Northeastern University unanimously approved as new full member of ESports Collegiate

From the beginning of the fall qualifiers, there has been speculation on whether or not Northeastern University was a fill-in squad or a new member of the ESC.

Friday morning, the speculation was confirmed, as ESports Collegiate announced the addition of Northeastern University Huskies eSports as a full member of the conference, effective Spring 2021.

“We’re excited to have Northeastern join Esports Collegiate,” Miami University President and Chair of the ESC Board of Directors Dr. Greg Crawford said, via press release. “It is an innovative and forward thinking university with a great presence in the Esports landscape.”

Northeastern’s program launched in 2018, and has made all the right moves since then. Adding games and players to their roster, while building notoriety has been the name of the game for them, with a track record of success in Hearthstone, League of Legends and Rocket League since their establishment.

“This is the next logical step for our competitive esports programs,” Northeastern University Director of Athletics and Recreation Jeff Konya said via press release. “We are thrilled to be aligned with such aspiring institutions in the conference and excited to provide elite competition for our student-athletes. The Esports Collegiate Conference will allow our student-athletes to compete for a conference championship and earn an automatic berth to national championships.”

The Huskies (not to be confused with the ones from NIU) have currently clinched an appearance in the finals of the ESC’s Fall Invitational finals after knocking off last years co-champion Buffalo. It would be quite the start for them in conference if they were able to represent the conference in the final 32-team single elimination tournament hosted by none other than Riot Games.

With the Huskies’ addition, the ESC is at an odd number, which could lead to speculation as to if there will be another non-MAC member added in the coming months.