The Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup Texas presented by McDonald’s has been a highlight in the esports industry and has solidified its position as the premier collegiate esports festival. The event saw some of the best players from colleges across the United States and Canada compete for the Commissioner’s Cup in four gaming titles: Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Rocket League, VALORANT, and Overwatch 2. The event featured 64 teams from 50 schools from 14 conferences totaling 443 athletes and coaches representing 25 states and Canada. The festival, held at Esports Stadium Arlington, was attended by over 3,000 fans and provided intense competition across the four gaming titles.
Fisher College, Northwood University, and Maryville University emerged as the champions of Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Rocket League, and Overwatch 2 respectively, with each team being awarded the Commissioner’s Cup. Carlos “Sonix” Perez, a sophomore from Fisher College, was named MVP for the Super Smash Bros Ultimate tournament, while Zander “Nitrous” Shah from Northwood University was named MVP for the Rocket League tournament. Hunter “Furbsa” McMillan, also from Northwood University, was named MVP for the VALORANT bracket. Enrique “Joobi” Triana from Maryville University was named MVP for the Overwatch 2 bracket. The teams and MVPs from each bracket shared the $26,000 prize pool.
The event was organized by CSMG and ESPORTSU, and was powered by Xbox, Paidia Gaming, Vanta, and Esposure. The festival welcomed various activities, including the ESPORTSU Collegiate Esports Awards, Vendor Village, Partner Activations, Esports Celebrity Meet & Greets, and Open LAN “footbrawler” Omega Strikers and fan favorite Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournaments with up to $5,000 prize pools each. The weekend launched with a private red carpet ceremony for all 64 teams, including the presentation of the McDonald’s branded jerseys they wore during CECC Texas, which were unveiled to the public for the first time.
The inaugural Paidia Cup, an all-women’s VALORANT tournament, was hosted during CECC Texas. The tournament featured CU Esports, University of Houston Scarlet, and PowerPuff Girls, with CU Esports taking home the championship, beating the University of Houston Scarlet. CU Esports was also the first all-women’s team to compete in the overall CECC Texas VALORANT bracket.
The Commissioner’s Cup Texas presented by McDonald’s was a true collegiate esports festival, welcoming middle and high school students, college students, and esports enthusiasts from across the United States and Canada. McDonald’s played a significant role in building excitement and awareness, including various promotions and giveaways through the McDonald’s App as well as awarding a free custom @McDonalds PC built by @PCGamerzHawaii. McDonald’s also sponsored Howard University as the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) team to compete at CECC Texas.
The two-day festival was a success, showcasing the best collegiate esports athletes in the country and providing a platform for students to compete, connect, and engage with the esports community. The event was a testament to the growth of esports and the potential it holds for the future. The organizers, sponsors, and participants of CECC Texas made the weekend a winning experience for all, solidifying the event’s position as the premier collegiate esports festival.
