Want to play esports in college?

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.