: The New Intercollegiate “Athlete” Dr. Jenny, Winthrop University Dr. R. Douglas Manning, University of Southern Mississippi Dr. Peggy Keiper, Northwood University

Association Supporting Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) National Conference June 13, 2016 Myrtle Beach, SC Is this a Collegiate Athlete? Is this a Collegiate Athlete? Is this a Collegiate Athlete? Is this a Collegiate Athletic Facility? Is this a Collegiate Athletic Facility? Is this a Collegiate Athletic Facility? Is this a Collegiate Sport Roster?

http://upikebears.com/ Look at the last Co-Ed Sport listed on the U of Pikeville Athletics Website

http://upikebears.com/index.aspx 2014… “eSports” – Sport & Athletes

• Today eSports is now becoming more accepted as a “sport” and…

• Gamers being identified as “athletes” within society today

• Welcome to the world of competitive video gaming, also known as eSports! RMU eSports Team Members “eSports” Synonyms

• Synonyms: •e-Sports •Electronic Sports •Cybersports •Gaming •Competitive Computer Gaming •Virtual Sports

“eSports” Definition

• “Any organized multi-player competition, where individuals and teams assemble in stadia and arenas to compete in sanctioned, real- time, broadly streamed, financially incentivized, and

widely-attended tournament events.” (Xue, Pu, Hawzen, & Newman, 2016)

• Organized Video Game Competitions (Jenny, Manning, Keiper, Olrich, 2016)

What is LoL?

• LOL - what it is • League of Legends (i.e., LoL)

• MOBA – Multiplayer Online Battle Arena

• Fast-paced, competitive that blends speed & intensity

• Two teams, each with a unique design and playstyle, battle head-to-head across multiple battlefields and game modes

(Tassi, 2014a). eSport Teams (LoL)

• Consists of six team members • Five players and one substitute/coach • Each player has a role/job, these jobs include: – Toplane – Midlane – Support – Attack Damage (AD) Carry – Jungle Map of League of Legends

Win by destroying enemy turrets and their Nexus eSports Video

https://www.youtube.com/user/LoLChampSeries eSports In College

•FIVEeSports higher ed. in institutionsCollege currently offer eSports scholarships: • 3 colleges + scholarships 1) Robert Morris University (RMU) in Chicago

• In 2014, first college/university to began offering athletic scholarships to gamers

• RMU allocated $500,000 for their intercollegiate gaming team (Wingfield, 2014c) eSports In College • eSports in College 2) University of Pikeville (KY) - 2014 • Offers• 3 colleges full-ride scholarships + scholarships - available ($23,000/year tuition; $14,000 room and board) • Called “student-athlete” • Maintain minimum GPA

• Commit to Practice, video and study sessions (Tassi, 2015)

http://www.upike.edu/News/Campus/UPIKE-enters-the-arena-with-new-ESPORTs-program eSports In College

• eSports in College 3) Maryville University (St. Louis, MO) • 3 colleges + scholarships • Club team, but university offers scholarships

• University Participation Awards: eSport participants are eligible for a $2,000 participation award.

https://www.maryville.edu/studentlife/esports-clubs/ eSports In College

• eSports in College 4) Southwestern College (Winfield, KS) • 3 colleges + scholarships • $5,000 grant each year, equaling $20,000 for four years to participate in eSports

http://www.sckans.edu/other/general/news/view/1612/?video-gamers-can-receive-esports-grants-at-southwestern-college eSports In College

• eSports in College 5) Columbia College (Columbia, MO) • • Fall3 colleges 2016 + scholarships

http://www.columbiacougars.com/news/2015/10/30/GEN_1030152307.aspx History of eSports

• Over 70 million people watch eSports (internet or TV) globally (Wingfield, 2014a)

• Most popular eSport video game: League of Legends (LoL) • Fantasy Combat Strategy

• In 2013, LoL had over 70 million registered players, including 32 million monthly active players (Snider, 2013) Early History of eSports (4 slides)

Adlfsadfnf (Snider, 2013)

(Snider, 2013) What’s largely driving the esports boom is better videostreaming technology and faster internet connections, allowing fans to follow tournaments and their [favorite] players online…Watching your [favorite] player talk you through their game is a unique attraction of esports…If you had Usain Bolt giving an analysis of his own race, people would love that. (Heaven, 2014b, para. 10-11) LoL World Champs 2014

Sangam Stadium, is located in Seongsan-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul, South Korea (Seoul World Cup Stadium) Other Popular eSports Games

• Hearthstone • Counter-Strike: Global Offensive • DotA2 • LoL • Madden NFL

(Moth, 2014) eSports in the Media

2010 – estimated 8.4 million viewers watching eSports (“INFOGRAPHIC: The 50 Million-strong market”, 2013)

2014 – over 71 million viewers watching eSports and competitive gaming (Llamas & Barberie, 2014)

2014, ESPN covered The International Championships held in Seattle, Washington’s, sold-out Key Arena (Valve, 2014).

https://www.twitch.tv/ eSports in the Media

• Turner Broadcasting (TBS) • eSports League • Two 10-week seasons annually • Counter Strike: Global Offense

http://www.dailydot.com/esports/turner-brodcasting-counter-strike/ eSports in the Media

•ESPN •X-Games •Halo •Call of Duty

http://espn.go.com/esports/story/_/id/14665732/x-games-halo-world-championship-aspen-invitational-tour-preview http://charlieintel.com/2015/03/25/mlg-announces-call-of-duty-esports-is-returning-to-xgames-austin/ http://espn.go.com/esports/story/_/id/14665732/x-games-halo-world-championship-aspen-invitational-tour-preview http://charlieintel.com/2015/03/25/mlg-announces-call-of-duty-esports-is-returning-to-xgames-austin/ Can eSports be considered “Sport”? Can eSport Be Considered a Sport?

In order for eSport to be considered a sport it must fulfill the following:

1) Play 2) Organized 3) Competition 4) Skill 5) Physicality 6) Broad Following 7) Institutionalization

(Jenny, Manning, Keiper, Olrich, 2016) eSport-Play

•• PlayPlay forms the foundation for all sports (Guttmann, 1978) • • eSport participants voluntarily play video games for enjoyment

eSport – Organized

• Competition • Sports are all goal-directed activities adhering to rules (Suits, 2007)

• eSports Tournaments: • Rules and Regulations specify tournament and match regulations • Teams of Four to Five Players • Multiple Rounds • Certain Time Period (e.g., 1 hour and 45 minutes) • Play a Selected Video Game (e.g., League of Legends) • Game and Server Settings • Players are required to adhere to these specific guidelines

http://gfx.esl.eu/media/eu/csgo/eslone/katowice2015/ESLOne_CSGO_Rulebook.pdf eSport- Competition

• Sports must include competition resulting in a winner (or

winners) and loser (or losers) (Guttmann, 1978)

• Inherent within the concept of competition is the presence of an opponent, to which one will win, lose, or draw (Drewe, 2003)

• eSports eventually leads to a winner (or winners)

• eSports allows GLOBAL competition

eSports- Skill

• Sports must involve skillful play where chance or luck is not the sole

reason for winning (Suits, 2007)

• eSports: • Skillful coordination - manipulate controller buttons to effectively manage on-screen avatar

• Skillful play in eSports should not be limited to technical dexterity utilized with a controller, but also “Sporting Intelligence” (Hemphill , 2005)

• “Cyber-intelligent Action” - eSport players exhibit game sense through skillfully linking avatar movement actions to game-posed challenges.

• Wagner (2006) noted, “teams that train for eSports disciplines will increase their competency in making complex strategic decisions at a high speed” (p. 4). eSport- Physicality

• Skill involved in sports must include Physical skill (Suits, 2007)

• Due to nature of sport, an essential characteristic is physical prowess,

which distinguishes it from games (Hemphill, 2005)

• For a game to be elevated to the of “sport”, the physical movement by the participant must be integral to the successful completion of the task (e.g., chess vs. basketball)

• Until eSports include motion-based video games (MBVGs) that track gross motor physical body movements within the game, the general public may not

accept eSports as “real” sports (Jenny et al., 2016) eSport- Physicality Motion-based Video Games

• MBVGs use motion-detection sensors and software to simulate physical movements made by the user and displays them via an onscreen avatar, typically without the use of a handheld controller (Jenny, Hushman, & Hushman, 2013)

• Example MBVG devices: • XBox Kinect • PlayStation 4 (PS4) with motion camera • Wii

• Currently, MBVGs are employed for entertainment or exercise, and not competitive eSports. eSport- Broad Following

• Sport must move beyond a local attraction or fad and must have a broad following (Suits, 2007)

• Over 2.4 billion hours of eSports video was viewed steaming live in 2013 (Heaven, 2014a) • In 2013, the LoL World Championship Final, which was hosted at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA, touted an attendance of 11,000 • In 2014, MLG (2015) opened a 14,000-square foot eSport arena in Columbus, Ohio (MLG.tv Columbus Arena) • MLG studio in New York City • 15,000 seat MLG stadium in Hengqin, China by 2017 – the world’s first dedicated eSports stadium (Heaven, 2014a)

eSport – Institutional Stability

• Institutionalization refers to an activity having a long history in which: 1) Rules are Developed and Standardized 2) Learning of the Game becomes Formalized 3) Expertise Develops 4) Coaches, Trainers, Officials and Governing Bodies Emerge (Drewe, 2003; Suits, 2007; Tamburrini, 2000)

• eSports institutional stability and regulation are still unproven:

• Several competing Organizations developing regarding Championship Events & Governing Bodies • ESPN, X-Games, Major League Gaming (MLG), ESports League (ESL), UK eSports Association, International eSports Federation, Korean Esports Association (KeSPA), TBS, eSports Championship Series, The International, Heroes of the Dorm, Collegiate Star League, NCAA/NAIA, Riot Games, National Collegiate Counter-Strike League

• Who sets Rules – Game Developers, Players or Championship Hosts? (Jenny, Manning, Keiper, & Orlich, 2016) eSports in College- RMU

• Robert Morris University (Illinois) is a private (accredited) university which focuses on ‘hands- on’ and ‘career-focused’ education (Ruby, 2014)

• First U.S. institution of higher education to, “…recognize the value and legitimacy of eSports…” (“Robert Morris Addition of eSports,” 2014).

• First U.S. college/university to add a League of Legends (LoL) Varsity eSports team as part of its official athletics program

• Believes the eSports scholarships serve as a way to reach an underserved gaming population (“Gamers get scholarships,” 2014; Keilman, 2014).

• RMU’s eSport teams consists of thirty-five students who are eligible to athletic scholarships of up to 50% of tuition, room and board, which amounts to almost $19,000 per student (“2014- 15 League of Legends Coaches,” 2014; Bradley, 2014; SBRnet, 2014)

RMU eSports Budget

• $19,000 – Annual eSports scholarship

• $100,000 – Amount RMU spent on retrofitting a classroom into a eSports hub

• $349 – Value of each 40 ergonomic gaming chairs (sponsored)

RMU eSports Arena RMU eSports Gear

• 5 RMU gaming coaches (1 head coach, 4 assistants)

• 37 ASUS gaming computer monitors

• Team is equipped with jerseys with sponsorship logos

Potential Implications of Adding eSports to Intercollegiate Athletics

• Some Negative Implications: • Sedentary nature of the eSports • Start-up funding & maintenance costs • Institutionalization/Regulation • IT support (who manages additional IT demands)?

• Potential Positive Impacts to Athletic Departments: • Revenue Generation • Title IX Compliance • Diversity

(Jenny, Manning, Keiper, & Orlich, 2016) Equipment Needed

Minimum equipment needed for one eSports team includes:

• 5 desktop Computers – Monitors (Asus #1 brand, 165Hz refresh rate) • 5 keyboards (not wireless) • 5 computer mice (not wireless) • Cable internet (preferably not Wi-Fi) • Turtle Beach headphones (optional)

Technology Required

• Ping time: < 200 milliseconds • Frame time needs to be >30 (Below 30, graphics are not able to keep up with the game) • Cable Internet speed of 1 Mbps or higher

• Wireless mice, wireless keyboards and WiFi are not recommend because it creates delay and lag time. eSport Arena’s • Arenas are filled with fans to watch eSport members battle against each other • Arenas were created to increase validity for eSport players • All equipment is standard for every member to decrease lag and misplay References

Crawford, G. & Gosling, V. K. (2009). More than a game: Sports-themed video games and player narratives. Sociology of Sport Journal, 26, 50-66.

Drewe , S. (2003). Why sport? Toronto: Thompson. Entertainment Software Association (2014). Essential facts about the computer and video game industry: 2014 sales, demographic, and usage data. Retrieved from http://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/ESA_EF_2014.pdf Gregory, S. (2015). Virtual world, varsity sport: The newest route to college is through video game. Time. Guttmann , A. (1978). From ritual to record: The nature of modern sports. New York: Columbia University Press.

Heaven , D. (2014a, August 13). Esport by numbers. New Scientist. Retrieved from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329824.300-esports-by-numbers.html#.VT6QQiFVhBc Heaven , D. (2014b, August 13). Esports: Pro video gaming explodes with big prize pots. New Scientist. Retrieved from http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329823.900-esports-pro-video-gaming-explodes-with-big-prize- pots.html#.VR9OzeEyRxI

Jenny , S., Hushman, G., & Hushman, C. (2013). Pre-service teachers’ perceptions of motion-based video gaming in physical education. International Journal of Technology in Teaching and Learning, 9(1), 96-111 Jenny , S., Manning, R. D., Keiper, M. C., & Olrich, T. W. (2016). Virtual(ly) athletes: Where eSports fit within the definition of "sport". . DOI:10.1080/00336297.2016.1144517. INFOGRAPHIC : The 50 million-strong eSports market breaks into the mainstream - SuperData Research. (2013, October 8). Retrieved from http://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/esports-infographic/

LLamas , S., & Barberie, S. (2014, April 1). ESports Brief by SuperData Research. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/StephanieLlamas/esports-brief-by-superdata-research Moth , J. (2014, November 11). Top 5 most popular eSports games right now. Retrieved from http://www.loadthegame.com/2014/11/11/top-5-popular-esports-games-right-now/ 2014 -15 League of Legends coaches (2014a). Retrieved from http://www.rmueagles.com/coach/0/147.php RMU’s addition of eSports has caught the attention of the gaming and media worlds. (2014b, June 20). Retrieved from http://www.rmueagles.com/article/923.php References Continued

Snider, M. (2013, July 11). ‘League of Legends’ makes big league moves. USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2013/07/11/league-of-legends-at-staples-center/2504935/ Tassi, P. (2012, October 18). Starcraft 2 Struggles as League of Legends Rises. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2012/10/18/starcraft-2-struggles-as-league-of-legends-rises/ Tassi, P. (2013, August 24). League of Legends Finals Sells Out LA's Staples Center In An Hour. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/08/24/league-of-legends-finals-sells-out-las-staples-center-in-an-hour/ Tassi, P. (2014a, July 18). Why eSports Doesn't Need ESPN. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/07/18/why- esports-doesnt-need-espn/ Tassi, P. (2014b, September 7). ESPN boss declares eSports 'Not A Sport.' Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/09/07/espn-boss-declares-esports-not-a-sport/ Tassi, P. (2014b, September 7). ESPN boss declares eSports 'Not A Sport.' Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2014/09/07/espn-boss-declares-esports-not-a-sport/ Tassi, P. (2015, January 8). Second US college now offering ‘League of Legends’ scholarship. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/01/08/second-us-college-now-offering-league-of-legends-scholarship/ Valve (2014, July 17). International DotA 2 Championships on ESPN Networks. Retrieved from http://store.steampowered.com/news/13929/ Wingfield, N. (2014a, August 25). What’s Twitch? Gamers know, and Amazon Is spending $1 Billion on it. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/26/technology/amazon-nears-a-deal-for-twitch.html Wingfield, N. (2014b, August 30). In eSports, video gamers draw real crowds and big money. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/31/technology/esports-explosion-brings-opportunity-riches-for-video-gamers.html Wingfield, N. (2014c, December 8). E-Sports at college, with stars and scholarships. New York Times Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/technology/esports-colleges- breeding-grounds-professional-gaming.html Xue, H., Pu, P., Hawzen, M., & Newman, J. (2016, June 3). E-Sports management? Institutional logics, professional sports, emerging E- Sports field. 2016 North American Society for Sport Management Conference, Orlando, FL. Questions?

• Dr. Seth Jenny – [email protected]