TCU Esports competes for national title in season of historic success

By Eleni Simatacolos, Staff Writer

Published Apr 10, 2025

Competing for the NECC title marks a milestone in TCU Esports’ eight-year run on campus. Photo courtesy of TCU Esports (@tcuesports on Instagram).

In a season of historic success, TCU Esports has advanced two teams to the final round of the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) playoffs for the first time in program history.

Esports initially qualified four teams — Valorant, Overwatch II, Rainbow Six Siege and Rocket League 6 — for the NECC playoffs, which began March 24.

Though Valorant lost to the University of Denver in the first round, Rainbow Six Siege is set to compete for bronze, and both Rocket League and Overwatch II have qualified for their respective divisional championships.

TCU Esports player in action during a round of Valorant. Photo courtesy of TCU Esports (@tcuesports on Instagram).

This season marks the first time TCU Esports has reached the NECC playoffs in its eight-year history — a major milestone for the program.

“Never in its history at TCU has Esports competed in a national tournament, let alone for the title,” Asa Tuten, a second-year graduate student and Esports president, said.

Tuten helped found the club in 2017 and has remained involved ever since.

Esports’ success this season is marked by an undefeated Rocket League team and winning the Iron Skillet competition against SMU Esports in February, Tuten said.

The Iron Skillet is an annual competition between TCU and SMU Esports, and by tradition, winning is considered a rite of passage. Photo courtesy of TCU Esports (@tcuesports on Instagram).

Many of the club’s achievements this season are credited to its skilled first-year class, said Whitney Akred, a sophomore double-major in computer science and digital culture & data analytics. Akred is also the Esports community manager.

“Our best-performing games this season were played by mostly freshmen, which has greatly contributed to our team’s success,” she said.

Contributing to the team’s victories has been an exciting journey for first-year Esports member Liana Mayo, a psychology and youth advocacy double-major on the Overwatch II team.

“Being a part of this journey as a first-year student has given me something to be proud of and has greatly pushed me,” Mayo said.

The final matches are coming up for the Horned Frogs, with Rocket League set to play Lander University at 7 p.m. CDT and Overwatch II to play Texas Tech Friday at 8 p.m. CDT. Rainbow 6 Siege will play Missouri S&T for the bronze today at 8 p.m. CDT.

All matches will be streamed live on the TCU Esports Twitch channel.