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Reporter
What do you think these scholarships are going to do for some of these kids?

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David Letterman
Beer money, probably.

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Jacob Hale
David Letterman brought his signature sense of humor back to campus to celebrate a partnership between his racing team, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Ball State's esports program. Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns says that the investment in the e-sports program brings students together.

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Geoffrey Mearns
So this investment that we've made in this facility is producing a great return already. It's bringing students together from different disciplines, not just students who want to compete as esports athletes, but also students who want to be involved in broadcasting or media design or business.

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Jacob Hale
The partnership brings with it Rahal Letterman Lanigan Scholarship, a four year, $ 5,000 award provided to two members of the university's esports team. Esports varsity coach Blake Hall says that the scholarship sends a message to the sport's athletes.

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Blake Hall
I mean, it's just awesome to see support to our program as a whole, no matter what form it is. But it's just great that you know, students are going to be able to come here and, you know, be able to, you know, get help financially with their school and also be able to compete at a level they want to.

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Jacob Hale
The scholarship begins during the fall 2022 semester. However, the deadline for the application is March 15th. The sole prerequisite is that the applicant has some experience in either simulation racing or real life racing. In Muncie, Jacob Hale, IPR news.