Fantasy Football Is Making Its Way to the Classroom
Fantasy football has been around since the 1990's, but has seen a recent explosion in popularity over the last 5 years.
Burlington, VT, July 20, 2015 (Newswire.com) - Fantasy football has been around since the 1990's, but has seen a recent explosion in popularity over the last 5 years. During the early years, fantasy football managers would only score points when their team scored a touchdown. Not only was has the point system changed significantly over the years, but managers wouldn't know who won until someone manually calculated the score.
Today, there are hundreds of websites where users can play fantasy football, from free leagues to high-stakes leagues. Managers can also follow their fantasy team in real time, and see all scoring update after every single rushing yard, reception, and of course, touchdown.
Hard working employees are also leaving their 9-5 in a risky move to play daily fantasy football. With reputable websites such as FanDuel and DraftKings who pay out over $2 million dollars each week during the NFL season, it can be tempting to leave your job to play fantasy football. It's clear that fantasy football has made it's way into the heart and soul of the United States, and isn't leaving anytime soon.
This recent explosion with fantasy football has also spread through the education system, with various schools and colleges offering fantasy football courses. Typically known as a niche statistics course, universities are also trying to capitalize on this new craze. There are hundreds of university sponsored clubs and organizations such as this fantasy football club at UCONN (https://uconntact.uconn.edu/organization/fantasyfootball/about).
According to the FSTA, over 57 million people will play fantasy sports in 2015, with the average player spending upwards of $500. That means over 28,000,000,000 (yes, 28 BILLION) will be spent on fantasy football, fantasy baseball, and other fantasy sports in 2015. With an industry that big, it only makes sense that colleges and universities across the country are offering classes to learn more about it.