Baylor Rocket League Rolls through Qualifier for CRL Spring 2026 Season
WACO, Texas — Baylor esports qualified for one of 16 spots in the Collegiate Rocket League (CRL) Spring 2026 tournament, rising to the top of nearly 200 teams competing to qualify for the highest level of competition. Competition wrapped up on Saturday, Feb. 28, with all matches held virtually.
The massive entrant pool was split over eight double-elimination qualifying pools, with Baylor winning the Open Qualifier 2 Pool 1.
Baylor secured wins over Penn State Blue, 3-1, and Syracuse, 3-0, to clinch one of eight spots in the OQ2 pool play.
Baylor will now advance into a 16-team League Play round robin bracket over five weeks.
- Week 1: March 8, 2026, 12 p.m. CT
- Week 2: March 15, 2026, 12 p.m. CT
- Week 3: March 22, 2026, 6 p.m. CT
- Week 4: April 4, 2026, 6 p.m. CT
- Week 5: April 19, 2026, 6 p.m. CT
The top four teams from League Play will advance to the Spring Championship while the bottom 12 teams will progress to the CRL Last Chance Qualifier.
- Last Chance Qualifier: April 26, 2026, 12 p.m. CT
The top 4 teams from League Play and the top 2 teams from the Last Chance Qualifier compete to become the CRL Spring Champion!
- Spring Championship Day 1: May 2, 2026, 12 p.m. CT
- Spring Championship Day 2: May 3, 2026, 12 p.m. CT
The CRL Spring championships include Scholastic Award Distributions to each team, split equally among the starting players.
All games will be played virtually and streamed by one or both schools, with more streaming and broadcast information to come.
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 continues to build partnerships with Oso to form the Baylor Esports 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.