Harrisburg to Host Convention for National Association of Collegiate eSports

The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is excited to announce that the 2019 NACE National Convention will be July 17-19 in Harrisburg, Pa. The convention will be held on location with NACE member institution Harrisburg University of Science and Technology (HU).

“The selection of Harrisburg as our host for the 2019 NACE National Convention came after a lengthy request-for-proposal process.  Our selection committee received over a hundred bids from cities across the country to be the host for the second ever national meeting of varsity esports programs,” said NACE Executive Director Michael Brooks.  “The facilities available to us in Harrisburg and at Harrisburg University, as well as the support from the city and state, marked Harrisburg as a clear frontrunner early in the selection process.”

“Harrisburg University has an exceptional esports program and state-of-the-art facilities that make it an ideal location to host the NACE National Convention,” said NACE Marketing Manager Victoria Horsley. “The university is considered a trailblazer in esports and has hosted large-scale gaming events so it will be a great experience for NACE attendees.”

HU also hosted the Harrisburg University Esports Festival last September, which included 32 college teams competing live for a $50,000 prize pool and marked the largest in-person gathering of varsity esports programs.

A sample of convention sessions include: coaching in esports, growing current programs, athlete health and wellness, esports facilities, and recruitment. There will also be plenty of networking opportunities with other schools and esports industry leaders. The convention will address current legislative topics including, but not limited to, national intent to participate letters, board and council elections, transfer rules and future championships.

The NACE National Convention is a three day event with attendees from across the U.S. and Canada representing their respective colleges and universities with active varsity esports programs.  NACE currently counts 127 institutions as members, ranging from two-year junior colleges to some of the largest four-year state universities in North America.  As of January 1, 2019 nearly $16 million in esports scholarships are available to students pursing associate and bachelor degrees.

The detailed schedule will soon follow, as well as a new registration website. For NACE Convention updates, follow NACE on Twitter at @NACEsports.