ECAC Esports and CSMG
ECAC Esports and Collegiate Sports Management Group Gather 40 of the Top Collegiate Women VALORANT Players to Face Off in an All-Star Showcase
2012 World Cup CS:GO Champ and VP of Dignitas Heather “sapphiRe” Garozzo will welcome competitors during opening ceremony.
DANBURY, CT (September 8, 2022) Eastern College Athletic Conference Esports (ECAC), in conjunction with the Collegiate Sports Management Group (CSMG), announced the ECAC Esports Women’s All-Star Showcase, where the top women VALORANT players will be competing in an all-star format of 40 players consisting of 8 teams. The bracket tournament will take place on Saturday, September 10 with the finals taking place on Sunday, September 11. All matches will be a best of three series. Fans can watch the series play out on twitch.tv/ESPORTSU and twitch.tv/ecac_esports.
“Organizations have been trying to showcase women in esports as a whole, but have had rare success garnering the amount of eyes that it should have,” said Dan Coonan, commissioner and CEO of the ECAC. “We had to think a bit out of the box in order to really amplify women’s esports and came up with this all-star format. We want the best of the best to intermingle and compete against each other to not only make for interesting matchups, but to truly show that there’s a whole new group of competitors ready to take on the professional level.”
This tournament is not only meant to spotlight the women competitors in the ECAC, but show off the power of women’s esports and what could be the next generation of players. The participating players come from the following schools: Pace University, University of South Florida, St. Peter’s University, John Jay College and Wayne State College.
“I am very excited to see this initiative come to life. As a female executive in the space, I understand the challenges and celebrate these women as they rise to the occasion of this competitive format,” says Angela Bernhard Thomas, EVP at CSMG & ESPORTSU.
Additionally, current vice president of Dignitas and founder of women’s gaming platform, Raidiant, Heather “sapphiRe” Garozzo will be welcoming the competitors during an opening ceremony. She is the first woman to be inducted into the Esports Hall of Fame in 2019 and and the Women in Games Hall of Fame in 2021. Garozzo played on the championship CS:GO team UBINITED during the Esports World Cup in 2012.
“To be a part of this tournament is a priceless moment and another step in the right direction for women in esports,” said Garozzo. “I’m envious that this type of initiative didn’t exist when I was in college, but I’m thrilled to see the progress towards a diverse esports ecosystem. It’s great to see that at least now, not only organizations but the community as a whole can see that a drastically increasing number of women will be included in the next generation of talented gamers.”
ECAC Esports now approaches 150 colleges and universities coast to coast, with more than 800 participating teams and 4,000 competitors.
About CSMG
CSMG is an integrated sports and entertainment media company focused on esports and traditional sports in the new creator economy. We are an experienced, trusted results-driven team with a lens on what’s next. The focus of our business verticals – CSMG and ESPORTSU – is rooted in intellectual property rights management, acquisition, and development through media rights, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), valuation services, licensing, and sponsorship sales. We offer expertise in developing communities through brand building, original content, and event production & management. We drive our partners’ success at the crossroads of tech, sports, entertainment, and video games. To learn more, visit us at https://collegiatesmg.com/.
About ECAC
The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) is an eighty-year old organization with well over 200 members schools across all three NCAA Divisions – I, II and III – that exists to enhance the experience of student-athletes participating in intercollegiate athletics, and provide great value for universities and colleges, by sponsoring championships, leagues, bowl games, tournaments and other competitions throughout the Northeast. Most of the ECAC’s members also belong to another conference, which is often the school’s primary conference.
Media Contacts:
CSMG
ECAC
Lydia Fister
lfister@ecac.org
# # #
