West Babylon, N.Y. – Utica College has accepted an invitation to join ECC Esports, the East Coast Conference announced on Tuesday morning.
Utica College, located in Utica, New York, becomes the 14th member of ECC Esports and the league’s seventh associate member joining Farmingdale State College, Hood College, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury College, Southern New Hampshire University, and St. Thomas University (Fla.).
ECC full-time members Daemen College, University of the District of Columbia, D’Youville College, Mercy College, Molloy College, College of Staten Island, and St. Thomas Aquinas College also participate in ECC Esports.
Utica’s Esports team is an offshoot of the College’s Cybersecurity Club that began in 2019. The program’s membership in ECC Esports will officially commence in the fall of 2022.
“We are pleased to bring Utica College on board as a new member of ECC Esports,” said ECC Commissioner, Dr. Robert Dranoff. “Utica is an excellent, innovative institution and we have no doubt that they will develop their new program quickly.”
“This news is a credit to the members of the Esports Club, who took the initiative and helped us understand the benefits of adding this fast-growing sport to our institution,” says Jeffery Gates, Utica College Senior Vice President for Student Life and Enrollment. “It’s an inclusive sport that will attract a new generation of students and bolster our recruitment and retention efforts.”
ECC Esports is in the midst of its fourth season during the 2021-22 academic year. This season, the league will offer championships in both the fall and spring semesters in five different games (Overwatch, League of Legends, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Valorant, and Rocket League). Even with the added championship opportunities, the conference continues to explore the addition of new games to its roster.
