The National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) has released more information about its upcoming schedule of tournaments in three additional game titles. The conference will be offering tournament-based play in Hearthstone, Madden, and Super Smash Bros Ultimate throughout the academic year. The NECC will be offering two tournaments in each of the three games each semester, and players that finish in the top two spots during each of those events will qualify and earn spots in the national championships at the end of the year.
The scheduled tournament dates for each of the three games can be found below. Each tournament will take place over the course of a Saturday and Sunday during the year. Registration for each will be opening soon.
The NECC will be awarding scholarship prizing to the best of the best following the year based on how players do in the National Championships. Additionally, each tournament winner will be awarded a trophy and other prizes.
The national championship prizing breakdown for each of the three games is below:
1st Place - $300
2nd Place - $150
3rd / 4th Place - $50
Registration for each game will open shortly and there is no cost for players representing NECC member schools. Players from schools that do not currently compete in the NECC will be charged a $5 entry fee per tournament.
"We're excited about adding these to our core title offerings," said NECC Commissioner Jacob VanRyn. "Our community has shown a demand to compete in these games, and we think it'll be a great way to offer high-level competition, as well as some scholarship dollars, to our players."
The top two finishers from each tournament will earn spots in the national championships at the end of the academic year. With there being four tournaments in each game, that means that eight players will compete in the championships. If a player earns multiple spots throughout the year, he or she will receive a bye into the next round at the championship event.
The NECC will be streaming portions of these events, including the national championships at the end of the year, on all of its platforms, including Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, and ESTV.
The first tournament to get underway this fall will be Hearthstone, which will take place on Saturday, October 16 and Sunday, October 17. Our first Madden tournament will take place October 30-31, while Super Smash Ultimate will be the following weekend (November 6-7).
NECC Hearthstone Tournament Schedule
November 6-7
November 13-14
February 5-6
March 5-6
NECC Madden Tournament Schedule
October 30-31
November 20-21
February 12-13
March 12-13
NECC Super Smash Ultimate Tournament Schedule
October 16-17
December 11-12
February 19-20
March 19-20
For more information on the tournament series, please contact either Jacob VanRyn at jacob@neccathletics.com or Caleb Glube at caleb@neccathletics.com
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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 150 colleges and universities currently competing in the conference, the NECC is proud to be a positive home for the collegiate gaming community.
