America East Inaugural Esports Event Shifts Online
BOSTON – Looking to keep students connected with each other and their universities during these unprecedented times, the America East Conference announced today its first-ever America East esports event presented by Hercules Tires will be held online on April 25. The online event replaces the conference’s inaugural Esports Invitational, which was scheduled for April 18 at the University at Albany but postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The online event is open to all students at America East member institutions, who will square off for prizes in a single-elimination, best-of-three SuperSmash Bros. Ultimate tournament from home while practicing social distancing. Registration, which is free, is now open and closes on April 23. Register now!
“We are excited to be able to help fill that live-sport void with this event and offer a platform for students at our member institutions to connect with other students in an enjoyable way during this difficult time,” said America East Commissioner, Amy Huchthausen.
“Esports was already one of the fastest-growing industries in the world and it has come even more to the forefront now given the current circumstances we live in,” said America East Commissioner, Amy Huchthausen. “We are excited to be able to help fill that live-sport void with this event and offer a platform for students at our member institutions to connect with other students in an enjoyable way during this difficult time.”
Additional information, including prize and broadcast details, as well as the bracket will be announced at a later date.
America East’s esports venture, an initiative of the conference’s Academic Consortium, continues the league’s commitment to innovation, emerging technologies and student engagement. The in-person invitational will be re-scheduled for a future date.
About America East: The America East provides its member schools and their athletic programs a platform upon which student-athletes can achieve both collegiate and life success through the promotion and nurturing of athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership, on and off the field. One of the most comprehensive Division I conferences in the country and progressive in its approach to its more than 3,400 student-athletes, America East recognizes champions in each of its 18 sports and consists of members spanning from the Mid-Atlantic to Northeast regions of the United States including: University at Albany, Binghamton University, University of Hartford, University of Maine, UMBC, UMass Lowell, University of New Hampshire, Stony Brook University and University of Vermont. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com or follow the America East Conference on Twitter @AmericaEast.
About the America East Academic Consortium: Established in June 2014, the America East Academic Consortium (AEAC) is dedicated to facilitating inter-institutional academic and administrative collaboration between the nine universities that comprise the America East Conference. To learn more about the AEAC, please visit the initiative’s website at www.theaeac.org.
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