Saints down Miami University, 2-0

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (April 21, 2017) – National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE) history was made Friday night, as Maryville University (Mo.) emerged as the winner of the inaugural NACE Invitational. The Saints swept Miami University (Ohio), 2-0, in the title match.

League of Legends was the game title of choice for the association’s first-ever national event, with each match playing to a best-of-three format.

Tony Chau (Saskioo) led the team with 14 total kills across both games of the finals.

Maryville advanced to the elimination rounds with an unblemished record (3-0) in pool play. The Saints were tested in the semifinals against Columbia College (Mo.), however, the squad proved superior in the decisive third game to claim a 3-2 victory.

Overall, 16 teams participated in the NACE Invitational. Teams were seeded by the NACE Competition Council, an elected membership group charged with developing policies and procedures for national competition. The seven-person committee evaluated each team based on past performance and individual ranking for each team.

NACE is the only association of college and university sponsored eSports programs that promotes the education and development of students through intercollegiate eSports participation and the institutional commitment to support those initiatives.  Members of the association are dedicated to legitimizing collegiate eSports and providing college students the opportunities to live their passion for competitive gaming, while pursuing a quality education.

NACE originated with six founding member institutions – Columbia College, Indiana Institute of Technology, Maryville University, Midland University, Robert Morris University and University of Pikeville – and has expanded to nearly 30 institutions throughout the 2016-17 academic calendar with additional institutions expected to join soon.

For more information on the NACE National Invitational, including schedule and match-by-match results, visit www.nacesports.org/invitational.

About NAC eSports

The National Association of Collegiate eSports (NACE) is the only association of college and university sponsored eSports programs that promotes the education and development of students through intercollegiate eSports participation. NACE member schools are dedicated to legitimizing collegiate eSports and providing college students the opportunities to live their passion for competitive gaming while pursuing a quality education.

NACE promotes the education and development of students through intercollegiate eSports participation. Member institutions share a common commitment to high standards in education, and to the principle that participation in organized eSports competition serves as an integral part of the total educational process.

Organizational support and structure for NACE is being provided by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The NAIA has been administering traditional athletics programs and championships in balance with the overall college educational experience since 1937.