The National Association of Collegiate Esports has announced that the Spring 2026 NACE Grand Finals will be presented by ASUS Republic of Gamers and will return to Full Sail University from April 23 to 26, 2026.
The financial terms of the partnership weren’t publicly disclosed. However, NACE has confirmed that, as part of this deal, the tournament will be powered by ASUS ROG hardware to make sure that NACE student-athletes have access to gaming desktops and monitors to showcase their skills. The tournament organisers, in return, might also feature ASUS ROG branding, logo placements, and banners throughout the event.
The Spring 2026 NACE Grand Finals will bring 48 varsity college esports teams from across North America to compete in person. Matches will take place at the Orlando Health Fortress and Full Sail Live venues on campus. The Grand Finals will feature competition across six game titles including League of Legends, VALORANT, COD Black Ops 7, Overwatch, Rocket League and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
A key highlight is the official Overwatch Collegiate league, held in partnership with Activision Blizzard. This will be the first time Overwatch Collegiate is played on LAN at the NACE Grand Finals. The Top 8 Varsity teams and the Top 2 Open teams will compete live to decide the champions.
In addition to the matches, students from Full Sail University and NACE member programs will help with event planning, operations, and production. The event will give students hands on experience working at a major college esports championship.
Executive Director Riley Long at NACE said, “We’re proud to team up with ASUS Republic of Gamers to present the Spring 2026 Grand Finals hosted by our fantastic partners at Full Sail University. This event reflects the pinnacle of Varsity competition, reinforcing the importance of our eligibility standards and in-person play requirements. Bringing Overwatch Collegiate to LAN through our partnership with Blizzard to showcase Varsity and Open competition is also an exciting addition to this year’s NACE Grand Finals.”
Sari Kitelyn, Director of Esports at Full Sail University, said, “We’re honored to welcome the NACE Grand Finals back to Full Sail University. This championship represents the highest level of collegiate competition, and it also serves as a powerful hands-on learning experience for our students. cross production, esports management, live events, and creative teams, our students collaborate alongside esports focused live event professionals to deliver a national event of such high caliber.”
In recent months, NACE has continued to expand its support for the collegiate esports community through several new partnerships. One of them is the partnership with InTouch Credit Union (ITCU), which will now serve as NACE’s Official Financial Services Partner. On top of that, NACE has also been able to secure an official merchandise partner, Raven, to enhance the commercial and professional offerings for its member schools.
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