Baylor Rocket League Wins Conference Title in Inaugural Season

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Baylor’s Rocket League varsity team defeated Boise State, 4-1, to secure the program’s first-ever conference championship on Sunday at the Power Esports Conference (PEC) Grand Finals, hosted at the HyperX Esports Arena in the Luxor Pyramid in Las Vegas. 

The win caps a perfect 20-0 run through PEC competition in Baylor’s inaugural season as a varsity program. 

“We are grateful to compete alongside programs who continue to raise the bar for all of us in collegiate esports,” said Adam Stanley, Baylor’s director of esports and head coach. “This championship reflects the vision and support of our administration and institution and above all, the hard work and commitment of our players who made it possible. We couldn’t ask for a better result from our collective efforts as a program in our Year Zero.”

After a first round bye as the undefeated regular season champion, Baylor knocked off Minnesota (3-0) and Syracuse (3-2), setting up a 1 vs. 2 matchup with Boise State in the upper bracket final. Baylor’s 3-0 sweep of the Broncos secured Baylor’s spot in the Championship Sunday Grand Finals round.

Boise State took down Syracuse in in the lower bracket final to set up the Sunday rematch. 

As the top seed, Baylor started with one game advantage in the championship match, with Andrew “Andy” Nolan assisting Kadin “Zineel” Zineelabidine for the opening score. Boise State found the equalizer, forcing overtime.

A full field run by Zineel passed forward to Colby “hockser” James, leaving the ball on a tee for Andy to drive home to goal 1:10 into overtime, clinching the 2-1 game to bump the match lead for the Bears to 2-0. 

In game two, hockser got the scoring started early, dunking home a full-field run. After a quick answer by Boise State, hockser again connected for a goal on a beautiful touch pass from Andy. 

After the Broncos tied the game with under a minute left, the Broncos snuck away with the game point in overtime, cutting the match lead for Baylor to 2-1. 

Kicking the score off in game three, Andy cleared the board with a tactical demolition and touch pass out of the scrum that found a wide open hockser for an opening goal. 

Turning around moments later for another goal, Zineel won a 50-50 ball to connect with hockser for an aerial goal from midfield for another open goal score. 

Boise State went on their most productive stretch of the match, scoring three unanswered goals to take a 3-2 lead into the closing minute of the game. 

Looking for a spark, Andy passed up to Zineel who grabbed the tying goal for the Bears, 3-3. 

After a physical effort cleared the field, Andy tapped an aerial pass to hockser and Zineel, with hockser’s car bumping an inch ahead for the overtime goal to clinch the 4-3 game win. 

Taking a 3-1 match lead into game four, Baylor conceded its only opening goal of the match, with the Broncos striking first. 

Hockser set the ball up on a tee with a rebounded pass off the back board that Andy cleaned up for the equalizer. 

The teams both settled in for the closing two and half minutes of play, forcing yet another overtime game.

The Bears started on the attack and never relented, with Zineel nearly ending the match in the first 10 seconds. 

Both hockser and Andy had goals miss by a pixel or two, but at the 1:06 mark in overtime, the Green and Gold found the golden goal. 

Hockser left a touch pass in front of the goal with Zineel launching into the box to drive the ball home, clinching the conference title for the Bears on the 4-1 match score.

The LAN (Local Area Network) event featured all nine PEC member schools competing in-person for the premier championship event, with Baylor also sending teams in Overwatch 2, Valorant and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, for the three-day event in the Entertainment Capital of the World. 

The Rocket League squad will flip to the East Coast, traveling to Orlando for the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) Grand Finals on April 23 and 24, looking to bring a national title home to Waco, in what would be a stunning inaugural campaign for the newly minted Bears.

Baylor will then stake its claim as “America’s Esports Capital” when both the Texas Scholastic Esports Federation (TexSEF) and Collegiate Esports Commisioner’s Cup (CECC) host championship gatherings in Waco from April 30-May 3.

TexSEF is the hosting organization of the Texas Esports State Championships, with high school students from around the country descending on Baylor campus and downtown Waco, with matches split between Baylor’s Mark and Paula Hurd Welcome Center and the downtown Waco Convention Center.

CECC serves as the “May Madness” collegiate national championships, bringing 4,000-plus guests to the area, with competitions held at the Waco Convention Center. 

All told, nearly 11,000 competitors, coaches, families and fans are expected in Waco for the doubleheader events, spanning both interscholastic and intercollegiate competitions. 

ABOUT BAYLOR ESPORTS 

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. 

ABOUT POWER ESPORTS CONFERENCE (PEC)

The Power Esports Conference (PEC) is a collegiate esports league composed of Division I FBS institutions committed to developing high-level competitive esports programs. Member schools compete across multiple titles including Overwatch 2, Rocket League, Valorant, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. The conference emphasizes competitive excellence, program development, and collaborative growth among member institutions while showcasing collegiate esports on a national stage.

Current PEC member institutions include:

• Baylor University
• Boise State University
• University of Kansas
• Michigan State University
• University of Minnesota
• University of Nebraska
• Ohio State University
• Syracuse University
• University of Utah