Scores of gamers compete at St. Clair College for e-Sports scholarships
Financial support could range from a $500 bursary to annual scholarships
Forget basketball, football or track, St. Clair College is offering scholarships for a new kind of activity — e-Sports.
Hundreds of competitors met up at the college this weekend to take on some of the best players of various games and to try for a chance to represent the school this fall.
"Think about your traditional sports, basketball football or whatever, we have video games instead," said Shaun Byrne, e-Sports coordinator for Saints Gaming. "Those are our sports."
All told, about 500 people attended the college this weekend to either play or watch the action during the Saints Gaming Live event. One top gamer even came all the way from the United Kingdom.
"We all play these games for fun at home," said David Nardone, who managed to finish in the Top 32 for Super Smash Bros. Melee. "To come out here is a great way to hone your skills."
Nardone said competitive tournaments are already held in Windsor every week, but having a major tournament hosted by the college shows e-Sports are really taking off.
"We're definitely growing," he said. "For a small city like Windsor to have an event this big is pretty huge for us."
Byrne said St. Clair is the first program in Canada to support an e-Sports team at such a high level.
The school plans to have seven different teams that will travel around Ontario and compete.
Financial support could range from a $500 bursary to annual scholarships similar to those offered for traditional athletics.
But don't worry, Byrne added, the students won't just be playing games.
"Having something like this is going to motivate them to be a better student and get involved in campus life," he said.