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The competitive landscape of eSports hasn't only spread to colleges and universities – it's now an activity that can land you a scholarship! Robert Morris University's Executive Director of eSports Kurt Melcher explains why his school was the first to offer a scholarship to League of Legends players, and why other schools are following suit. Having worked in both traditional athletics and in eSports, Kurt brings a unique point of view on why eSports athletes aren't so different from what a person might think of as a "regular" athlete. Plus: what separates a professional eSports player from other competitive gamers. More reading from Curiosity: Can Strategy Games Make You Smarter? What's In The Future For Video Games? The Hottest, Spiciest Food On Earth What It Takes To Be A Pro Player In eSports Links we discussed: 2017 Collegiate eSports Report via The Next Level 25 Video Game Violence Studies, Summarized (via Kotaku) eSports to be a medal event at 2022 Asian Games More on Robert Morris University and other eSports: Robert Morris University League of Legends Team Page University League of Legends College Championship North America League of Legends Championship Series Europe League of Legends Championship Series The International (Dota 2) ELEAGUE (professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive league) ESPN eSports Hub Kurt Melcher's TEDx Talk "Gamers: The rising stars of collegiate athletics"To learn more about this topic and many others check out Curiosity.com, download our 5-star iOS or Android app and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, and everywhere else podcasts are found so you don't miss an episode! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.