UAlbany Esports Builds Community and Reigns Victorious in National Conference
By Sophie Coker
ALBANY, N.Y. (March 6, 2026) — In their debut season competing through the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC), UAlbany Esports dominated the competition.
The Marvel Rivals and Valorant teams both took home first place trophies in the fall after playing against teams from colleges across the nation. This marks a historic achievement for UAlbany Esports, which has traditionally competed in smaller conferences, such as the Eastern College Athletic Conference and SUNY Esports.
With more than 400 colleges and universities from the United States and Canada, the NECC is the largest collegiate esports conference in North America.
“Esports takes something fun and treats it seriously,” said Kaeli Ameri, a member of the Marvel Rivals team and a junior studying English and education. “It feels rewarding when you do well at it.”
College esports has seen a 60% increase in participation nationwide since 2022, highlighting not just its popularity but the community it builds. For students at UAlbany, esports has introduced them to new friends and teamwork opportunities.
“At UAlbany, there’s a shared passion for community, and esports is another way for people to connect, find common ground and have fun, even if they’re experiencing it for the first time,” said UAlbany Esports Competitive Coordinator and MPH graduate student Henry Scholl.
The competition has grabbed new interest, according to senior William Liu. “We have people tuning in who never have before and showing up in their free time.”
UAlbany Esports, which totals around 85 competitive players, now operates under the guidance of dedicated coaches.
Valorant coach Derek D’Annunzio ‘24 shared that serving as a coach feels like a way to give back to the program that he once competed in.
“It’s a privilege to continue working on something you’re passionate about after you graduate,” he said.
In 2024, UAlbany unveiled a 4,000-square-foot arena to meet the growing needs of UAlbany Esports, which is among the country’s largest collegiate competitive video gaming programs.
With more than 30 games on PC alone, the UAlbany Esports arena game library is constantly expanding. Within the past few months, the spring semester has introduced new games like ARC Raiders, Warframe and Terraria. While the competitive esports teams play games like Super Smash Bros, League of Legends or Overwatch, there are also single-player competitive games like Street Fighter and Guilty Gear that the teams support.
From premium computers, to top-of-the-line monitors with quick refresh rates, UAlbany Esports teams are now fully equipped with high-performance technology to help them succeed.
The arena, accessible through the Lecture Center, is open daily from 3 to 10 p.m. during the semester for competitive gamers as well as students interested in a more casual gaming experience with their friends.
“UAlbany's embrace of Esports brings people together,” Ameri said. “Video games are one of the best ways to connect people in an accessible way and it’s a judgment-free zone. All types of gamers show up to the arena and become a part of the community. The computing center has really enabled that.”
An equipment rental program is offered to those visiting the facility. Controllers and headsets are available to rent in-house for no cost. Players often bring their own keyboards and monitors to play on at the arena.
“Having the arena [on our Uptown Campus] made it possible for me to play competitively,” said senior biology major Bevin Babu, who takes advantage of campus resources to access high-quality gaming equipment.
The UAlbany Esports teams will continue to compete in the NECC this semester, representing Great Dane teamwork on a national stage.
Tune into the UAlbany Esports’ Twitch streams to watch them live or follow @ualbany_Esports on Instagram for more.