DALLAS — It's the hottest sport in the world, and it's made its way to the University of Texas at Dallas. Well, it's a sport in the most non-traditional sense of the word.
Esports is the fastest growing entertainment event in the world, and UTD is one of the latest colleges to field an esports team. The Comets have three teams, one each for the games League of Legends, Overwatch and Smash. The program has been around for about six months.
However, UTD is unlike most other collegiate programs: its team is part of the athletic department.
For that reason, esports team members are required to maintain the same GPA, academic and behavioral standards as any traditional athlete.
Some colleges even offer scholarships to join the esports team, and UTD plans to do the same once funding is acquired in the near future.