UTICA, NY (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – SUNY Poly will host STEM teams from across New York State in a high-flying drone competition.

Along with CNY Drones, the college will host the Region II New York Drone Soccer Championship, to be held this Sunday, March 26 at the Wildcat Field House. Seven schools from across the state will be competing to earn a spot in the national championship, including Rome Free Academy’s “MVCC Gear Up” team and a team from Vernon-Verona-Sherrill.

Dubbed “the world’s newest e-sport,” Drone soccer is a sport where teams of five remotely control “balls” of drones with protective exoskeletons. The teams then try to pilot the drones through a ring and score a point for their team. The game is played in a best-of-three sets format, with three minutes in each set.

There will also be a “Shadow Workshop” during the competition for educators and teams to learn about the basics of drone soccer.

The national championship will be held back at SUNY Poly on Saturday, April 16. Teams from ten different states, including the winner of this regional championship, will battle to determine the national high school drone soccer champion.

The action on Sunday begins at 9 am and will go on until 5 pm, and admission to the event is free.