Tomi · @tomi
15th Aug 2017 from TwitLonger
Why the NCAA doesn't have a place in esports
To expand on my tweet from yesterday, I don't think the NCAA can add any value in esports, I don't think it would serve a purpose in esports, and frankly I think esports is better off without it. Allow me to elaborate below.
Key difference between traditional sports and esports that is often overlooked is that esports does not require heavy infrastructure investments, which the NCAA helps pay for colleges. Likewise, the entry barriers for individuals are small, as one only requires a computer/console and an internet connection, further separating the two. Finally, games are broadcasted online via streams to unlimited viewers for free, so the NCAA could not offer significantly larger visibility to players either.
There is no NCAA-equivalent in Europe, where the youth instead develops through club teams -- the same structure that is currently used in esports. In addition, the North American clubs are currently some of the financially strongest, meaning there is little incentive for any promising player to hop over to the NCAA, when plenty of funding exists elsewhere with better conditions. There is also no dominant exclusive league in most games, meaning the NCAA has limited partnership possibilities.
The NCAA is currently widely considered to be bad for the young athletes -- some go as far as to call it predatory. While billions of revenue is generated through the various NCAA sports, the athletes are not allowed to earn a dime. In fact, many have gotten into trouble over the years for as little as receiving shoes as gifts. Compare that to esports, where nothing (save for certain events' age restrictions) limits your earning potential no matter how young you are.
Some of the world's best players in esports are young and an NCAA-like entity would cut off some of their arguably more limited earning potential (careers are unlikely, as of today's knowledge, to run into late 30s). In sports few players are physically developed enough pre-college to go to the pros (making a similar-level competition their best option), but the barrier does not exist in esports. No sensible 20-year-old would switch free tuition at a college for potentially making hundreds of thousands in their club team.
It's understandable why the NCAA wants to get into esports, but I frankly don't see it being able to enter the space. Their only play would be giving scholarships to players they cannot monetize in any material way (due to the best certainly staying away), and I have a hard time seeing that happen.