The Daily Dot offers a brief history of what they call the “NCAA for esports.”

The piece reports on the first ever League of Legends Collegiate Championships held by developer Riot Games in February: “As thousands watched via online streams, University of Washington’s Blue Caster Minions came back to win the final two games of a best-of-three against the San Jose State University team, Sergio’s Dream.

“Their prize? $100,000 in scholarship money and the title of the best League-playing college students in the nation. But the tournament was about more than prize money and bragging rights. It signifies a new normal for a scene that has long suffered from inconsistent funding and a lack of unity.”

“As the industry around esports grows and matures, so too does the infrastructure to support it. When television didn’t step up to broadcast esports matches, the industry moved online. Now video game streaming site Twitch is one of the biggest drivers of traffic online.”

“With around 70 percent of college students playing video games ‘at least once in a while,’ there was bound to be some who want to take the college scene gaming to the next level.”