University of North Texas’ esports program announced $20,000 in scholarships that will be offered to current players and recruits who “show the exceptional talent and team dedication needed to play at the varsity level,” according to a university press release.
“We are serious about esports,” Elizabeth With, UNT’s Vice President for Student Affairs said in the press release. “We already have one of the best college teams in the nation and we’d like to keep it that way.”
UNT’s esports program has four varsity teams – Overwatch, League of Legends, Hearthstone and Rocket League – that are led by the esports coordinator Dylan Wray.
“Last year we saw our students work very hard to achieve our program’s success,” Wray said in the press release. “This scholarship will support our students in their competitive and academic goals at UNT, as well as attract new talent to maintain our competitive edge in a quickly growing, and competitive field.”
Created in April 2018, UNT was the first public university in Texas to launch a collegiate esports team, according to the press release.
Varsity tryouts for the various esports teams will take place on August 2 through 16 online with registration available on the esports registration website. There is also a UNT Discord community for prospective students interested in recruitment and future tryout information, according to the press release.