24 Conference Champions at CECC
CECC “May Madness” Brings Together 24 Conference Champions for the World’s Largest Scholastic Esports Expo
STAMFORD, CT (December 16, 2024) – Collegiate Sports Management Group (CSMG) announces the return of the Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC), the world’s largest scholastic esports showcase, taking place May 1-4, 2025, at Esports Stadium Arlington. This record-breaking event will bring together champions from 24 conferences, comprising approximately 20,000 competitors from over 800 schools competing across Overwatch 2®, Rocket League, VALORANT, Super Smash Bro’sTM Ultimate, and Street Fighter 6.
CECC’s “May Madness” will host 92 elite teams, up from 84 last year, battling for trophies and prize pools. The event is more than a tournament; it’s a celebration of college esports(replace for gaming after addressed) culture and crowning the best college esports talent in North America.
Participating Conferences
This year’s event welcomes teams from a wide array of collegiate sports and esports conferences, including:
ACEC – Atlantic Coast Esports Conference (15 schools)
Big 12 Conference (16 schools)
Big East Conference (6 schools)
Big Sky Conference (10 schools)
ECAC – Eastern College Athletic Conference (271 schools)
ECC – East Coast Conference (15 schools)
GLEC – Great Lakes Esports Conference (24 schools)
GLIAC – Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (8 schools)
MAAC – Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (10 schools)
MAC – Mid-American Conference (15 schools)
MAEC – Mid-Atlantic Esports Conference (19 schools)
MEC – Midwest Esports Conference (20 schools)
Missouri Valley Conference (20 schools)
Mountain West Conference (13 schools)
NECC – National Esports Collegiate Conferences (350 schools)
NJCAAE – National Junior College Athletic Association Esports (192 schools)
Peach Belt Conference (12 schools)
PEC – Power Esports Conference (8 schools)
PlayFly (55 schools)
SEL – Southeastern Esports League (43 schools)
WCL (GCU) – Western Cactus League (4 schools)
CFGC – Collegiate Fighting Games Conference 93 Schools)
The Yard - HBCU - (43 Schools)
BCGA – Black Collegiate Gaming Association (17 Schools)
A Legacy of Excellence
Since its launch in 2021, CECC has established itself as an emerging commercial property in collegiate esports, offering brands unique opportunities to engage with a dynamic and growing audience. “CECC’s growth underscores its evolution by providing unparalleled value for brands looking to connect with today's generation of esports athletes and fans,” said Michael Schreck, Chief Executive Officer of CSMG. “We are committed to delivering a world-class experience at May Madness that mirrors the structure and impact of traditional college sports formats, cementing CECC’s place at the forefront of competitive scholastic esports.”
The Road to May Madness
In November, the West Regional CECC qualifying event was held at the state fairgrounds in Sacramento. Over 22 west regional schools gathered to compete for the auto qualifying bid. Winners included San Jose State University, Boise State University, University of California-Riverside, and Arizona State University. The season will continue with an East, and South regional qualifier, online last chance qualifiers and conference championships across the country. These qualifiers consisted of more than 150 schools to date. Those final events will determine the teams that will compete in Texas. From the Big 12 to the ECAC, hundreds of schools and thousands of players will vie for a chance to compete on this global stage. Some conference championships will be held on site as well.
Angela Bernhard Thomas, Chief Esports Officer at CSMG, highlighted the significance of CECC as a cornerstone of collegiate esports: “CECC represents the unification of conferences from across the nation, forming the backbone of the collegiate esports ecosystem. This event is a celebration of the competitive spirit and commercial and competitive infrastructure that drives the growth of college esports, setting the stage for a sustainable and equitable future in the industry.”
Audience Growth
Digital Engagement: Live views jumped from 16,000 in 2022 to 4M+ in 2024; total impressions rose from 7.2M to 337M. 2025 projections: 6.6M live views and 550M impressions
About CSMG
Collegiate Sports Management Group (CSMG) is an integrated sports, entertainment, and media company committed to advancing traditional sports and esports. With expertise in media rights, analytics, licensing, sponsorship sales, brand building, original content, and event production. We empower sports properties, brands, and video game publishers to succeed at the crossroads of tech, sports, entertainment, and video games. Through innovation, efficiency and execution, CSMG has created transformative opportunities, driving growth in traditional sports while unifying and elevating the scholastic esports ecosystem To learn more, visit us at https://collegiatesmg.com/.
For media inquiries, contact:
csmginfo@collegiatesmg.com
