This California university will pay half your college tuition just for playing video games

Paul Szoldra/Business Insider

If you're looking for a near-free ride to a major university in beautiful southern California, there's one in Irvine that may be right up your alley.

The University of California-Irvine is recruiting students on partial scholarships dedicated solely to video gaming. And with the upcoming grand opening of its eSports arena on campus, the school has become a "Mecca for gamers," according to Mark Deppe.

As the acting director of UCI eSports, Deppe is the brains behind the university's new eSports facility.

Deppe has transformed the former campus pool hall into a state-of-the-art gaming arena that's set to open on September 23. The gaming arena will host regular student gamers as well as the school's 10-player team, which will compete in tournaments that include millions of dollars in prize money.

Here's what it's like: