Super Smash Bros. Ultimate scholarships are now a thing, thanks to a US university

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Stay in school kids, but also keep playing Smash Bros, 'cause you never know

(Image credit: Nintendo)

The very first scholarship for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players is being offered by the University of California, Irvine (UCI), for the 2019-2020 academic year. The American university's esports program is able to host the scholarship thanks to a generous $50,000 donation by Brian Calle, declared gamer and CEO of Irvine Weekly and LA Weekly publisher Street Media.

"We are fortunate to be able to offer scholarships to League of Legends and Overwatch players. When a donor emerged with a desire to support one of his favorite games, we knew this was something we had to pursue to create more opportunities for the ‘Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’ student gaming community," says Mark Deppe, director of UCI Esports.

UCI's own UCI Esports and TAG Smash Ultimate Club will decide on the six lucky competitors to receive $6,000 in scholarship funds, who will need to practice between 10 and 15 hours a week, keep up a 2.0 GPA, and compete in tournaments to remain on the program. The remainder of the $50,000 donation will be used to cover administrative costs.

Esports scholarships are nothing new, and some of the more recent games to afford its finest competitive players the chance to make some dough include Apex Legends, League of Legends, Overwatch, and of course, Fortnite. UCI's new scholarship will be the very first for Smash Bros. Ultimate, which released last December.

Hoping for a shot at a Smash Bros. Ultimate scholarship? We'll teach you how to get good with any fighter.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.