When making a decision on which league(s) to play in, most directors, club presidents, and schools choose to go with one of the big four leagues; ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference), NACE (National Association of Collegiate Esports), NECC (National Esports Collegiate Conference), and/or PCL (PlayVS Collegiate League, previously CSL/NACE Starleague/Playfly College Esports). This article will discuss these big players and the four core games of collegiate esports: VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Overwatch/Overwatch 2.
The Leagues
With requirements of being a “Varsity” program (defined as being officially recognized by the institution, dedicated staff and space, and recruitment), NACE has 499 teams registered amongst their top 5 titles. NACE’s price tag is $3250/year.
Next up is the big gun, the NECC. With no varsity eligibility requirements and a price tag on the lower side at $1500/year for unlimited teams, NECC has 1380 teams registered amongst their top 5 titles.
The ECAC, which like the rest of the three leagues, covers all of North America, has a price tag of $1600/yr, and no varsity eligibility requirements. ECAC has 658 teams registered amongst their top 5 titles.
The PlayVS Collegiate League, PlayVS’s most recent foray into collegiate esports after the acquisition of Playfly College Esports and Generation Esports has the cheapest price tag of the four at $1000. PlayVS has also recently partnered with NJCAAE (National Junior College Athletics Association Esports). PCL is the smallest non-varsity league out of the four, with 511 teams amongst their top 5 titles.
All leagues slightly contracted in the core four titles (VALORANT, League of Legends, Rocket League, and Overwatch/Overwatch 2) between fall 2024 and fall 2025. NACE and NECC by 7%, PCL by 9%, and ECAC by 19%. This is most likely because of the rise of games like Marvel Rivals.
Overwatch 2: Declining, but NECC Largest By Far
When it comes to Overwatch 2, NECC is the largest league by far with 360 competing teams. Followed by ECAC at 166, PCL at 137, and NACE with 117 varsity teams. Overwatch 2 has had the most significant shrink between years at 16%. This is most likely because of the addition of a new 6v6 shooter, Marvel Rivals. This is notable, combined with the fact that high-profile teams like Maryville, UCI and ISU dissolving their teams, shows concerns with the collegiate esports scene of Overwatch 2.
Rocket League: Still the Most Popular Title by Teams
As a 3v3 game, Rocket League has the most amount of teams in collegiate esports. With the rebound of CRL, teams are using these leagues as a way to stay competitive. NECC has 396 Rocket League teams followed by ECAC at 192, NACE at 155, and PCL at 134. Rocket League stayed steady, with a 6% contraction year over year.
League of Legends: Slipping in Players?
While League of Legends was the smallest of the five titles, it is holding solidly year over year with the smallest decrease in teams of 5%. NECC once again leads the amount of teams with 254, followed by ECAC at 108, PCL at 99, and NACE at 77. Riot Games has a sponsored league in partnership with University Esports. It is possible that teams focus on this rather than as many NECC, ECAC, PCL, and NACE competitions.
VALORANT: Shooter Favorite for Now
VALORANT continues to be a big hit in the collegiate space, with the second most teams, and most competitive players out of all the games offered. With a total of 853 teams amongst the four leagues, NECC has 370, ECAC 192, NACE 150, and PCL with 141. VALORANT had a 12% reduction in teams year over year, potentially because of the creation of more Marvel Rivals leagues. As previously mentioned, Riot Games has a sponsored league in partnership with University Esports. Similar to League of Legends, it is possible that teams focus on this rather than as many NECC, ECAC, PCL, and NACE competitions.
SSBU & Marvel Rivals: Fifth Title Spotlight
These four titles, Overwatch 2, Rocket League, League of Legends, and VALORANT, were chosen as a focus because they are generally recognized as the four core collegiate esports titles, but that doesn’t mean they’re the only titles.
Fall 2025 has two titles that are vying for the fifth title. Marvel Rivals is large this year after a few tournaments last year. NECC has 280 teams, ECAC has 168, and PCL has 103. NACE does not offer Rivals at this moment. Whether Rivals will become a 5th core title or will be a flash in the pan will be seen over the next year or so.
Additionally, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate Crew Battles (4v4) is a large title for most of these leagues. It is the 5th title for ECAC and NACE with 171 and 157 respectively. NECC has 225 and PCL 93.
Big Picture: NECC is the Heavyweight Champion; but is it the league for you?
While NECC has the largest league in terms of teams, does that make it the best? Not necessarily; all leagues have pros and cons over the other. NACE, for example, competes amongst those schools with a Varsity program, and with a higher entry point, has schools with more financial backing. It additionally offers events for administrators to attend. NECC, ECAC, and PCL are available for all levels and all do a good job of placing similarly skilled teams against each other to make competition as close and competitive as possible.
What This Means for Collegiate Esports
Despite the closure of a few top-tier esports schools, the overall landscape, based off of registration numbers, looks as strong as ever. The big four/five titles are holding steady, and new titles like Marvel Rivals are bringing in new audience of collegiate competitors. With concerns regarding overreliance on developer leagues, knowing that there are at least four strong national leagues and numerous smaller national and regional leagues should put competitors and administrators minds at ease.
