E-Sports & The Big Ten

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

I know I brought this up a number of months ago about how the B1G, specifically Purdue, could move in to a role of innovator to provide a varsity team of E-sports gamers to campus. The B1G recently announced that it will begin fielding teams for multiple online game platforms such as League of Legends. Maryland and Rutgers will be the first two teams to square off on the B1G Network on January 30th.

I am hopeful that Purdue University takes some initiative and creates a varsity team with scholarships available to young men and women.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/sports/big-ten-is-entering-a-new-realm-e-sports.html?_r=0

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

no visionaries on this board. they think football will be king forever or that you're a nerd for competitive video gaming. In 20 years we will hear about how far behind Purdue is in esports.

 

[TC4THREE]

I would never support such a team even if Purdue had a good one. Frankly, it would be an embarrassment to the university.

 

[Gemini95]

I would watch esports before I would watch women's hoops.

 

[TC4THREE]

I would watch esports before I would watch women's hoops.

I would watch soccer before I would watch esports. At least soccer requires athleticism.

 

[Bullwhip Griffith]

I would watch soccer before I would watch esports. At least soccer requires athleticism.

Come again?

 

[Gemini95]

I would watch soccer before I would watch esports. At least soccer requires athleticism.

Me too. Hockey would be even better.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

I would never support such a team even if Purdue had a good one. Frankly, it would be an embarrassment to the university.

eSports last year (2016) generated nearly $493 million is revenue which is a 51% increase from 2015. With technology and the growth of eSports over the last decade, one can assume that the revenue that an esports team at a college could generate more money and publicity than many other traditional sports teams. I looked for quite some time and could not find a break down of gains or losses at Purdue per sport but I am guessing that in terms of the cost of equipment, cost of scholarship, etc...an esports team at Purdue would cost substantially less than track & field, wrestling, and other olympic sports. On the flip side, the ability to gain money from the promotion and coverage of an eSports team would be much higher than those others.

To be totally dismissive of eSports and its gains in the last 3-5 years simply because you don't like it is very backwards in thought. Purdue has traditionally been a forward thinking university and a creation of a co-ed eSports Varsity team would definitely be ground breaking and create a buzz for the University. If ESPN didn't think it was solvent and able to make money, they wouldn't have signed a massive contract to carry and cover it.

http://fortune.com/2016/01/22/espn-invests-in-esports-coverage/

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

eSports last year (2016) generated nearly $493 million is revenue which is a 51% increase from 2015. With technology and the growth of eSports over the last decade, one can assume that the revenue that an esports team at a college could generate more money and publicity than many other traditional sports teams. I looked for quite some time and could not find a break down of gains or losses at Purdue per sport but I am guessing that in terms of the cost of equipment, cost of scholarship, etc...an esports team at Purdue would cost substantially less than track & field, wrestling, and other olympic sports. On the flip side, the ability to gain money from the promotion and coverage of an eSports team would be much higher than those others.

To be totally dismissive of eSports and its gains in the last 3-5 years simply because you don't like it is very backwards in thought. Purdue has traditionally been a forward thinking university and a creation of a co-ed eSports Varsity team would definitely be ground breaking and create a buzz for the University. If ESPN didn't think it was solvent and able to make money, they wouldn't have signed a massive contract to carry and cover it.

http://fortune.com/2016/01/22/espn-invests-in-esports-coverage/

LOL this...it's happening whether you guys approve or not. In a few years it will absolutely dwarf traditional sports. It won't be close in ratings or money. No one cares about "athletes", if they did, college gymnastics would be huge. It's entertainment.

 

[Bullwhip Griffith]

LOL this...it's happening whether you guys approve or not. In a few years it will absolutely dwarf traditional sports. It won't be close in ratings or money. No one cares about "athletes", if they did, college gymnastics would be huge. It's entertainment.

I don't doubt it.

In November I watched a program that had a stadium full of people (35,000 or so) watching people play street fighter...and each participant had a WWE type intro

 

[TC4THREE]

eSports last year (2016) generated nearly $493 million is revenue which is a 51% increase from 2015. With technology and the growth of eSports over the last decade, one can assume that the revenue that an esports team at a college could generate more money and publicity than many other traditional sports teams. I looked for quite some time and could not find a break down of gains or losses at Purdue per sport but I am guessing that in terms of the cost of equipment, cost of scholarship, etc...an esports team at Purdue would cost substantially less than track & field, wrestling, and other olympic sports. On the flip side, the ability to gain money from the promotion and coverage of an eSports team would be much higher than those others.

To be totally dismissive of eSports and its gains in the last 3-5 years simply because you don't like it is very backwards in thought. Purdue has traditionally been a forward thinking university and a creation of a co-ed eSports Varsity team would definitely be ground breaking and create a buzz for the University. If ESPN didn't think it was solvent and able to make money, they wouldn't have signed a massive contract to carry and cover it.

http://fortune.com/2016/01/22/espn-invests-in-esports-coverage/

There are many large industries that I would never participate in. If this develops into anything significant, this would be another.

 

[TC4THREE]

LOL this...it's happening whether you guys approve or not. In a few years it will absolutely dwarf traditional sports. It won't be close in ratings or money. No one cares about "athletes", if they did, college gymnastics would be huge. It's entertainment.

Hopefully it can happen without Purdue involvement or if we choose to be involved hopefully we lag behind so that our program is really poor. It's not anything I want us to be good at.

 

[TC4THREE]

Also let's not call it "E-Sports". Instead let's call it what it is. "Playing video games."

 

[New Pal Boiler]

eSports last year (2016) generated nearly $493 million is revenue which is a 51% increase from 2015. With technology and the growth of eSports over the last decade, one can assume that the revenue that an esports team at a college could generate more money and publicity than many other traditional sports teams. I looked for quite some time and could not find a break down of gains or losses at Purdue per sport but I am guessing that in terms of the cost of equipment, cost of scholarship, etc...an esports team at Purdue would cost substantially less than track & field, wrestling, and other olympic sports. On the flip side, the ability to gain money from the promotion and coverage of an eSports team would be much higher than those others.

To be totally dismissive of eSports and its gains in the last 3-5 years simply because you don't like it is very backwards in thought. Purdue has traditionally been a forward thinking university and a creation of a co-ed eSports Varsity team would definitely be ground breaking and create a buzz for the University. If ESPN didn't think it was solvent and able to make money, they wouldn't have signed a massive contract to carry and cover it.

http://fortune.com/2016/01/22/espn-invests-in-esports-coverage/

I like playing video games occasionally. I do not like watching others play them.

I'm guessing Purdue could field a pretty salty walkon squad right now, with minimal cost. Training table consists of Mad Mushroom and Red Bull.

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

Hopefully it can happen without Purdue involvement or if we choose to be involved hopefully we lag behind so that our program is really poor. It's not anything I want us to be good at.

well when your football and basketball facilities are in the stone age because you don't have esports money you can kick yourself in the balls.

 

[TC4THREE]

well when your football and basketball facilities are in the stone age because you don't have esports money you can kick yourself in the balls.

I don't think the model is proven at this level but I will take my chances that the money isn't near what you think it's going to be.

 

[Bullwhip Griffith]

well when your football and basketball facilities are in the stone age because you don't have esports money you can kick yourself in the balls.

Esports money?

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

Hopefully it can happen without Purdue involvement or if we choose to be involved hopefully we lag behind so that our program is really poor. It's not anything I want us to be good at.

So what do you want Purdue to be good at? With that type of attitude, do you care that Steele Johnson has a chance to win a B1G title and NCAA Title? What about an individual wrestler? What about the rowing team winning titles as a club sport?

 

[TopSecretBoiler]

I don't think the model is proven at this level but I will take my chances that the money isn't near what you think it's going to be.

It's a global standard with no barriers to entry. No age, no race, no sex, no language, no funky stadiums, no concussions. I'm probably underestimating it by an order of magnitude.

 

[TC4THREE]

So what do you want Purdue to be good at? With that type of attitude, do you care that Steele Johnson has a chance to win a B1G title and NCAA Title? What about an individual wrestler? What about the rowing team winning titles as a club sport?

I'm good with all those things although I probably wouldn't care to watch all of them. It would be a credit to Purdue to have a good diver, wrestler, or club sport. Those things aren't embarrassing.

 

[TC4THREE]

It's a global standard with no barriers to entry. No age, no race, no sex, no language, no funky stadiums, no concussions. I'm probably underestimating it by an order of magnitude.

I think there are enough hardcore gamers to sustain some sort of profitable competition structure somewhere. I would be surprised if there were enough that would pay money to watch Purdue play video games against Minnesota on a random Wednesday night. Maybe there are more people like that than I imagine though. Scary thought but I still have more faith in society than that at this point.

 

[Gemini95]

So what do you want Purdue to be good at? With that type of attitude, do you care that Steele Johnson has a chance to win a B1G title and NCAA Title? What about an individual wrestler? What about the rowing team winning titles as a club sport?

Steele Johnson is a great porn name.

 

[JohnnyDoeBoiler]

I'm good with all those things although I probably wouldn't care to watch all of them. It would be a credit to Purdue to have a good diver, wrestler, or club sport. Those things aren't embarrassing.

Do you recognize athletes that throw a shotput or can accurately shoot a target? If so, why do you consider it embarrassing? Would you consider it embarrassing if Purdue had a varsity sport for rowing?

 

[TC4THREE]

Do you recognize athletes that throw a shotput or can accurately shoot a target? If so, why do you consider it embarrassing? Would you consider it embarrassing if Purdue had a varsity sport for rowing?

No. Only calling video-game-playing a sport would be embarrassing.

 

[tjreese]

Steele Johnson is a great porn name.

Steel is nothing more than iron with some carbon in it. Carbon is the result of decay or previous live. Consequently, a steele johnson is nothing more than a petrified woody.