Grand Canyon University, Arizona State Win Second Year of Western Cactus League and Earn Bids to CECC May Madness 2025
Stamford, CT – March 3, 2025 – In its second year of competition, the Western Cactus League (WCL) was held at Grand Canyon University with two schools, Grand Canyon University and Arizona State University, earning bids to play in the Collegiate Esports Commissioner’s Cup (CECC) May Madness 2025 tournament.
CECC May Madness, established in 2022, gives 84 teams in four different game titles (Overwatch 2, Rocket League, Valorant, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate) and 12 players in Street Fighter 6, a chance to face other schools from across North America and one team or player in each game are crowned as national champions.
The Western Cactus League, held in-person on the campus of Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, was a two-day tournament on Mar. 1-2 that featured five games (Overwatch 2, Rocket League, Valorant, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, League of Legends) and 19 teams across six schools including the hosts Grand Canyon University, Arizona State University, the University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, and two new schools to the WCL with Mesa Community College and Glendale Community College.
Out of the five game titles at the WCL, four titles in Overwatch 2, Rocket League, Valorant, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate directly earned bids to CECC May Madness 2025.
Grand Canyon University earned three of the four bids to CECC May Madness 2025. The Valorant team defeated Arizona State University in a 3-1 series and the Rocket League team defeated the University of Arizona in a 4-1 series. The Overwatch 2 team was defeated 3-0 in a series sweep, but due to Arizona State already having earned their bid by winning the CECC West Regional in Nov. 2024, Grand Canyon University earned their bid as runner-up of the tournament.
In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Arizona State would earn the last bid after playing the same opponent three times to win the title. They would lose to Grand Canyon University 2-1 in the best of three upper bracket finals match, then played them again in the grand finals, winning the first series 3-2, forcing a bracket reset, and played one more best of five series which they would win in a 3-0 series sweep to win the tournament and earn the fourth bid.
For the first time at the WCL, League of Legends was featured as a competing title and, while not having a bid to CECC May Madness, Arizona State would defeat Grand Canyon University in the best of five championship series with a sweep 3-0.
“It's a blessing to host an event like WCL where we get to spread the wealth of our program and show the world the quality of our student leaders, competitors, and culture,” said Jay DeShong, director of esports operations at Grand Canyon Universtiy.
The three teams from Grand Canyon University and the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate team from Arizona State University will now travel to CECC May Madness 2025, set to take place May 2-4 at Esports Stadium Arlington in Texas, renowned as the largest in-person scholastic esports event in North America. The 2024 event attracted over 4 million views and 4,100 attendees, and the upcoming 2025 event marks the fifth year of CECC's celebration of collegiate esports excellence.
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Article Written by:
Keegan Ohta
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