The 2020-2021 fall season was scheduled to be N.C. A&T’s last as part of the MEAC before switching to the Big South in the 2021-2022 season.

Although N.C. A&T will not be able to participate in its last season as members of the Mid Eastern Atlantic Conference (MEAC) due to COVID-19, students, alumni, faculty and fans can compete with others in the MEAC E-sports league for weekly prizes.

Players can compete using their Playstation 4, Xbox One, PC or Nintendo switch. The games/leagues offered for each device are based on if those games are available to the particular device that the individual uses, and they must own a copy of any game they wish to join.

These leagues are open to anyone, ages seven or older.  An individual can register on meacsports.com and pay a $40 subscriber fee for access to all games. 

The games available to competitors for the Fall 2020 season include NBA 2K20, Madden NFL, FIFA 20, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and Rocket League, according to HBCU Gameday. 

Additionally, players can participate in up to three leagues at the same time. Some games are in a one on one format but some titles allow for teams of three. Players can also register as pre-formed teams.

Registration for the second 5-week series of the league will be open until Sept. 19th. The season begins on Sept. 21st and ends on Oct.3rd. 

#meacesports #esports It's not too late! Visit https://t.co/hVmaZSLXoO today to sign up for either the @meacsports Esports League or MEAC Women's Esports League! Competitions are underway; don't miss out on your chance at a number of great prizes! #IBackTheMEACAt50 #IBackTheMEAC pic.twitter.com/9jJyboOM1s

— Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (@MEACSports) August 21, 2020

The third series begins Nov. 2nd and ends Dec. 5th. The fourth and final series of the Fall 2020 season will be a one-week holiday tournament from Dec.14th to Dec. 20th.

The MEAC and Blaze Fire Games partnered to create this online competition as a way to introduce a diverse group of participants to a career path where they learn to compete in a gaming environment.

African Americans are 19% of E-sports fans, according to an ESPN Fan survey in 2017, per The Undefeated.

In addition to cash and other weekly prizes, Blaze Fire Games will be offering virtual learning opportunities for subjects like Intro to E-sports, E-sports production management, E-sports coaching, E-sports digital marketing and competitive gaming analytics.

The MEAC E-sports league allows for athletes to engage and compete against players from other institutions while being at home. Meanwhile, prospects can maintain relationships with these institutions. 

Students can earn money and various prizes for playing games that they enjoy.

More information can be found on MEAC sports social media accounts.