EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Council of Presidents approved bylaws to launch an Esports League and Championships in 2020 at their spring meetings that concluded this week in New York City. The presidents approved Esports as an official MAAC co-ed club sport. The decision comes after two years of evaluation and co-sponsorship of events with the ECAC, including the highly successful HV Gamer Con 2019 in Albany, NY.
“The MAAC membership is excited to launch these new championships for its student-athletes and welcome Esports into league affiliation,” notes MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “For the member schools, these championships will engage Generation Z in competitive sports and the benefits long associated with traditional sports including teamwork and leadership training. It will also assist member schools in their enrollment and retention efforts that are key goals of the MAAC as it seeks to excel in academics and athletics.”
“Over the last two years the MAAC has seen a tremendous response and growth from its membership in terms of Esports,” MAAC Esports consultant Kiernan Ensor states. “Moreover, the member schools have seen success in game as well with both Canisius and Marist winning championships. This next step will only lead to better results, a more attractive opportunity for student-players, and more engagement for fans.”
The 2020 MAAC Esports Championships will be held in the Adrian Phillips Theater at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The 2020 Championships will feature four games: League of Legends, Rocket League, Overwatch, and Super Smash Ultimate. The expectation is that eight schools will compete for each title, bringing the total number of teams competing to 32 with over 200 players participating in the championship. Individual tickets will allow fans entry to both the Esports and basketball championships.
“I want to thank the Boardwalk Hall management team and the CRDA for working with the MAAC on jointly hosting the MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships and the Esports Championships in this world-famous venue,” Noted Commissioner Ensor. “We see this effort as increasing fan attendance to both championships, as well as adding to the number of students, fans and families staying in the resort’s hotels.”
MAAC schools will compete in a regular season competition online, capped by a conference championship that will be held in conjunction with its men’s and women’s basketball championships. Current MAAC schools with Esports teams include Canisius College, Fairfield University, Marist College, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College, although it’s expected all member schools will sponsor some teams for the 2020 Championships.
“The evolution of Esports on our campuses makes this formal structure the practical next step for our MAAC member institutions,” Canisius Director of Athletics Bill Maher said. “As we continually look for new ways to recruit and engage the next generation of students, the MAAC Esports competition structure will provide students on all 11 campuses with a terrific opportunity to compete for a MAAC Championship.”
The winners of the MAAC Championships will advance to the national championships, with final details of the events to be announced in the fall.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 38
th year of competition during the 2018-19 academic year. Current Conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.