For all the people who think playing video games all day is a waste of time – this post is for you. Now, you can make a living out of playing video games professionally. Not only that, you can even get a scholarship in one of the top colleges of America! Surprising, right? The reality is that video games are being recognized as a sports category by colleges, and if you are an expert gamer, you can get an opportunity to represent your college in local and international tournaments.

Over the past few years, several professional and competitive gaming tournaments have been hosted all over the world, and they are rapidly growing in popularity. For example, take a look at The International, a Dota 2 tournament. It was first held in 2011 with a grand prize of $1 million. In 2017, the grand prize was $10,862,683. See the difference? Not only are more teams and players getting involved, these gaming tournaments are also gathering huge audiences to watch the matches, as well. Credit also goes to YouTube, as many gamers upload their gameplay videos, which generate a high number of views. The love for gaming is rising!

In 2016, the National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE) was formed to influence and protect the rights of gamers. The objective of this non-profit organization is to promote eSports at the college level and make it a competitive sport so that gamers can make a career out of their gaming skills and talent.

Many have opposed this rising trend, like Brandon Spradley, director of sports management at the United States Sports Academy. He has stated, “With eSports, I do believe that the preparation is there and I do believe there is…skill to it as well,” Spradley told VOA via Skype. “It’s just…the physical exertion that most athletes [experience]…the practices that we have to do, the skill that we have to demonstrate, day in and day out. That is what I believe separates real sports from eSports.”

With reference to this statement, Kenneth Lam, Assistant Director of the eSports program at Maryville University, says that this argument is pointless. According to him, you can’t compare all sports with each other. Golf isn’t much of a physically demanding sport, like football, but still it’s considered a sport. So, why not gaming?

To promote college-level gaming, the League of Legends College Championship was organized this year in which eight teams took part. And believe me, it turned out to be a great success. The prize money of the tournament will be given to the winners in the form of scholarships. It’s a great way to cut down tuition fee and college expenses, which many deserving students can’t afford.

The 2017 tournament went pretty well and 2018 is going to be even better. Now that more colleges are agreeing to give importance to eSports and recruit students in making varsity teams, more friendly and competitive matches are expected to take place in the following year.

However, there are a few drawbacks, as well. To play professionally, you need to practice a lot – that may lead some students to even skip school or college to focus on their training. If the players of other sports skip school or college and end up in a team in one of the leagues, they will still get paid even for sitting on the bench. On the other hand, gamers only get paid for performing well in a tournament and securing a top position.

For example, a pro gamer, Conan Liu, took a year off from school while he was studying at Berkeley. Eventually, he returned after not performing well in the tournaments. If you compare that with a basketball player in the NBA, even a benchwarmer gets paid $500,000 per year. Currently, there aren’t any leagues that will fill your pockets, if you are not in top form. In gaming, winners take the money, while losers usually leave empty-handed.

Having said that, gaming is currently being promoted by educational institutions and the NACE, so there are chances that eSports will excel in the coming years. If you’re a professional gamer, you can expect to get a scholarship and focus on both, your academic career and your passion for gaming, side by side. So, plan accordingly!

Are you excited about getting a gaming scholarship? Did you find this article useful? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.