, however rank is a major indicator that we take into consideration. Since we are recruiting players that are serious about a professional career, we expect applicants to be ranked Diamond/Platinum/Challenger --unless there are mitigating circumstances. We are prepared to work with international students who may have some language barriers. In fact, our top team is quite diverse. The roster includes players from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), China, Chile, Germany, and the US. We even have the rare female student in our staring lineup. WKU is a welcoming environment and is committed to promoting acceptance, providing support, and encouraging diversity in both the student and faculty bodies. The University’s dedication and persistence in this effort is an institutional priority.
Player Recruitment Application
Shoutcasters, Journalists, and Social Media - If you are pursuing your dream of becoming a broadcaster (color commentator, analyst, shoutcaster), Journalist or Social Media Marketing for eSports, then WKU can provide you with the perfect opportunity to elevate yourself far above your would-be competition for those jobs. WKU offers degrees in each of these fields, but in addition to that, students can join the eSports program as broadcasters/journalists/social media marketers.
Broadcasting students who join the eSports program, will broadcast from our partnered Twitch channel. WKU has two professional news studios, and top notch equipment available for use. The eSports teams provide our broadcasters with actual college matches to cast, and we hope to end up creating a weekly Sportscenter-like show for eSports.
Students who enroll in journalism or social media marketing, and who join the eSports program, will also have opportunities to crate eSports content for the program and their personal portfolios. This being a varsity collegiate program, our students will be pushed to create content with quality standards matching those of traditional university athletics, and WKU provides all of the faculty support and resources or students need to succeed.
Assistant Coaching - WKU offers an undergraduate degree in Sports Management with complimentary Minors in subjects like: athletic coaching, broadcasting, business administration, and facility and event management. Students can also continue on to pursue a M.S. Recreation & Sport Administration with concentrations in coaching, and facility and event management. Students in these degree programs will often intern with traditional athletics teams, but now our students will have the opportunity to get experience coaching a varsity college eSports team as an assistant. TO BE CLEAR, this is for people who want the credentials of a college degree in coaching, and who also want to establish a resume of experience -with which they can increase their liklihood of success when entering the job market after graduation. THIS IS NOT for those looking for a job with our program, we already have a paid coaching staff.
Do not think that we have forgotten all of the Weldon fans out there. Yes, WKU offers an undergraduate degree in psychology with a concentration in sports psychology. Furthermore, students can earn a masters or doctoral degree in psychology from the university.
Lastly, WKU has many scholarships available for students, including those in the eSports program. Be sure to check out our academic programs and our BEAUTIFUL campus!
If you have questions or to find out more information regarding becoming an assistant coach, broadcaster, journalist, or social media marketer for the WKU eSports program, please email: [email protected]