League of Legends: Michigan vs Ohio State tonight @ 6 pm ET
Title says it all. Streaming information available here: https://ulol.na.leagueoflegends.com/categories/all/news/full-btn-league-schedule
Team information, with league standings and rosters, are available here: https://ulol.na.leagueoflegends.com/competitive/bigtennetwork. Michigan leads its division (OSU is in 4th behind Rutgers and Maryland), so I will keep a lookout for any potential playoff information and hope BTN2Go won't lock future matches behind a paywall.
HT: austinnt from January thread: http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/um-vs-osu-league-legends-btn2go-february-27th
FAQ: "What is League of Legends?"
Riot Games has a 5.5-minute video explaining the basic premise behind the game: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGtROJeMPeE
February 27th, 2017 at 4:51 PM ^
The site you linked says it is on at 6 pacific time, not eastern.
Edit: Also, both of your links are the same link (even though the first has a different text).
February 27th, 2017 at 4:59 PM ^
No, LoL
February 27th, 2017 at 4:59 PM ^
Good catch on the inconsistent times. BTN2Go says it starts at 6 pm ET on the stream link: http://www.btn2go.com/game/ohio-st-at-michigan-on-02272017
February 27th, 2017 at 4:50 PM ^
What is League of Legends?
I thought at first the Big Ten was going back to the old division names.
February 27th, 2017 at 4:52 PM ^
It's a video game.
February 27th, 2017 at 4:53 PM ^
It's a competitive video game (eSports). This thread is undoubtedly meant to discuss the definition of "sport".
February 27th, 2017 at 5:02 PM ^
what? WD does not approve? You follow the other 158,698,528,412 Michigan sports/activites/charities/merchandise/news/tidbits....
February 27th, 2017 at 5:42 PM ^
Actually, I am half-surprised he didn't start this thread himself, given that he does follow Michigan athletics and beyond right down to knowing who is on the signout sheet for the projectors in Weidenbach Hall.
February 27th, 2017 at 5:46 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 6:05 PM ^
the follow-up diary analyzing the match? /s
February 27th, 2017 at 4:55 PM ^
However I still cannot get into esports\professional video gaming
Although I'd rather play a sport than watch it and can only stomach watch a few professional games as it is.
February 27th, 2017 at 4:58 PM ^
Uhh...ok. I have no intention of watching it whatsoever but I'm glad we're winning.
February 27th, 2017 at 5:02 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 5:03 PM ^
I love playing video games and understand that they are competitive and that people make money playing them, but they're not sports.
February 27th, 2017 at 5:19 PM ^
Ctrl+F "Sports"
Yup, you're the first one to say it.
February 27th, 2017 at 5:09 PM ^
Thanks for no mention of "sports" in the OP. Nothing wrong with calling video games what they are.
February 27th, 2017 at 5:23 PM ^
the college part of it makes no sense
February 27th, 2017 at 5:50 PM ^
Should we be concerned the Big Ten Network is this desperate for viewers/sponsors?
Is the ESPN bubble bursting causing our schools to freak out?
What is next? Oscar Meyer sponsored hot dog eating contests between the schools?
Maybe Twitter could sponsor some comparison of Twitter followers by school?
Or, Domino's could sponsor a delivery contest in ech B1G college town?
This has Dave Brandon written all over it.....
February 27th, 2017 at 6:45 PM ^
Despite what you and many others in this thread think, eposrts is huge. I know that these players aren't athletes in the traditional sense, but they are highly skilled at what they do. Along with its size, esports has a lot of mony to be made being a player. Here is the highest played players in the world
http://www.esportsearnings.com/players/highest-overall
The highest earning player has made over $2.7 mil!!!
February 27th, 2017 at 7:08 PM ^
It's also the demographic it brings in as well. Tough to argue with a lot of esports numbers in the past 5 years. However, LoL should probably just stick to twitch, the numbers are going to be abysmal, if it isn't a pro final for CS/LoL/DotA
February 27th, 2017 at 7:32 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 8:13 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 8:59 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 7:38 PM ^
Let's compare viewership numbers of League of Legends to some other sports:
2016 league world championship had peak concurrent viewership of 14.7M and 43M unique viewers:
http://www.lolesports.com/en_US/articles/2016-league-legends-world-cham…
Here is the history of the frozen four title game viewership, highest was 717K in 2014:
http://www.sbncollegehockey.com/2016/4/12/11415322/2016-frozen-four-tv-…
That was just college sports. Let's compare to professional. 2016 NHL finals averaged about 4M viewers per game.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Cup_Finals_television_ratings
I think it is wise to try to tap into that viewership market, personally. Hardly a sign of desperation.
February 27th, 2017 at 8:46 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 10:15 PM ^
honestly you have no idea what you're talking about. I would STFU and learn before making ridiculous claims like "doesn't encourage intellect"
the kids playing these games are I would guess the top performers in their schools and increidlby gifted athletes. Their neuro-placticity and hand-eye coordination would rival any professional athlete and would put you to shame.
yes, they're probably smarter than you. Probably. But certainly they wouldn't make idiotic comments about other sports they know nothing about.
February 27th, 2017 at 10:31 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 10:59 PM ^
great job googling; again I would recommend you STFU before you continue embarassing yourself.
you know nothing of what you speak. ESPN has fired a million people and is dropping business lines left and right and the ONLY vertical they started last year from scratch was eSports. But because you're so wise, you probably know more than ESPN and Disney.
February 27th, 2017 at 11:14 PM ^
February 28th, 2017 at 12:08 AM ^
you actually think video games are bad for you. you also probably still wish we could go back to the good ol' days of WWII and man wish we could get those coal mines up and running again because they were good for us.
Am I close? either way i'm done with you. stupidity isn't worth engaging. When you dig deeper than 3 googles into a topic, then you can speak. Until then, your opinion is less than worthless.
February 28th, 2017 at 12:08 AM ^
you actually think video games are bad for you. you also probably still wish we could go back to the good ol' days of WWII and man wish we could get those coal mines up and running again because they were good for us.
Am I close? either way i'm done with you. stupidity isn't worth engaging. When you dig deeper than 3 googles into a topic, then you can speak. Until then, your opinion is less than worthless.
February 28th, 2017 at 10:20 AM ^
Why does what people are doing have to prepare them to be the leaders of tomorrow? You're getting sucked in by business-school branding. But while we're on the subject, we should probably stop playing football. At least League doesn't give you ALS and take away your ability to walk when you're 40! How are you supposed to be a leader if you can't even think or walk?
February 28th, 2017 at 10:50 AM ^
Playing football is better for your health than not playing. That is a fact. While injuries and things happen, the benefit far outweighs the harm. (The most common harm being heart issues for big linemen).
Aside from that, it is not that we can't all enjoy games, etc. Not everything has to be for your personal betterment. It is just that schools should not sponsor things that are pure leisure activities.
Drinking beer is fine. We just dont need a Michigan beer-drinking team. Competitive eating with friends can be fun, but no need for a team. No need for a juggling team, a poker team, etc.
Have fun, but attaching the University's name to this one particular video game reeks of Dave Brandon.
February 28th, 2017 at 1:22 PM ^
"That is a fact."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NFL_players_with_chronic_traumati…
But while we're on the subject (I'm saying this a lot, since you like to move the goalposts when arguing), sports are exactly what you mean by "pure leisure activities". Unless, of course, you have a rigorous definition that can somehow exclude competitive video gaming.
Face it, it's your own antiquated attitude that's making you so opposed to this. Maybe try being a little more open-minded and understand a little bit more about the thing you're arguing so vehemently against.
February 27th, 2017 at 5:51 PM ^
Man I wish e-gaming was big when I was in college. Would have smoked fools in WoW.
February 27th, 2017 at 7:51 PM ^
Do you play? What's your IGN? Mine is teepod.
FYI - Michigan won the best of 3 2-0.
February 27th, 2017 at 7:56 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 8:01 PM ^
but I'll look you up if I start again. IGN is 'Guvunator'.
February 27th, 2017 at 8:01 PM ^
February 27th, 2017 at 9:44 PM ^
Not gonna lie, mgonuke has my favorite avatar. Also:
February 27th, 2017 at 10:26 PM ^
I don't even like watching people play video games when we're hanging out in a living room and a few people are playing on the TV. Don't get this. At all.
February 28th, 2017 at 10:55 AM ^
I'm not into watching competitive video games either, but your comparison is bad. It would be like saying "I don't even like watching middle schoolers throw a football around in the backyard, why would I watch college football games? Don't get this at all."
February 28th, 2017 at 1:51 AM ^
February 28th, 2017 at 10:18 AM ^
It's not an affront to actual athletes who understand how difficult it is to get to the top of any sort of competition. It's only an affront to people like you who need to satisfy their pride because they never reached that level.
February 28th, 2017 at 11:51 AM ^
I never played sports at a high level, I just watch them. I respect eSports as a competition like I respect Chess and other games as competitive, but to call them athletes is a joke.