‘The Future Way of Life’
Christian Lundgaard, a driver with Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing, participates in a live INDYCAR and Motorsports Games esports race Feb. 9 at Ball State’s Esports Center.
With backing of TV icon, 1969 graduate David Letterman, Ball State and Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing announce esports partnership, scholarships
For Jacob Clouse, the idea just made too much sense not to pursue.
Despite being in his second month on the job at Rahal Letterman Lanigan (RLL) Racing, where he was hired as Social Media & Digital Content Coordinator less than one year after graduating from Ball State, Mr. Clouse confidently pitched a plan to his bosses: why don’t we match Ball State and its brand new Esports program with the University’s most famous alumnus and his beloved racing team?
Less than a year later—with that alumnus, David Letterman, ’69, in attendance—the University and the central Indiana-based racing team formally announced their unique partnership, which includes scholarships and other meaningful opportunities for Ball State Esports students through the 2025-26 academic year.
Mr. Letterman posed for photos with, left to right, Dan Marino, Ball State Esports director; Dr. Paaige Turner, dean of the College of Communication, Information, and Media; and Ball State President Geoffrey S. Mearns.
The partnership was announced Feb. 9 in an event at Ball State’s state-of-the-art Esports Center, where RLL drivers Jack Harvey and Christian Lundgaard participated in a live INDYCAR and Motorsport Games esports race utilizing the same racing simulator equipment that is available for and used by Ball State students.
“I’m just a guy that loves cameras, loves what he does, and also loves where he went to school,” said Mr. Clouse, ’20, who earned his degree in Digital Production from Ball State’s College of Communication, Information, and Media, which houses the Esports program. “And seeing all of these come together in one spot, just off an idea, and seeing the team and University have faith in this concept, has been a big thing for me. I’m super pumped to see what happens with it, and to see it grow and develop.”
Among the key aspects of the partnership is the establishment of the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Scholarship, which will provide a $5,000 scholarship to two members of Ball State’s varsity esports team each year from the 2022-23 through 2025-26 academic years, advancing the program’s mission of recruiting and retaining the top esports talent in the world.
David Letterman, ‘69, meets with students, faculty, and staff at the partnership announcement between Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and Ball State’s Esports program.
In his famous brand of humor, Mr. Letterman openly admitted he’s no expert when it comes to the billion-dollar esports industry. But he beamed with sincere pride as he described two of his life’s passions coming together to form a strategic partnership that will make a significant impact on students at his alma mater.
“To come and see this, my college, to have the foresight and … (to) be doing that with the racing team I’ve been together with, I’m telling ya, I feel like a kid at Christmas,” Mr. Letterman said, standing in the 3,611 square-foot Esports Center facility just down the hall from the building that now bears his name. “This is delightful. And, by the way, not just for us, we’re talking about humanity. We’re looking at the future of the way of life.”
Ball State has more than 800 students that participate in its student-run Esports Club, including more than 50 student-athletes on its varsity esports team, which is led by program director Dan Marino.
