Inaugural Esports Invitational To Deliver Action, Prizes This Weekend
BOSTON – Poised for an action-packed event with significant prizes at stake, the inaugural America East Esports Invitational presented by Hercules Tires will take place on Saturday, April 25. The online event, the conference’s inaugural Esports Invitational is being held in place of the live event which was scheduled for April 18 at UAlbany but postponed to next fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over 50 players made up of students from all nine America East member institutions will square off for prizes in a single-elimination, best-of-three SuperSmash Bros. Ultimate tournament from home while practicing social distancing.
Players will compete for over $2,500 is scholarship money with the tournament champion receiving $1,500! The runner up will earn $500 while third place garners $300 and fourth place takes home $200. The remaining quarterfinalists will earn America East swag prize packs. In additional to the scholarship money, the champion will also win a set of tires valued at $600 that will be provided by Hercules Tires, the invitational’s presenting sponsor.
The event kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday and will be broadcast on the Esports Gaming Federation’s (EGF) platforms including Twitch and You Tube. Select early-round matches will be broadcast along with all matches from the quarterfinals through the finals. Highlights will also be available on the platforms following the matches.
“We are proud to partner with the America East on its inaugural Esports invitational and present the winner of the tournament with a set of Hercules Tires”, said Nakia Medlin, Hercules Tires Director of Marketing. “We’re seeing the competitive gaming culture grow exponentially and the America East eSports invitational is the perfect outlet right now when there’s a need for fun, competition that’s missing with traditional sports being on hiatus.”
Fans can also follow the day’s action by visiting the official event website and following America East’s official Twitter account.
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.
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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