Twitch, Cxmmunity Unveil Second Season of HBCU Esports League With 25 Schools Competing in Madden and NBA2K
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Posted By: Matt Basta on August 11, 2021 Twitch, Cxmmunity Unveil Second Season of HBCU Esports League With 25 Schools Competing in Madden and NBA2K 22-week season begins on August 18 with support from Verizon and Discover ATLANTA (Aug. 11, 2021) – Cxmmunity, a nonprofit whose mission is to increase diversity in the esports and video game industries, and Twitch unveiled their plans for the second season of its HBCU Esports League. The league aims to help students gain access to educational and scholarship support, offered through Twitch Student, and help Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) bolster their esports programs. The 22-week schedule to be aired on Twitch.tv/cxmmunity will begin on Aug. 18, 2021 at 7:00PM EST, and conclude on April 6, 2022, featuring 25 HBCUs who will compete in Madden and NBA2K. “We’re incredibly proud to bring the HBCU Esports League back for its second season with the support of Twitch, Verizon and Discover,” said Ryan Johnson, co-founder and executive director for Cxmmunity. “This will continue building competition and galvanizing the community across our partner colleges and universities.” While 83% of Black teens play video games, opportunities are scarce for them to pursue careers in gaming, esports and STEM when they enroll in college. We hope our Esports League will further their passion and desire to engage in these areas as they navigate their academic journeys at their respective schools,” remarked Johnson The participating HBCUs include Alabama A&M University, Claflin University, Clark Atlanta University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Fayetteville State University, Fort Valley State University, Hampton University, Howard University, Johnson C. Smith University, Langston University, Morehouse College, Morgan State University, Morris Brown College, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, Oakwood University, Shaw University, South Carolina State University, Southern University, Tennessee State University, University of Maryland-Eastern Shore and Wilberforce University. Verizon Returns as Sponsor Verizon returns as a season partner, which includes its owned branded segment and a Celebrity Pro-Am Tournament to be determined in the coming weeks. The event will feature professional athletes, entertainers and content creators who will compete with select HBCU students. In June, Verizon announced that it had committed $1 million to increase female representation in gaming and STEM through the creation of the Verizon Game Forward Scholarship for female students at HBCUs; and the creation of tech centers on the campuses to benefit these students. The program is being facilitated by Cxmmunity. Discover Joins Cxmmunity to Present the “Discover Bowl” Discover, one of the most recognizable brands in financial services, joins the season as a new partner and will present the first-ever “Discover Bowl,” a Madden tournament to be held during the collegiate football bowl season. Along with the “Discover Bowl,” Discover will also sponsor its own branded segment, “Discover’s Cxmmunity Leader of the Week.” The feature will highlight a HBCU student achieving exceptional accomplishments both on and off-campus. “By partnering with Cxmmunity and Twitch to support the HBCU 2021 Esports League, Discover is committing to Cxmmunity’s mission of increasing the participation and representation of young minorities within the esports and video game industries. This partnership also allows Discover to continue to engage with college students and provide them with the products and knowledge to encourage financially responsible habits,” said Kate Manfred, Chief Marketing Officer at Discover. “We look forward to highlighting Cxmmunity student leaders’ each week, and culminating the season at the ‘Discover Bowl.’” Inaugural Season Successes In the inaugural season of HBCU Esports League in 2020: 22 students from 18 participating schools competed with students from Fayetteville State University and Claflin University, winning the championships. Captured more than 14 million live views on Twitch. Produced over 600,000 hours of viewed HBCU Esports League content. Garnered 15,000 average concurrent viewers with 32,000 maximum concurrent viewers. Cxmmunity also built two esports labs at Oakwood University and North Carolina Central University. Cxmmunity is currently working with Verizon to open additional esports labs at Delaware State University, Dillard University, Howard University, Morgan State University and Texas Southern University. For more information and details, please visit https://www.hbcuesports.gg/. About Cxmmunity Cxmmunity; pronounced “community”; is committed to increasing minority youth participation in the esports and video game industries to achieve equal opportunity as new jobs and professions are being created. They do this by ensuring that underserved K-12 institutions and HBCU students have the necessary access to develop skills within STEM and business-management through exposure to video game publishers; film producers; sports and entertainment executives; professional athletes; and world-renowned artists. For more information, please visit www.cxmmunity.co/. About Twitch: Launched in 2011, Twitch is a global community that comes together each day to create multiplayer entertainment: unique, live, unpredictable experiences created by the interactions of millions. It brings the joy of co-op to everything, from casual gaming and world-class esports to anime marathons, music, and art streams. Twitch also hosts TwitchCon, the biggest community event of the year, where tens of thousands of people come together to celebrate and connect with others who share their interests and passions. We’re always live at Twitch. Stay up to date on all things Twitch on Twitter and on our Blog. About Discover Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS) is a digital banking and payment services company with one of the most recognized brands in U.S. financial services. Since its inception in 1986, the company has become one of the largest card issuers in the United States. The company issues the Discover card, America's cash rewards pioneer, and offers private student loans, personal loans, home loans, checking and savings accounts and certificates of deposit through its banking business. It operates the Discover Global Network, comprised of Discover Network, with millions of merchant and cash access locations; PULSE, one of the nation's leading ATM/debit networks; and Diners Club International, a global payments network with acceptance around the world. For more information, visit www.discover.com/company. About Verizon Verizon Communications Inc. was formed on June 30, 2000 and is celebrating its 20th year as one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $128.3 billion in 2020. The company offers voice, data and video services and solutions on its award winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Matt Basta
Director, DKC Esports - College Not Listed - class of 1993 Member Since August 2021 |
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