Starting next fall, eSports at Michigan State will take a big step forward by offering scholarships to incoming players and current members of the varsity teams. According to Chris Bilski, the director of eSports at MSU, these scholarships will help the varsity teams compete at the national level.
Bilski said these scholarships are not full rides, as that is not the norm for eSports, but depending on the skill level and intangibles that a player brings to the team, they can earn a larger amount.
“In eSports right now, it’s not really a question of if you have scholarships, it’s how much of a scholarship you’re offering,” said Bilski. “Not having scholarships sets you apart in a very negative way. We’re looking at launching these competitive varsity teams for the fall, and we knew that if we wanted to do that, scholarships would have to be a part of it.”
Bilski also places heavy emphasis on the academic side of being part of a collegiate team. His main goal is for students to graduate, which is why he maintains slightly higher academic standards.
The NCAA requires athletes to maintain a 2.3 GPA in their core courses. Varsity eSports players do not fall under the jurisdiction of the NCAA, and at MSU they are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA or higher. Bilski said he is willing to work with students who fall short to help them succeed.
“We have GPA requirements within our program,” said Bilski. “Just like academic scholarships there is a requirement for you to maintain a certain level. Making sure that you’re doing the right things, that you’re progressing in your degree, and that your GPA is above a certain point is not only a requirement for your scholarship but also that you’re eligible to play.”
Bilski said he is trying to build a strong culture within his program with the players that he recruits and brings in.
“I recruit students for four years here,” said Bilski. “There are students that I am recruiting that I think will be culture-setters for our program.”
One of those culture-setters is Drew Farrell, a senior at West Ottawa High School who will be joining the Super Smash Bros. team in the fall.
Farrell said he is excited to join the eSports program here at MSU, and that the scholarship opportunity will make things more competitive within the program.
“I think the opportunity to earn scholarships will make people train harder to get one or be on the varsity team,” said Farrell. “It's like any other sport. The collegiate eSports scene has been growing across Michigan, and more competition will create better teams and further increase the growth.”
Another player that is helping to lay the foundation for the varsity eSports program is Dyson Mingo, a freshman on the Super Smash Bros A Team.
Mingo is excited that eSports scholarships are going to be offered next year, and that he hopes he can qualify for one. Heis also excited for the future of the program.
“I think the opportunity to earn scholarships will up our playing field,” said Mingo. “I think it’s going to be much more competitive than this year. We have a bunch of good players already, and looking at the recruits we have for next year, there’s going to be a lot of competition to earn scholarships.”
Bilski is in charge of deciding who will get scholarships for now, but he plans to bring in coaches in the fall to coincide with the full launch of the varsity eSports program. Bilski and these coaches will have plenty to discuss when it comes to which players they think are worthy of a scholarship.
“It’s going to be a blend of need and the quality of player,” said Bilski. “If there are games that we have already very talented students on campus for, it may be harder for incoming students to receive a scholarship. If there are games where we’re struggling, we might offer a little more in order to bolster our roster. On top of that there may be case-by-case scenarios where there’s certain students who are very exceptional in their game and might receive an extra scholarship because they’re that good of a player.”
Bilski said that the money for the scholarships comes from a blend of university funding and sponsors, and that they don’t affect a player’s ability to earn money on their own through tournament winnings or individual sponsorships. Players that earn an academic scholarship from the university would also have their eSports scholarship added on top of that.
Bilski said that any potential prospects for the varsity eSports program who are interested in trying to earn a scholarship should contact him directly through social media, Discord, or email.