College Esports “May Madness” is Coming to Arlington – the Home of the Largest Dedicated Esports Facility in North America
CSMG/ESPORTSU will host the second annual Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup in May 2023, featuring 64 collegiate esports teams competing across multiple game titles to crown champions.
ARLINGTON, TX (January 20, 2023) – Collegiate Sports Management Group (CSMG) and ESPORTSU announced today it has selected Esports Stadium Arlington (ESA) to host its Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC) Texas Finals on May 6-7, 2023. CECC Texas is the largest multi-conference gathering of collegiate esports programs welcoming 64 teams to compete in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Overwatch 2®, Rocket League, and VALORANT during the “May Madness” of collegiate esports. ESA is the largest dedicated esports facility in North America and can welcome 2,500+ spectators within its 100,000 sq ft venue.
CECC Texas will kick off on May 5 with a red carpet ceremony welcoming student-athletes as they receive their coveted commemorative jerseys and participate in Media Day. On May 6, the teams will play in qualifying rounds leading up to the Semi-Finals, Finals, and Grand Finals on May 7. The “Road to CECC Texas” includes four regional qualifiers: the CECC South was held in Oct 2022 (virtually), the CECC East was held in Nov 2022 (in-person LAN event at Rutgers University), the CECC West will be held on March 4-5, 2023 at Boise State University featuring an activation during the 2023 Big Sky Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, presented by Idaho Central Credit Union, and the CECC Midwest on March 25-26. Sixteen conferences are already confirmed to receive bids for the national-level event. Official seeding will be announced during the Seed Selection Show on May 2, 2023.
“The 2022 CECC Finals in Atlanta featured the best competitive talent in college esports,” said Angela Bernhard Thomas, Chief Esports Officer for CSMG/ESPORTSU. “More than 40 markets across the country competed in a rigorous RFP process to host the 2023 event commonly called “Nationals” among college students. Ultimately, through a robust set of criteria, we have selected the Esports Stadium Arlington. Their engaged community, access to world-class brands, ease of event logistics, promotional support, and collaborative spirit were ultimately the deciding factors.”
The weekend festival-like atmosphere is more than just a competition. The best esports athletes and fans will enjoy various activities, including a Vendor Village, Career Fair, Partner Activations, Cosplay Costume Contests, Esports Celebrity Meet & Greets, and a Technology Expo.
In November, the 2022 CECC won the “Best Collegiate/Amateur/Semi-Pro Event” category at the prestigious Tempest Awards during the Esports Business Summit. The Tempest Awards celebrates the future of esports by crowning excellence across 25 categories showcasing diversity and inclusion, social good/charity, mobile, fashion, technology, licensing, collegiate, brands, teams, events, and The Watch List.
During CECC Texas, ESPORTSU will host the first live College Esports Awards Show, recognizing outstanding performance and leadership to selected coaches, players, programs, brands, and facilities.
“Esports Stadium Arlington was created to provide a turnkey solution for esports and gaming entertainment events – an easy event setup, professional class gaming experience, proper support and amenity spaces, and an electric fan atmosphere. Since 2018, ESA has been the site of many iconic esports moments,” said Corey Dunn, Executive Director for ESA. “CECC is cultivating the next generation of esports professionals. Where better to start their legacy than at ESA?”
Operated by OpTic Gaming, Esports Stadium Arlington has hosted several major esports events since its opening in 2018, including Call of Duty League, CS:GO, Rocket League, SMITE, DOTA2, and Overwatch League featuring the Battle for Texas rivalry between the Dallas Fuel and Houston Outlaws.”
In May 2022, the Gateway Center Arena in Atlanta hosted the CECC Finals, presented by Microsoft and CDW in partnership with Skillshot Media. More than 2,600 ticket holders celebrated Bay State College taking home the title in Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Illinois State University flying high in Overwatch (the Overwatch Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup), Northwoods University dominating in Rocket League, and San Jose State University slaying in VALORANT. Teams from multiple conferences, including ECAC, ECC, NECC, NJCAAE, and Peach Belt, participated in last year’s qualifiers that lead to the CECC Finals. They also experienced Fanaply, who offered the first-ever digital collectible for fans to showcase their CECC fandom. For those who could not attend in person, Neustreet built a metaverse that featured hype videos and tournament brackets, a visualization of the CECC championship trophy, and other digital experiences.
About CSMG
CSMG is an integrated sports and entertainment media company focused on esports and traditional sports in the new creator economy. We are an experienced, trusted, results-driven team with a lens on what’s next. The focus of our business verticals – CSMG and ESPORTSU – is rooted in intellectual property rights management, acquisition, and development through media rights, Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), valuation services, licensing, and sponsorship sales. We offer expertise in developing communities through brand building, original content, and event production & management. We drive our partners’ success at the crossroads of tech, sports, entertainment, and video games. To learn more, visit us at https://collegiatesmg.com/.
About Esports Stadium Arlington
The largest turnkey esports facility in North America, Esports Stadium Arlington, is under new management as of 2022, OpTic Gaming. The City of Arlington opened Esports Stadium Arlington in November 2018 as a pioneering venue for large-scale esports productions, events, and community building. The venue is an adaptable space for large spectator gaming events, featuring 100,000 square feet of adaptable layout, a fully functional RGB stage, 90-foot LED displays, theatrical quality lighting and audio, secure technology systems designed for competitive LAN environments, multiple high-performance internet service providers, and access to adjoining expo hall space for festival and adjacent activations.
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