KENOSHA, Wis. — The Carthage College esports program has announced that they will begin their inaugural season competing in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC).

"I am excited to be joining the NECC as our inaugural season draws near for the fall," said director of esports Kevin Palmer. There was a lot of thought put into choosing an athletic conference, and the NECC hit the mark on allowing us to offer a great variety of esport titles, while not going too big for our first year as a varsity program. The NECC also has a great structure with divisional play, and offers a lot of opportunities for our student-athletes to succeed both on the digital playing field, and in their personal lives."

"We're thrilled to welcome Carthage to the NECC," said Commissioner Jacob VanRyn. "From my first discussion with Kevin, I knew he had a plan and will work to build a tremendous program at Carthage. We're excited to work with their program and players." 

The Firebirds will be competing in all five games offered by the NECC during the upcoming year including: League of Legends, Overwatch, Rainbow Six: Siege, Rocket League, and Valorant. Tournaments and events are scheduled through the academic year, beginning with the NECC Kickoff Classic in August and ending with the NECC Spring Championship in May. Over 80 colleges and universities across the country currently compete in the conference, including CCIW schools Carroll and Illinois Wesleyan, and local schools such as the University of Wisconsin, Lakeland, and Concordia Wisconsin.

The Carthage esports team is still actively recruiting student-athletes, with the recruitment application available here. Any applicants can expect an email with a discord invitation within a week if you are currently an active student.

Foo more information on Carthage, you can follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/carthageathletics, Twitter @CarthageSports, and on Instagram by following @CarthageAthletics.

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 90 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