Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

The University of Miami's Esports program currently offers various opportunities for students to be a part of or try out for teams to compete against other universities in various games including Rocket League, Valorant and Leagues of Legends. The Esports program has also created a Discord server to help students develop their social and intellectual well-being by building connections with their fellow 'Canes in various topics including music, sports, memes, and gaming. Join us on Discord for community game nights and weekly challenges on our Discord community!

There are several ways to be involved on our teams. We have tryouts for those students who would like to compete as well as other ways you can participate, such as becoming a team manager or being a part of the stream team. Either way, we have something for you to be a part of! Check out our teams FAQ below for more information.

• What are Esports?

  Esports are organized, team-based, video game competitions in a global industry valued in the billions of dollars per year. Twitch and YouTube Gaming have distributed billions of viewing hours. Esports includes competitive game titles such as Rocket League, Valorant, and League of Legends (LoL).

  Esports fosters an inclusive environment regardless of physical stature or expressed gender identity, making the experience enjoyable for students and potential career opportunities during and after college.

  Collegiate Esports will provide opportunities for teams to compete with other collegiate teams across the nation.

• What are the benefits of Esports?

  The Esports program at the University of Miami provides opportunities to use teamwork, practice critical and analytical thinking skills during competition and practices, increase organizational skills by managing classwork, team commitments and other activities, and develop career experiences and build leaders.

• Is this an official varsity sport?

  University of Miami selects a number of Esports teams to compete against other universities. These teams are not affiliated with University of Miami Athletics. There are open applications, selection criteria, and try-out processes for enrolled students to earn a spot on each team. If you are interested in joining please click here to complete our Interest Form.

• What scholarship teams will be supported?

  There are currently no scholarships available.

• How do we choose games for competition?

  Not every esport game should be played through teams supported by their educational institution and not every video game is suited to be played as an Esport. Teams will be selected to compete in titles that meet the following factors.

  • Game Content
  • Game Structure
  • Popularity
  • Collegiate Play Venue

• Are there student-player standards?

  Any competitor will be required to maintain minimum grade point averages and remain in good standing with the University. Additionally, players will be limited to a set number of hours for practice and esports-related responsibilities.

• What considerations are there for player wellness?

  Physical and mental wellness of all members of our teams are our top priority. We are currently working within our department and various partners on campus in establishing guidelines to promote well-being among our team members.

• Staff

  The Esports staffing structure includes full-time staff in the University of Miami Department of Wellness and Recreation to oversee development of competitive teams, student-focused programs, and overall wellness of students engaged in gaming. 

  Director: Oversees the Esports Program, engaging with additional members of Student Affairs, including program direction, budget, interactions with industry contacts and supervision of the Discord moderators and teams. Responsible for designing the student recruitment, try-out and/or selection process. Provides guidance and supervision of team managers and stream teams.

• Current Games Selected

  UM Esports supported teams play the following games:

  Rocket League –  The game involves vehicles in teams of three “bumping” a large soccer ball across the field to score in the opponent’s goal.

  Rating: E – Everyone
  Venue: NACE/CSL
  Roster Size: 8

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  Valorant – The game takes place on a near-future Earth and features a cast of characters known as Agents, each of which have their own unique set of abilities to create tactical opportunities.

  Players are divided into two teams, Attackers and Defenders, with the goal of winning the most rounds. In order to win a round, a team must eliminate the opposing team or complete their team-specific Spike objective.

  Rating: T - Teen
  Venue: NACE/CSL
  Roster Size: 8

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  League of Legends – This is an offense/defense-based team game played from a third-person perspective. Players assume roles that control characters, or “champions,” in the game.

  Rating: T – Teen
  Venue: NACE/CSL
  Roster Size: 8

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  Overwatch 2 – The game is an objective based 5v5 first person shooter, where teams of specific “heroes” have their own unique abilities, mechanics, etc. Each team can only have one of each hero active at any given time.

  Rating: T - Teen
  Venue: NACE/CSL
  Roster Size: 8

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  Apex Legends – The game is a multiplayer battle royale, featuring squads of three players using pre-made characters with distinctive abilities, called "Legends.” The objective of the game, similar to most battle royales, is to be the last squad standing and be crowned the “Apex Champion.”

  Rating: T – Teen
  Venue: Octane Collegiate
  Roster Size: 6

• How are players and teams selected?

  Game popularity and the potential player pool is captured via interest forms to begin the team selection process. The selection process is overseen by the Esports Program and moves through multiple stages. Team selections, practices and competitions will value the student’s academic success, personal growth and overall well-being over winning percentage. 

  All skill levels and player backgrounds are encouraged to apply and all applicants take part in the open tryout process. Teams will generally size to twice the number of players that can actively compete in a match. For example: Eight Rocket League players might be selected where three players can represent in each match.

  The process is as follows:

  Interest Forms → Manager Selections and/or Tournament Coordination → Qualifying Tournament/Tryouts → Meeting of new team members

  Through the process, potential players may be evaluated on several criteria:

  • Technical skill
  • Communication
  • Flexibility
  • Teamwork
  • Role
  • Attitude & Maturity
  • Ranking & Experience

  Please note:

  Students will be offered a spot on the roster for a predetermined amount of time.  Each student player must constantly earn their spot and look to improve both as an individual and as a team as a whole.

• What are other ways to get involved?

  Team Managers (student role) – 10-15 hours per week volunteer role.  Manager coordinates practice schedules, schedules team matches and is part of the tryout selection process.

  Team Member (student role) – Unpaid. Students apply and participate in a tryout process for university teams. Students must agree to participate in team practices (approximately 3 hours of practice for 2-3 days a week) , follow the Code of Student Conduct and follow the rules of any given esports organization or tournament. Travel expenses would be paid for by the tournament organizer, university and/or the players.

  Stream Team (student role) – Unpaid volunteer role.  Stream team coordinates and organizes stream schedules of all teams competitions. This also includes clipping highlights from streams and posting in Discord and Youtube channels.

  There are open applications, selection criteria and try-out processes for enrolled students to earn a spot on each team. If you are interested in joining, please submit an application here. 

• Do Esports teams travel? If so, what are the logistics involved?

  Competitions are generally online with teams at their home locations. Only the largest tournaments are played at a neutral site, usually just the finals.

  When a team earns an invitation to a final match requiring travel, the Department of Wellness and Recreation (DWR) professional staff provides oversight addressing logistics as needed. There are cases when the tournament organizers pay for student/gamer travel accommodations.

• Are students compensated for playing on university Esports teams? If so, how?

  Currently, college-facing tournaments recruit student organizations or club teams who pay their own way. Any cash winnings come in the form of a scholarship and paid to the student’s university account.

Contact Us

 esports@miami.edu
 UM_Esports
 UM_Esports
 YouTube