The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of our member institutions.
What is NACE?
The National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a nonprofit membership association organized by and on behalf of our member institutions. Together, our members are developing the structure and tools needed to advance collegiate esports in the varsity space. We are collaborating to lay the groundwork in areas such as: Eligibility, Path to Graduation, and Competition & Scholarships. NACE is the largest member association of varsity esports programs at colleges and universities across the U.S.
- 240+ member schools
- 5,000+ student-athletes
- $16 million in esports scholarships and aid
- Annual national convention
- Private discord server (voice-over software) for athletic directors, coaches, and more
This is the Beginning.
NACE officially formed on July 28, 2016 at the first ever Collegiate Esports Summit held in Kansas City, MO. At that time only seven colleges and universities had varsity esports programs. Since then a rapidly growing number of institutions have launched varsity programming, with a current count of 170+ institutions. As of June 2019, over 94% of all varsity esports programs in the U.S. are members of NACE with an ever increasing number of schools exploring esports.
Who are we?
Our leadership rests with our Board of Directors, administrators elected from our member institutions.
Board of Directors:
Sari Kitelyn
Full Sail University
Jim Carr
NAIA
Travis Yang
Wichita State University
Dr. Tiffany Ford
Ozarks Technical Community College
Eugene Frier
Texas Wesleyan University
Danielle Sirekis
Lawrence Technological University
Shaun Byrne
St. Clair College
Daniel Clerke
Maryville University
Karen Ruggles
Deslaes University
Chris Bilski
Michigan State University
Competition Council:
Chase Neukam
St. Ambrose University
Byron Hinson
Old Dominion University
David Dickert
University of Southern Mississippi
Alyssa Duran
Shenandoah University
Henry Johnston
Clarke University
Chris Funston
St. Clair College
Danny O’Connell
University of Kansas
Jono Eaton
Ferris State University
Hubert Whan Tong
Simpson College
Colin Graham
Davenport University
Travis Lynn
Shawnee State University
Eligibility Enforcement Committee:
Riley Long
Grand Valley State University
Alec Mueller
Ashland University
Daniel Nowaczyk
Kettering University
Dennis Bubrig
University of Southern Mississippi
Zachary Allor
Kansas Wesleyan University
Colin Tracy
Columbia College
Miles Dean
George Fox University
NACE National Office Team:
Michael Brooks
Executive Director
Michael Jones
Director of Operations
John Macone
Competition Support Specialist
Joshua Myers
Director of Competition
Nathan Mercurio
Marketing Communications Manager
Ashley Jones
Director of Membership Sales and Services
Scott Rarden
Director of Business Intelligence
