Baylor Rocket League Dominates the Field for Texas Collegiate Invitational Title
Baylor esports secured the Rocket League championship in the Texas Collegiate Invitational, topping Lubbock Christian 4-2 in the Grand Finals on Feb. 22 in Dallas.
The Texas Collegiate Invitational, hosted by UT Dallas at the UTD Gaming & Esports Center, featured some of the top esports programs in the southwest. Baylor’s Rocket League and Valorant varsity teams faced off with squads from UTD, LCU, UT-Arlington, North Texas, Texas A&M, UT-Austin, Texas Tech and University of Oklahoma.
The Bears will take home the custom engraved pillar-style acrylic trophy, and each student-athlete will receive a professional-level gaming monitor, courtesy of ZOWIE.
Led by Colby “hockser” James, Andrew “Andy” Nolan and newcomer Kadin “Zineel” Zineelabidine, the Rocket League varsity roster is supported by substitutes Joe “JT” Tornari and Connor “pacman2022” Kelly, with Kelly additionally serving as the team’s manager.
On the first day of competition in a swiss pairing format, Baylor swept through Tech, A&M, UTD, LCU and North Texas, going 15-0.
On day two, Baylor topped North Texas, 4-0, and LCU, 4-1, advancing to a third matchup with LCU in the Grand Finals.
The Bears clinched the title with a 4-2 showing, finishing the weekend with a 27-3 game count over an 8-0 match record.
Baylor’s Rocket League squad continues to set the pace in Power Esports Conference play, holding an undefeated 11-0 record in the program’s inaugural season in the elite national conference.
Baylor Esports was formally established in 2025 with the hiring of Adam Stanley as the program’s first director and varsity coach. For the inaugural 2025-2026 season, Baylor is sponsoring a three-person Rocket League team, with professional gamers Colby “hockser” James, Andrew “Andy” Nolan and Kadin “Zineel” Zineelabidine already making waves in the global esports community.
The varsity competition program enhances a longstanding gaming culture within the campus community, joining Oso Esports, Baylor’s gaming club that was established in 2017. Baylor Esports will continue to build partnerships with Oso as a development academy – similar to professional soccer academies – to train and elevate student-athletes for future varsity rosters in expanded gaming competitions.
ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.