There is a lot to be thankful for here at Siena Heights, but there are also some things to complain about. One of those things that many students note that they wish could be fixed is the allocation of funds. There never seems to be enough of it to go around. So, when the announcement about the new Esports team was made, there were some eyebrows raised.

One problem that students often point to is that they do not believe that the university does an adequate enough job of maintaining the current venues such as the Fieldhouse. Why would the school add a new team if there is not enough funding for the current teams as it is?

Let’s be honest, Esports will not bring in spectators that will pay much of anything for tickets to go to these matches. Where will their money come from?

It is also known that these gamers are able to make money at their tournaments. As student may know, any NAIA student-athlete (football, basketball, volleyball, etc.) cannot accept any money for participating in a sport or their career as an amateur will be disqualified. The same apparently does not apply for Esports athletes, so will they be given the unfair advantage of making money and getting a scholarship at the same time?

The tuition at Siena Heights has also risen over the last couple of years. According to their website, tuition has gone up in the last year by over $1,000. Is that extra money paying for this new sport?

Now to be fair, there are some pros to having an Esports team on campus. For example, when the team is at its capacity, there will be about 40 athletes who are paying at least some of the tuition which will bring money into the school. It could also bring in a more diverse group of students to the school instead of just mostly traditional athletes.

It would be best if the university came out and explained all of this in a town hall-style meeting. The students should be able to know where their money is going, and how the school plans on making their academic experience here better.

SPECTRA