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Your Guide to the eSports Recruiting Process
ESports is a fast-growing sport at the college level, with more and more schools adding varsity eSports teams. Hundreds of students compete in tournaments and hone their skills, hoping to earn a spot on a varsity roster and tap into the scholarship opportunities at these schools. And the number of varsity gamers increases every year. We’ve compiled some foundational information gamers need to know to start the eSports recruiting process.
Important actions to take to get recruited for eSports
As you work toward being academically eligible to compete on an eSports team, there are also some key ways to enhance your athletic skill set and get exposure to college eSports coaches:
- Stream (or record) everything: Having highlight clips of some of your best plays is critical to being recruited. ESports coaches want to see how you play, not just your rank.
- Compete regularly: Often, there are free, online tournaments on the weekends that are open for anyone to compete in. Take advantage of these opportunities to gain competitive experience that goes beyond the ladder. Having this experience can be vital in some coaches’ eyes and will help prepare you for the competitions and events to come.
- Create your free, online recruiting profile: In this competitive and fast-paced digital age, eSports athletes can really benefit from having on online eSports recruiting profile to showcase their skills, as well as their grades and academic information. Through this profile, you can maximize your exposure to college eSports coaches. BeRecruited is currently the only recruiting platform offering a free online recruiting profile for eSports athletes.
- Communicate often with coaches: Another major key to being recruited is to reach out to coaches often. If a coach reaches out to you, reply right away. This shows the coach that you’re interested in their program, and that you’re serious about being recruited. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to coaches on your own! It shows great initiative and could be a deciding factor for recruitment.
- Keep your profile up to date: Coaches will view your profile multiple times. They’ll want to keep track of your progress over the course of a few months before they reach out to you. Be sure that you’re always updating your profile with new clips, tournament results and academic information.
- Get good grades: Getting good grades is very important to being recruited. While coaches want players who can compete, they also want players who are able to handle being a student-athlete, as well as a student. To get on a varsity team—and stay on it—you have to fulfill the academic requirements.
Academic eligibility requirements for varsity eSports
Ensuring your eligibility starts your freshman year of high school! Check out the academic eligibility requirements you need to fulfill to compete on a varsity eSports team.
- Any entering freshman much be a graduate from an accredited high school, or have attained a GED
- Any entering freshman must meet at least two of the following three criteria
- A minimum ACT score of 18, a score of 18 on the Enhanced ACT for GED students, or a score of 860 on the SAT
- An overall high school GPA of a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (a GED fulfils this requirement)
- An incoming freshman must have graduated in the upper half of their high school class, with proof of class rank on an official transcript or via an official letter from the principal of the high school.
- The student must enroll in a minimum of 12 college credit hours.
- The student must make normal progress towards a bachelor’s degree and maintain the minimum GPA of the school.
Esports is a growing sport at many great colleges and universities within the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE). This is a list of NACE member schools and other institutions with varsity esports programs in North America:
- Albright College
- Alma College
- Antioch University
- Aquinas College - Michigan
- Arcadia University
- Arizona Christian University
- Ashland University
- Averett University
- Barton College
- Bay State College
- Bellevue University
- Belmont Abbey College
- Bethany Lutheran College
- Bloomfield College
- Boise State University
- Brescia University
- Bryant & Stratton College - Wauwatosa
- Bryant & Stratton College (VA)
- Campbellsville University
- Carl Sandburg College
- Catawba College
- Cazenovia College
- Central Christian College of Kansas
- Central Maine Community College
- Central Methodist University
- Centralia College
- Cincinnati Christian University
- Coker College
- College of St. Joseph
- Columbia College - Missouri
- Concord University
- Concordia University - Minnesota
- Cornell College
- Culver-Stockton College
- Daemen College
- Dakota Wesleyan University
- Defiance College
- Delaware Valley University
- DeSales University
- Dickinson State University
- Drury University
- East Coast Polytechnic Institute
- Edgewood College
- Edinboro University
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Arizona Campus)
- Ferrum College
- Florida Southern College
- Fontbonne University
- Fort Scott Community College
- Full Sail University
- Georgia Southern University
- Georgia State University
- Grand Canyon University
- Grand View University
- Harrisburg University
- Hartwick College
- Hastings College
- Hawkeye Community College
- Highland Community College - Kansas
- Illinois College
- Illinois Wesleyan University
- Indiana Institute of Technology
- Iowa Central Community College
- Jarvis Christian College
- Juniata College
- Kansas Wesleyan University
- Keiser University (Formally Northwood University - FL Campus)
- Keuka College
- King University - Tennessee
- Lackawanna College
- Lawrence Technological University
- Lebanon Valley College
- Lees-McRae College
- Lindenwood University
- Lourdes University
- Lyon College
- Marietta College
- Marion Technical College
- Maryville University
- McMurry University
- McPherson College
- Menlo College
- Miami University
- Midland University
- Milligan University
- Misericordia University
- Missouri Baptist University
- Missouri Valley College
- Molloy College
- Montreat College
- Morningside University
- Mount St. Joseph University
- Mount Vernon Nazarene University
- Muskingum University
- New England College
- New Mexico State University
- Newberry College
- Nichols College
- Northern Virginia Community College
- Northwood University - Michigan
- Ohio Christian University
- Ohio Northern University
- Olivet Nazarene University
- Oregon Institute of Technology
- Ottawa University
- Park University
- Pennsylvania College of Technology
- Pratt Community College
- Principia College
- Randolph-Macon College
- Robert Morris University - Illinois
- Rogers State University
- Sacred Heart University
- Saint Francis University
- Savannah College of Art & Design
- Schreiner University
- Shawnee State University
- Shenandoah University
- Siena Heights University
- Simpson University
- Southeastern University
- Southern New Hampshire University
- Southwestern Oregon Community College
- Spalding University
- St. Ambrose University
- St. Clair College
- St. Thomas Aquinas College
- St. Thomas University - Florida
- Stephens College
- Stevenson University
- SUNY Canton
- Sussex County Community College
- Texas Wesleyan University
- Thomas College
- Trine University
- Union County College
- University of Akron
- University of Antelope Valley
- University of Central Missouri
- University of Jamestown
- University of Missouri
- University of Mount Union
- University of North Texas
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Pikeville
- University of Providence (Formerly University of Great Falls)
- University of Saint Mary
- University of South Carolina - Sumter
- University of South Carolina - Union
- University of Texas at Dallas
- University of the Cumberlands
- Upper Iowa University
- Valparaiso University
- Viterbo University
- Wagner College
- West Virginia University Potomac State College
- West Virginia Wesleyan College
- Western Kentucky University
- Wichita State University
NOTE – Esports is growing quickly and many more schools are continuing to add esports as a college varsity sport.
HOW TO GET AN ESPORTS SCHOLARSHIP?
Esports is a relatively new sport at the collegiate level but it is growing quickly. Some of the programs listed above do offer esports athletic scholarships for the top players. Scholarships can include tuition, room, board and books. The best way to earn an athletic scholarship for esports is to continually update your recruiting profile and actively communicate with the head esports coaches at the schools listed above.
Your playing ability isn’t the only thing esports coaches will be looking for. Having strong grades and being a great team player are other attributes that coaches are looking for when recruiting and offering scholarships to esports players.
Make your FREE online recruiting profile today and start your recruiting journey!
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