The Siena Heights eSports program is joining the Eastern College Athletic Conference eSports league to compete in FIFA, Hearthstone, League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, and Madden NFL Football for the 2019-20 year.

The ECAC seeks to add value to the competitive experience for hundreds of students participating in intercollegiate eSports by sponsoring, conducting, and promoting first-rate competitions, leagues, tournaments, championships, and exhibitions. The ECAC's mission is to also develop new methods of supporting and enhancing intercollegiate eSports and the competitive experience for the student eSports competitors.

Last year was the inaugural season for ECAC eSports. The league had 23 members that had over 100 teams across the six games offered by the conference. The 2019 ECAC eSports Spring Championship at the HV Gamer Con had an attendance of 2,500 during the two-day tournament. This year, the league is anticipating having up to 50 members with over 200 teams competing in eight games offered with the addition of Rocket League and Madden NFL Football. The Spring Championship will return to HV Gamer Con at the Capital Center in Albany, N.Y. on April 4-5, 2020.

"We are excited to be joining an athletic conference that is one of the largest in the nation with over 80 years of experience," said SHU eSports Director Thomas Goodman. "One of the main reasons we decided to join an athletic conference is the honoring of Academic and League awards similar to older traditional athletics, and the ECAC commitment to empowering women through their women's league and also the opportunity to have an alumni league."

The Saints will kick off the 2019-20 season this fall in the month of September.