2020 MAAC Esports Championships Brings Gaming Excitement to Atlantic City on March 13-14
2020 MAAC esports Championships Comes to Atlantic City on March 13-14.
Will Feature EGF College and High School Competition; Philadelphia Fusion Will Showcase Pro esports
Atlantic City, N.J. (March 2, 2020) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) will become the first Division I NCAA Conference to hold its esports championships concurrently with its men’s and women’s basketball championships when the New Jersey Army National Guard 2020 MAAC Esports Championships opens on March 13-14 in the Adrian Phillips Theater at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
“Esports are the gateway to the next generation of college athletics,” said MAAC Commissioner Rich Ensor. “Along with scholarships already being offered in esports, the next generation will have opportunities in broadcasting, streaming and other business aspects of gaming. We are providing exposure to esports and believe that those who attend our basketball tournaments will also enjoy the esports competition. It is fun to watch, fast paced and eye-opening.”
Ensor pointed out that a ticket to either the esports championships or the Hercules Tires MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall allows for entry to both, as well as the always well received FanFest in West Hall of the arena.
Seven MAAC schools – Canisius, Manhattan, Marist, Niagara, Quinnipiac, Saint Peter’s and Siena will compete in four different games: League of Legends, Overwatch, as well as Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (SSBU) presented in partnership with the Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF). Stockton and Rider will also have exhibition matches. The Philadelphia Fusion, one of the top pro Overwatch teams, will participate and showcase the future of pro gaming.
The MAAC champion from League of Legends will be seeded directly into Riot League of Legends Championship and will compete for the chance to win scholarships and a national title. Winners of Rocket League and SSBU tournaments gain an automatic bid to the EGF national tournaments.
The EGF, the official governing body for major colleges, high school and youth esport leagues, in addition to running the Rocket League and SSBU tournaments for the MAAC, will also conduct a high school invitational. EGF will produce a high school regional focused on those schools located in the region surrounding Atlantic City (Connecticut, Delaware, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania). Participating teams will be announced this coming week. The MAAC becomes the first league to have joint college and high school events.
The Adrian Phillips Theater will be configured with three stages, each with 18 x 30 foot screens projecting the action. MAAC play will be streamed on Twitch.TV/officialegf or Twitch.TV/maacesports.
The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJDEA) will also host a reception for the esports business community on March 13.
Single session adult tickets are $18 while an all-session package is $28. Student prices are $10 and $15, respectively. Tickets are available on ticketmaster.com. Esports action runs from 10 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
To stay up to date on MAAC esports, visit maacsports.com/esports and follow @MAACEsports and @MAACSports on Twitter.
About Electronic Gaming Federation (EGF):
Founded in 2015, EGF is the first to establish unique platforms for youth, high school and Division 1 collegiate esports competitions. With students and education at its core, EGF’s youth, high school and collegiate leagues & programs were inspired by the best aspects of traditional sports to create opportunities for students and schools to engage and advance. Divisions of EGF include EGFY (Youth), EGFH (High School), EGFC (Collegiate) programs. For more information or to inquire about collegiate participation, please visit EGFederation.com, follow @officialEGF on Twitter, Instagram and Twitch and @egfederation on Facebook or contact info@egfederation.gg.
About the 2020 MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships:
The Hercules Tire MAAC Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships return to New Jersey on March 10-14, 2020 at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. To stay up to date on MAAC basketball, visit maacsports.com/basketball and follow @MAACHoops on Twitter.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 39th year of competition during the 2019-20 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
About Atlantic City Sports Commission:
The Atlantic City Sports Commission was officially formed on January 13, 2015 as a 501 (c)(3) organization with the support of Meet AC and the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) to attract sporting events, conventions and competitions to Atlantic City. For more information, visit www.atlanticcitysports.org. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About Spectra:
Spectra is an industry leader in hosting and entertainment, partnering with clients to create memorable experiences for millions of visitors every year. Spectra’s unmatched blend of integrated services delivers incremental value for clients through several primary areas of expertise: Venue Management, Food Services & Hospitality, and Partnerships. Learn more at SpectraExperiences.com. Follow Spectra on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority:
The only agency of its kind nationwide, the CRDA has used Atlantic City casino reinvestments as a catalyst for meaningful, positive improvement in the lives of New Jersey residents since 1984. Under the 2011 Tourism District Act, the Authority’s mission evolved from statewide projects to becoming the state’s key economic development agency for Atlantic City. CRDA’s expanded responsibilities now include land use regulation, tourism marketing and clean and safe initiatives. The CRDA also oversees Historic Boardwalk Hall (the leading entertainment venue of its size in the country) and the Atlantic City Convention Center. In total, CRDA has invested nearly $2 billion in more than 400 projects statewide, of which $1.8 billion has been invested in Atlantic City, spurring business investments and expansions, and creating permanent jobs in the process. For more information about CRDA and our projects, visit www.njcrda.com. Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/njcrda and Twitter at www.twitter.com/njcrda.