MURRAY, KY — Classes, studying, and making new friends: They’re all parts of the college experience. Some students at Murray State University spend their free time playing video games, and it could get them a scholarship in the near future.
While you may consider it a distraction from school work, the university sees it differently. This is the first semester that funding from the Murray State is going toward the esports program. The group’s student president, Jacob Mitchell, is working to take the program to the next level.
“Starting to get those staffed positions in line, and then offering those scholarships as a surefire way of saying, ‘Hey, we like your skills in that game. We’re going to bring you in. You’re come to Murray State, get a degree, and play for us,'” Mitchell said.
He understands the skepticism that surrounds an esports program. His main concern is providing an outlet for people who are passionate about school, and playing video games.
“We want to make sure that you’re here for the right reasons, and that you’re still going to graduate on time and go into the career field that you need to,” Mitchell said. “But we just kind of offer a…an area for those students who are going to game anyway.”
Mitchell and a faculty advisor currently volunteer their time to keep the program running. His goal is to get enough money to bring in a full-time staff member and have the ability to offer scholarships. Mitchell believes what they learn by playing video games together can translate into the working world.
“They can build skills that’s going to help them in the field that they go in to like team communication, team building, just collaboration, decision making, all those other things,” Mitchell said. “All those buzzwords that you really hear a lot, you can learn on esports.”
To be a part of the groups competitive teams you are required to keep a grade point average above a 2.5. Click here to learn more about the Murray State esports team.
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