There is a LSU team ranked number one in the nation this year.
But they don’t play on a football field or on the baseball mound. 
They sit in front of a computer screen playing Heroes of the Storm, an online-multiplayer video game. Leading that charge is LSU Esports director Ben Hosford.
“Im a big sports player as it is, and then being able to put it with video games, it’s two passions put together,” Hosford said.
Last year Hosford and the rest of the LSU squad qualified for the national Heroes of the Dorm tournament in Las Vegas. Out of over 200 teams, they finished second after ultimately losing to the University of Texas Arlington in the finals.
“I mean, obviously it meant a lot,” Hosford said. “Dorm in a winner-take-all sort of thing, for second, third and fourth you just get a PC, first place your looking at $75,000.”
Unlike other schools around the nation, LSU doesn’t offer scholarships for Esports competitors, meaning that $75,000 could’ve gone a long way.
“Everything we do as a club is self-funded,” Hosford said. “When we were practicing, I also was juggling a student-job as well, where I was working 15 hours a week on top…that would take away from practice.”
But while they may not be there yet, Hosford does see potential in the future of Esports at LSU.
“It’s not just about the teams either, it’s about the community, having the space for students to come, hang out, play together, develop social skills i guess, and be in an environment where they can be comfortable doing what they love.”