MANSFIELD, Ma. - With its recent additions to the conference's membership, The National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) announced today it has officially surpassed 100 colleges and universities that will be competing in the esports conference. The NECC, which is set to officially begin its Season One of competition in September, has seen rapid growth since it begain competition in the fall of 2020.
The conference hit the milestone earlier this month and features schools throughout North America. NECC member schools represent 33 different states and three different canadian provinces.
‘’This has truly been a humbling experience,” said NECC Commissioner Jacob VanRyn. “When we really began this effort about 16 months ago, we thought we had a good idea and a strong working concept, but we didn't know we would get the kind of support that we have. We've always been intentional in making sure that everything we do is with our players in mind and making sure that each person has a positive experience competing in the NECC."
Since the conference began competition, the NECC has prided itself on providing a first-class experience for its players, while working to create a structure that ensures safe and fair play for all of its competitors. Following the spring semester, the conference awarded 19 national champions across five game titles.
"To be totally honest, I am somewhat stunned we reached this milestone before our official Year One of competition," said the NECC's Director of Esports Caleb Glube. It's been awesome working with all of our directors, coaches, and most importantly, our players, and we're excited to continue growing and and continuing to get better."
The NECC's fall semester of play is scheduled to begin in mid-September. The conference streams NECC action five nights per week during the regular season across all of its streaming channels – Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube; as well as on ESTV - the NECC's linear television partner.
Recently, the NECC also announced the first of its scholastic LAN events which are scheduled to take place throughout the upcoming academic year. The Hometown Series of events will kick off with a two-day event in South Bend, Indiana at the beautiful Bendix Esports Arena. The event is being hosted in conjunction with Bethel University.
ABOUT NECC ESPORTS
The NECC began sponsoring esports in the fall of 2020. The NECC is currently sponsoring both regular season competition and championships across a wide variety of titles. The conference aims to serve the gaming community with respect and is a safe and inclusive environment. With more than 100 colleges and universities currently competing in the conference, the NECC is proud to be a positive home for the collegiate gaming community. For more information, please visit necc.gg or follow us @neccgames on Twitter or Instagram
NECC Membership Map
