Power Esports Conference
 | This article needs more citations. (April 2026) |
 | |
| Abbreviation | PEC |
|---|---|
| Formation | 2024 |
| Website | pec |
The Power Esports Conference (PEC) is a collegiate esports scheduling alliance comprising nine NCAA Division I FBS universities.[1] The conference organizes regular-season competition, shared rulesets, and a centralized postseason culminating in a double-elimination championship event at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas.
Current members include Boise State, Syracuse, Michigan State, Ohio State, Kansas, Nebraska, Baylor, Minnesota, and Utah.[1] Oklahoma and USC are former members.
History
[edit]Formation (2024)
[edit]The Power Esports Conference was publicly announced in August 2024, with founding institutions unveiling coordinated statements through social media and university websites.[2] The inaugural membership featured:
- Boise State University
- Syracuse University
- Michigan State University
- Ohio State University
- University of Kansas
- University of Nebraska
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Southern California
The conference also confirmed that its first national championship would take place at the HyperX Esports Arena in Las Vegas. Supported titles in the inaugural season included Overwatch 2, VALORANT, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.[2]
Expansion (2025)
[edit]Ahead of the 2025–26 season, Oklahoma and USC withdrew from the league. In August 2025, the PEC announced the addition of Baylor University, the University of Minnesota, and the University of Utah, bringing membership to nine teams.[3]
In the 2026-27 season, Washington and West Virginia joined, bringing league membership to 11 total teams. The addition of the two schools also prompted the conference to adapt a division format.[4]
Membership
[edit]| Institution | Location | Joined | Left | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse University | Syracuse, New York | 2024 | — | Founding member |
| Michigan State University | East Lansing, Michigan | 2024 | — | Founding member |
| Boise State University | Boise, Idaho | 2024 | — | Founding member |
| Ohio State University | Columbus, Ohio | 2024 | — | Founding member |
| University of Kansas | Lawrence, Kansas | 2024 | — | Founding member |
| University of Nebraska | Lincoln, Nebraska | 2024 | — | Founding member |
| Baylor University | Waco, Texas | 2025 | — | Added for 2025–26 season[3] |
| University of Minnesota | Minneapolis, Minnesota | 2025 | — | Added for 2025–26 season[3] |
| University of Utah | Salt Lake City, Utah | 2025 | — | Added for 2025–26 season[3] |
| University of Oklahoma | Norman, Oklahoma | 2024 | 2025 | Withdrew before 2025–26 season[3] |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, California | 2024 | 2025 | Withdrew before 2025–26 season[3] |
| University of Washington | Seattle, Washington | 2026 | — | Added for 2026-27 season |
| West Virginia University | Morgantown, West Virginia | 2026 | — | Added for 2026-27 season |
Sponsored titles
[edit]| Title | Publisher | First season sponsored |
|---|---|---|
| Overwatch 2 | Blizzard Entertainment | 2024–25 |
| VALORANT | Riot Games | 2024–25 |
| Rocket League | Psyonix | 2024–25 |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Nintendo | 2024–25 |
Format
[edit]Regular season
[edit]In 2026, the PEC adopted a divisional format and shortened the season to align with a more traditional athletic schedule. The PEC West and PEC East divisions send their top four teams in each game to the championship in Las Vegas. In 2026-27, the divisions were split, with five teams in the west and six in the east.[5]
| West | East |
|---|---|
| Washington | Syracuse |
| Utah | West Virginia |
| Boise State | Ohio State |
| Baylor | Nebraska |
| Kansas | Michigan State |
| N/A | Minnesota |
Postseason
[edit]The top four teams in each division for each game qualify for the PEC National Championship in Las Vegas. The event uses a double-elimination LAN format, with match operations administered by the conference in partnership with LeagueOS.[1]
Awards
[edit]The PEC gives out First and Second Team All Conference Teams, as well as All Americans.
Season summaries
[edit]2024–25 season
[edit]The inaugural season produced four championship matchups across the supported titles. Boise State and Michigan State each secured two national championships:
- Boise State – Rocket League, Overwatch 2
- Michigan State – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, VALORANT
Syracuse reached the Overwatch 2 grand finals, while Nebraska finished runner-up in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
| Season | Game title | Champion | Runner-up | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Overwatch 2 | Boise State | Syracuse | Las Vegas, Nevada (HyperX Esports Arena) |
| 2024–25 | Rocket League | Boise State | Michigan State | Las Vegas, Nevada (HyperX Esports Arena) |
| 2024–25 | VALORANT | Michigan State | Boise State | Las Vegas, Nevada (HyperX Esports Arena) |
| 2024–25 | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Michigan State | Nebraska | Las Vegas, Nevada (HyperX Esports Arena) |
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Director of the Year | Joey Gawrysiak, Syracuse |
| Program of the Year | Michigan State |
| Rocket League Coach of the Year | Payton Wilkin, Boise State |
| Valorant Coach of the Year | Alexander Mills, Michigan State |
| Overwatch Coach of the Year | Doc Haskell, Boise State |
| Super Smash Bros Coach of the Year | Grayson Harding, Michigan State |
| Rocket League Player of the Year | Cade Hall, Boise State |
| Valorant Player of the Year | Maxwell Humes, Michigan State |
| Overwatch Player of the Year | Johnathan Foraker, Boise State |
| Super Smash Bros Player of the Year | Adam Ismaili-Alaoui, Michigan State |
2025–26 season
[edit]The 2025–26 season introduced the PEC Kickoff Classic presented by Spectrum Industries, held on 20 September 2025 at the Syracuse Esports Arena. The Rocket League invitational featured four programs, with Boise State defeating Michigan State in the championship match.[3]
The PEC also launched its first official website, pec
In 2025/26, the PEC adopted a full season results format, meaning results from both fall and spring determined regular season champions, as well as seed order at the PEC National Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The PEC Named First and Second Teams for all four games played, as well as overall All-Americans for 2026. These were nominated by and voted on by the directors.
| Title | Champion |
|---|---|
| Overwatch 2 | Ohio State[6] |
| Rocket League | Baylor[7] |
| Valorant | Boise State[8] |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Michigan State[9] |
| Title | Champion | Runner Up | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overwatch 2 | Utah | Boise State | Las Vegas, Nevada (HyperX Esports Arena) |
| Rocket League | Baylor | Boise State | Las Vegas, Nevada (HyperX Esports Arena) |
| Valorant | Boise State | Ohio State | Las Vegas, Nevada (HyperX Esports Arena) |
| Super Smash Bros. Ultimate | Michigan State | Minnesota | Las Vegas, Nevada (HyperX Esports Arena) |
| Award | Winner |
|---|---|
| Director of the Year | AJ Dimick |
| Program of the Year | Boise State |
| Rocket League Coach of the Year | James Jordan, Michigan State |
| Valorant Coach of the Year | Kelsey Moser, Boise State |
| Overwatch Coach of the Year | Jeehoon Yoo, Syracuse |
| Super Smash Bros Coach of the Year | Javier Sierra, Michigan State |
Two new innovative pieces of media were produced during the 2025/26 season: PEC Match Point and PEC Splitscreen.
Match Point [12]was produced by Boise State Esports in collaboration with the Idaho Air National Guard, and was hosted by local radio personality Michael Fisher. The show ran during the first and second semester, and showcased all matchups from around the league from the previous week, as well as previewed upcoming matchups.
Splitscreen was produced by Syracuse Esports, and provided coverage of all Rocket League matches simultaneously during the second semester[13].
Branding
[edit]The conference's official colors are blue (#0047ab) and white (#FFFFFF). Its official abbreviation is PEC. The league's shield-style logo is used across broadcast, social media, and website branding.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Power Esports Conference". Power Esports Conference. LeagueOS.
- 1 2 "Boise State Esports joins Power Esports Conference". Boise State Esports. Boise State University. September 3, 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Power Esports Conference expansion announcement". X (formerly Twitter). Power Esports Conference.
- ↑ "Broncos Release Highlighted Home Game Schedule for 2026/27". Boise State University Athletics. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ "Broncos Release Highlighted Home Game Schedule for 2026/27". Boise State University Athletics. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
- ↑ pec.leagueos.gg https://pec.leagueos.gg/schedule/overwatch/8w3os5ns7npp2w5qbgkq6s4hn/standings. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ pec.leagueos.gg https://pec.leagueos.gg/schedule/rl/6xzjd33bti1ookx9la9lm8gc6/standings. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ pec.leagueos.gg https://pec.leagueos.gg/schedule/valorant/6g2i2un8jnnv72igt135bctj7/standings. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ pec.leagueos.gg https://pec.leagueos.gg/schedule/ssbu/4j92ndc0pvpfnubajgouw8hlm/standings. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ pec.leagueos.gg https://pec.leagueos.gg/news/4y5wckeei1orkvinualzi0e3e. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Power Esports Conference 2026 Championship: Day Three. Retrieved April 29, 2026 – via www.youtube.com.
- ↑ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved April 29, 2026.
- ↑ "- YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved April 29, 2026.