With the advent of LCS this year, League of Legends has continued its trend of rapid growth. LCS matches pull in around 200k viewers at any point in time and these numbers will only continue to grow as more is at stake. Riot has done a phenomenal job at feeding the professional scene with the introduction of player salaries, promotion series, and the risk of relegation. We see teams like Dignitas and Curse being sent into matches that will determine their future as professional players, and on the other hand underdogs like Good Game University rising to make a statement. All of this drama is what generates buzz and drives the growing interest of eSports in general.

I however believe there’s a large component of the current LoL competitive scene that is missing, which is the establishment of an amateur league. To clarify what I mean by “amateur”, I’m talking about those players who can play at a competitive level, but haven’t found their way onto the big 8 or so teams we’re all familiar with in our respective region. Riot has introduced the whole promotion series into the mix, which allowing the top teams from online ladders to qualify for a chance at a spot in the championship. I believe this was a fantastic addition and it’s great to see new teams pop up and add a refreshing experience to the scene. However, for most of us watching these games are the first time we’ve ever heard, seen, or realized that these teams existed. For us as viewers there is no connection to these teams or the players within them.

So I propose this. Why not create a “minor” league as a sort of feeder program to the larger competitive teams in the scene. Run it like LCS with casters, streams, and weekly match-ups with something to play for, perhaps a sponsorship? Every team has subs that are virtually non-existent until they are used on the team. Perfect example being WildTurtle. Here is a player that seemingly came out of nowhere. No on really knew where he came from, who he was, or what he was capable of. Yes, he was on Cloud9 before, but how often do we even get exposure to a team like Cloud9 besides a few Rising Stars Invitationals scattered throughout the year? Fast forward a bit, and TSM takes home the number one finish at the spring split, largely do in part to the performance of WildTurtle. It was an amazing story and now everyone loves the Turtle.

Step back for a second and enter a new scenario. In between these big LCS tournaments your watching the LoL Minor Leagues. Your favorite team is Team X because they have this really awesome ADC called WildTurtle and he’s super goofy looking but is an incredible player. You grow attached to him and watch him play all throughout this “minor” league season. All of a sudden drama unfolds and TSM needs a new ADC. Naturally, TSM immediately turns to these minor league feeder programs to look for a new player. What do you know, WildTurtle gets pulled up to the big leagues to help TSM compete in the Spring Split. Another player replaces WT on his minor league team and all of a sudden WildTurtle has the opportunity to play for TSM. You know him already, you’ve followed him throughout his “minor” career, you’ve established a connection with him, and now you get to watch him play with the pros. What an experience that just created!

That experience is what I feel is lacking from the competitive scene right now. Try to focus on the experience I just proposed instead of the details and logistics. It’s something that traditional sports offer and it works for them. There wouldn’t be a Sports Center every morning without stories, last-minute trades, big contracts, rising stars, and all of the drama that happens behind the scenes to get people connected to the players and teams. I believe the LoL scene is already largely successful in many aspects, and Riot’s recent implementations have been a large part of how huge it’s becoming. With an impressive professional scene built up, and a larger than life S3 Championship on the horizon, I think it’s time to pay some attention to the untapped potential within aspiring amateurs.