Electronic Gym Could Lead to Scholarships for Iowa Students

The University of Iowa introduced something new called the HawkeyE-Sports Arcade, to give gamers a place of their own. Love em' or hate em', video games are a giant money maker in today's society and have worked their way into colleges across the country.

They've become a huge part of pop culture and have led to many young adults making hundreds of thousands of dollars, or in some cases... millions. Whether that be playing professionally and being part of a sponsored team, streaming on platforms such as Youtube or Twitch, or winning various online tournaments, E-Sports gamers have found ways to make a lot of money from the comfort of a chair.

According to KCRG, the E-sports community at the University of Iowa used to meet up in various rooms in the Iowa Memorial Union but as the community continued to grow in popularity, school leaders wanted to give them their own space.

James Transue is a third-year student at the University of Iowa and he spoke to KCRG about the excitement gamers had when they found out about the HawkeyE-Sports Arcade.

It was big news to us when we heard this was going to be built. This scene is definitely better for newer players getting in. Especially in terms of skill level.

I like to think of this arcade room as the same thing as a weightlifting gym but for video games. Students can use the arcade to socialize with other gamers, practice getting better/stronger at their favorite games, and network with like-minded people.

If you're worried about your son or daughter heading to the University of Iowa and only focusing on video games, the University does have a plan in place to help prevent some of that. KCRG reports there is a time limit on many of the Xbox, PS5, Nintendo, and arcade-style machines.

As someone who occasionally likes to play Warzone (a battle royal style game if you don't know) with his buddies from different states, we'll get together to catch up and enjoy playing some games. Those of us who don't have kids can play a little more often and for longer periods of time. The idea of the time limit is a fantastic idea from the creators of the HawkeyE-Sports arcade.

It is so easy to lose track of time while staring at your tv or computer monitor and before you know it, it's been two hours. Setting these time limits should help in terms of kids still being able to get their schoolwork done, while also enjoying the arcade room.

Jamarco Clark is the Assistant Dean of Students and the Director of Leadership & Engagement, (that's one heck of a title) and he spoke to KCRG about the time limit restrictions. The arcade room is open from 11 a.m to 11 p.m

We appreciate that the students want to come here and play, but we don’t want them in here all night playing. Definitely want to make sure the academics are coming first, but an opportunity for them to do this as well.

The opportunities that can come from this arcade room are endless. As E-Sports continue to grow in popularity and as teams are added to college campuses throughout the country, the University of Iowa could add E-Sports scholarships to the school.

I'm not saying teenagers should put all of their time into playing video games. It's important to grow as a person in the various aspects of life but if you have a son or daughter who can become a master at video games and get their school work done, don't throw away the idea of them wanting to go to college to be a "gamer."

It could lead to them signing multimillion-dollar deals in the future. Ask this gentleman from Iowa, who's done exactly that. He's made millions playing video games. He goes by Marksman

You can also find out how one Iowan went from video game farming to doing the real thing. Find out how one Iowan went from virtual to real-life farming.