SUNY to host online esports tournament for all of its schools

Starting Monday, the three-week event will bring together participants from its 64 universities who will try to win prizes for their schools’ student emergency funds.

The State University of New York (SUNY) announced Thursday it will host a three-week-long, esports tournament online for all 64 of its schools beginning on Monday that will help support student emergency funds during the coronavirus pandemic.

The SUNY Chancellor Esports Challenge will feature a $20,000 prize pool – with winners earning money for their respective schools. The event is being co-sponsored by Extreme Networks, a Wi-Fi solutions provider that serves more than 17,000 schools and 4,500 college campuses worldwide, including the highly acclaimed program at SUNY Canton.

“We are proud to support this first-of-its-kind event to connect and inspire students representing all of SUNY’s 64 campuses,” says Norman Rice, Chief Operating Officer at Extreme Networks. “Sports are a great unifier – be it on or off the field. In times where we aren’t able to come together in stadiums, fields, and arenas to cheer our favorite athletes, esports competition is an ideal way to keep students engaged with each other.”

Each of the SUNY schools can enter two teams in competitions that will include Fortnite, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Rocket League. The top prize for each is $2,000. The school that performs the best overall will be granted $5,000. Additional merchandise from Extreme Networks, Mountain Dew Game Fuel and SUNY Canton, will be given to individuals who perform well.

“This esports tournament fosters an engaging and competitive virtual event for our campuses that also raises funding for #SUNYTogether, our philanthropic campaign that supports our students deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” says SUNY Chancellor Kristina Johnson, who along with Extreme Networks put up $10,000 for the challenge. “My thanks to Extreme Networks for co-sponsoring, as well as SUNY Canton – home of SUNY’s first varsity esports program – for graciously accepting my challenge to create and organize this competition.”

In addition to raising money for student emergency funds, #SUNYTogether also provides funding for medical research, personal protective equipment, and student scholarship.

The event is free to enter for SUNY students. Participants are invited to join the SUNY Discord Server for communications. Each college must designate a staff member or student manager to be the primary contact for the tournament. Those individuals should request an invite from LeagueSpot by email or through the Discord server.


Chris Burt is the Esports Editor for University Business and the Program Chair for the Academic Esports Conference and Expo. He can be reached at [email protected]

Chris Burt
Chris Burt
Chris is a reporter and associate editor for University Business and District Administration magazines, covering the entirety of higher education and K-12 schools. Prior to coming to LRP, Chris had a distinguished career as a multifaceted editor, designer and reporter for some of the top newspapers and media outlets in the country, including the Palm Beach Post, Sun-Sentinel, Albany Times-Union and The Boston Globe. He is a graduate of Northeastern University.

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