Video Games are an Official Sport at Boise State
Competitive gaming is spreading like crazy, and Boise State is one of the trendsetters. The university has officially made Varsity eSports a thing, and they're building a new computer lab on campus to support it.
There are more than 50 colleges and universities that have competitive eSports teams so far, and it's growing each year. ESPN covered the Boise State story earlier this year, and said some conferences like the Pac 12 and Big Ten are even looking into making varsity gaming part of their culture.
The College of Education and College of Innovation and Design at Boise State backs the eSports program, and it involves games like League of Legends, Hearthstone, Rocket League, Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch.
Boise Weekly said the leagues are part of the higher learning process and promote careers in journalism and analytics, but some aren't so sure whether competitive gaming should be classified as a sport. I'll let you argue that one out in your head, or with your game-playing co-workers. One thing's for sure. Boise State is a leader and not a follower, and this is one more way they're getting out ahead of the pack as part what's becoming a global movement.
Some of us are still trying to outsmart our kids and win a game on the xBox, and we'd be happy with that. We'll be practicing during the fuzzy-slipper-and-video-game season also known as the Christmas break, and maybe we should call up these Boise state big leaguers for some expert advice while we're at it. They're good!