Last month saw the initial unveiling of the Scholastic Esports Awards, an initiative by Esports Foundry and Voice of Intercollegiate Esports (VOICE). The Scholastic Esports Awards are a brand new project designed to bring together educators, students, and industry experts for a celebration of talent, dedication, and innovation within the scholastic esports space. Awards are not uncommon in scholastic esports, with many conferences and organizations having their own awards and accolades to recognize and celebrate achievements at the end of a competitive season.
Attempts at building a flagship product that is universally recognized within the industry, however, are rare. The expansive and diverse nature of scholastic esports is the underlying symptom, as it is difficult for any single entity or organization to become the industry recognized standard without widespread support from the community.
The Scholastic Esports Awards announces today a series of strategic partnerships with many of the largest organizations within the college ecosystem. Joining both Esports Foundry and VOICE in their commitment to this project are the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC), the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC), and the National Junior College Association of America (NJCAAE). This represents a historic first within the collegiate esports industry where a majority of the largest competitive conferences are collectively signing onto a single initiative.
“These are exciting times for the world of education and esports!” Says Daniel Clerke, Director of Esports at Maryville University and board member of VOICE.
“The Scholastic Esports Awards are a game-changer, and VOICE views this initiative as a vital component of how we continue to promote esports as a permanent part of the educational experience.” It is important for the Scholastic Esports Awards to maintain front and center that this is a collaborative effort that needs to involve as many people as possible. Without the participation of the community, there is far less ability to ensure that acknowledgements and awards are distributed properly and equitably. Keven Barrera from Esports Foundry agrees, “The Scholastic Esports Awards will create a unique experience for Administrators, Coaches, Directors, and Students. Our collegiate partners, Esports Foundry and VOICE, will undoubtedly provide the utmost holistic approach to scholastic achievement, education, and development.”
The ECAC, NACE, NECC, and NJCAAE each will work with the Scholastic Esports Awards to deliver unique programming opportunities to their communities, players, and members at the event. Each organization will also work with the Scholastic Esports Awards and future partners to come in order to ensure that productive and meaningful topical conversations can occur at the event for attendees of all backgrounds.
Additionally, each organization will help promote attendance of the Scholastic Esports Awards with a registration code, giving their communities and members a discount on tickets to the event. They will also contribute to the nomination and voting process of the awards, ensuring that the collegiate community’s perspectives are well represented and visible.
The following statements are provided by the leadership of each organization to hear why they have partnered with the Scholastic Esports Awards and what makes this initiative different.
"We are thrilled to be partnering with the Scholastic Esports Awards and to be a part of this effort overall. Recognizing excellence in the entire space is important and we are proud to support this initiative. We are extremely proud to announce that we are working with Voice and Esports Foundry in a much more formal manner to enhance opportunities for NECC members, directors, and coaches. It's an honor for us to be so closely aligned with organizations that are working tirelessly to enhance collegiate esports and very much aligns with our efforts at the NECC,” said Jacob VanRyn.
“The ECAC is honored to partner with the Scholastic Esports Awards in fostering the growth of the scholastic esports ecosystem,” said Lydia Fister, “We are excited to join forces in celebrating achievements, encouraging further development within the community, and to unite in one space."
“The NJCAAE is proud to partner with Esports Foundry and VOICE in a combined effort to bring greater awareness to collegiate esports. The NJCAAE views any endeavor that shines a spotlight on success stories in 2-year college esports as worthwhile and worthy of our greatest efforts.” says Jeff White.
“We are thrilled to join forces with Esports Foundry and other leading organizations to build and operate the College Esports Awards. This collaboration represents a significant step forward in recognizing and celebrating the achievements of student gamers and the institutions that support them. Importantly this will come from the organizations centered in collegiate esports as well,” said Michael Brooks, “Together, we will elevate collegiate esports to new heights, fostering a community that values excellence, teamwork, and innovation.”
The Scholastic Esports Awards plan to share further partnerships from scholastic industry organizations, as well as information in regards to a venue announcement in the coming weeks.
ABOUT ESPORTS FOUNDRY
Esports FoundryTM offers complete esports consulting services, tailored to manage and grow esports centers, schools, and organizations. From facility and program development to center management software to apparel they can help your program regardless of where you are in the process.
ABOUT VOICE
Voice of Intercollegiate Esports (VOICE) is a non-profit organization uniting higher education in collegiate esports through research, education, and advocacy. VOICE shapes the landscape of higher education by building an inclusive and sustainable collegiate esports ecosystem that represents the best interests of students and institutions. The President's Advisory Council of VOICE, composed of university leaders, spearheads initiatives to tackle industry issues and drive the organization's mission forward.
ABOUT THE NECC
The NECC fosters innovative competition experiences, provides quality broadcasting services, and works to support an inclusive community within collegiate esports. The NECC was started to provide the collegiate gaming community with the respect it warranted and deserved. The conference prides itself on responding to the needs of its schools, directors, coaches, and most importantly - its players.
With more than 500 colleges and universities currently competing, the NECC strives to be a positive home for the collegiate gaming community.
For more information about the NECC, their schools, games, and community, visit their website at https://necc.gg/
