US colleges and universities rushing to invest in the booming arena of varsity esports are overwhelmingly committing opportunities and scholarships to male players, according to data collected by The Associated Press. The law mandates equitable opportunities to participate in sports for men and women, and it requires that scholarships be offered proportionally to participation. Many schools, intentionally or not, have sidestepped those restrictions by housing their eSports programme outside of the athletic department. “It’s just saying they don’t like to watch Die Hard.”League Of Legends is a staple of collegiate eSports programmes, as are male-dominated Madden and Call Of Duty. Boise State was among the more equal schools in the AP's survey, with 16 male players, five female players and three who identified as nonbinary.

Source: The Star March 15, 2021 06:01 UTC