Competition Information

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New York State High School & Middle School Esports

Dear New York State Esports Community,

Welcome back to a new school year and another exciting season of competition! Whether you are a returning veteran coach who has been following our summer updates, or a brand-new advisor opening your very first ESSEF email, we are thrilled to have you with us.

Register Your School
How do I set up my school to compete?

The setup process requires actions on two platforms: ESSEF.org (official league registration) and FusionPortal (match management platform). The order in which you tackle the initial steps does not matter—you will just need to ensure all three items are completed:

  • Complete ESSEF Registration: Submit your school’s registration through our website. Once approved, we will email you our League Code.
  • Register at FusionPortal: If you have not already, create an account and set up your school’s account. Enter the League Code into the portal to unlock access to game titles.(Note: SimRacing teams will receive direct onboarding instructions separately).
  • Build Rosters: Inside FusionPortal, add your student-players and assign them to active game rosters. Here are some resources to help with that process:

If you have any questions – please do not hesitate to reach out to [email protected].

What are the league fees for competition through ESSEF?

We are proud to announce there will be no participation fees for the 2026–2027 school year.

Does competition through ESSEF comply with NYS Education Law § 2-d?

Yes. Our registration and league systems do not collect, store, or process any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) from students. Because no student data is retained, student privacy is protected by design.

For districts requesting a formal Data Privacy Agreement (DPA), a standardized DPA is currently being expedited through BOCES and will be made available to schools as soon as possible. In the meantime, if your district’s Data Protection Officer has additional questions or needs assistance, please contact ESSEF directly.

What is FusionPortal?

FusionPortal is a new platform from HorizonAVL / Esports Integration that ESSEF will be using for matches.

Through the platform, coaches will be able to register for games to compete in, set up and manage their rosters, see their competition schedule, and manage their matches.

What titles are being offered?

High School

  • Smash Solos
  • Smash Crew Battle
  • Rocket League 3v3
  • Marvel Rivals
  • Mario Kart
  • Splatoon
  • Valorant (Spring only)

Middle School

  • Mario Kart
  • Smash Crew Battle
When and where will the state championship be held?
The Fall 2026 State Championship will take place at Syracuse University on December 12. Specific venue details, schedules, and spectator information will be released as the season progresses.

Fall 2026 Dates

  • Enrollment Opens – 8/31
  • Enrollment Closes – 9/18
  • Preseason – Weeks of 9/14 and 9/21
  • Regular Season – Weeks of 9/28 – 11/16
  • Playoffs – Week of 11/30
  • In-Personal Championships – 12/12

 

High School Schedule

  • SimRacing – Mondays at 3:30
  • Marvel Rivals – Tuesdays at 4
  • Splatoon – Tuesdays at 4
  • Smash Solos – Wednesdays at 3
  • Smash Crew – Wednesdays at 4
  • Rocket League – Thursdays at 3
  • Mario Kart – Thursdays at 4
 

Middle School Schedule

  • Mario Kart – Tuesdays at 3
  • Smash Crew – Thursdays at 3

Official Policies

Game Rulesets

NOTE: Rulesets will not be finalized until before regular season competition begins.

Tutorials

 

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