It seems college eSports are one step closer to actually being a regulated industry of sorts.
A new company calling itself The National Association of Collegiate eSports (NAC) has launched last week and promised to give “structure and legitimacy” to university eSports programs. On top of this, it also seeks to encourage member institutions to create scholarships and varsity programs for eSports athletes. With eSports being an ever-growing market worth $892 million, programs like these can not only raise money for educational institutions but also help eSports athletes to hone their skills and meet like-minded individuals to share the same hobbies.
The NAC currently has 20 members, among which are Columbia College, Robert Morris University, and Miami University in Ohio.
To qualify for NAC eSports membership, institutions must be fully accredited by an authorized higher educational accrediting agency of their region and national affiliation. Programs must also be officially endorsed by the school that they represent.
“We are entering our second year as a varsity eSports program and are thrilled to be one of the founding members of NAC eSports,” said Eric VanHoose, University of Pikeville eSports head coach. “The association is providing a legitimate structure for varsity programs to grow and compete in the eSports ecosystem.”
Michael Brooks, the NAC eSports administrator, said the following in a press release sent to GamesBeat:
“NAC eSports is a member driven association that focuses on developing eSports programs from the institutional level. We want to further expand the ecosystem by providing a home for existing varsity programs, while also acting as a resource for club teams wanting to move to varsity or for institutions that want to start a team.”
The National Association of Collegiate eSports’ first eSports Invitational will take place in Spring of 2017. The 2017-2018 season will then have its own regular and postseason events. Perhaps organizations and events like these will help college teams achieve their true potential and make it up to the big leagues.
