Collegiate League of Legends and Valorant champs have to pay for their own trophies

polygon.com:

For the past year, college students and esports players from Texas A&M University and St. Louis University have been juggling school work and video games with a singular goal in mind: to take home the championship trophy. On June 9, five Texas A&M Valorant players hoisted a stunning trophy made of glittering red shards after winning the College Valorant Championship; the day prior, St. Louis University League of Legends players lifted their own trophy, a striking red gem surrounded by polished silver after winning the College League of Legends Championship.

After their respective wins, both the League of Legends and Valorant collegiate champions were informed the trophies weren’t theirs after all. If they wanted one of their own, they’d have to pay up. The price? Each respective trophy would cost around $10,000. For the League of Legends players at St. Louis University, that’s one fifth of the $50,000 in prize winnings they were awarded. But for the Valorant players at Texas A&M, it’s double their $5,000 prize. Since then, the teams have tried to appeal to Riot Games and its external partners for assistance, but several community members are also trying to help: JT Vandenbree, who led Riot’s collegiate esports program until he was laid off in January, started a GoFundMe to raise money for trophies. So far, it’s raised almost $2,000 of its $20,000 goal.

We are your 2024 College League of Legends National Champions.

The first National championship win in program history. <a href=«https://twitter.com/hashtag/SLUWIN?src=hash&ref_src=» https:>#SLUWIN

| <a href=«https://twitter.com/hashtag/ROLLBILLS?src=hash&ref_src=» https:>#ROLLBILLS | <a href=«https://twitter.com/SLU_Official?ref_src=» https:>@SLU_Official pic.twitter.com/Sdw2S4zXxd

“When I learned that the teams would have to pay for the trophy, especially knowing TAMU is a club team without institutional support, I was heartbroken,” Vandenbree told Polygon. “Without the means to do anything within Riot, I figured I