Just months after the Aurora Series closed its doors, the collegiate esports tournament makes its triumphant return.
On July 29, 2025, the Aurora Series X (formerly Twitter) account posted the devastating news:
“I’ve made the decision to close this chapter of my life and shut down the Aurora Series,” said Executive Director, Cora Kennedy.
Kennedy made the hard decision to end the venture due to time constraints and other obligations requiring her attention as the Director of Esports at Illinois Wesleyan University.
The Aurora Series was a tournament series devoted to creating competition for women and marginalized gender players in the collegiate esports space. After a few years of VALORANT tournaments and one year of Overwatch competition, the Aurora Series gracefully bowed out of the collegiate landscape.
Or so it was thought, until October 3rd, 2025 when it was announced that NECC had acquired the rights to the Aurora Series. NECC’s press statement provided that the mission of the series will remain the same, serving collegiate women and marginalized gender players across the country.
Kennedy recounted that NECC staff Kylie Welch and Caleb Glube reached out to her to find a way to keep the impactful series alive. While NECC may now have the naming rights and oversight of Aurora Series, Kennedy maintains that their mission will always remain the same, and she is happy to put the future of the series in their hands as an advisor.
“My biggest hope is to continue the mission of the Aurora Series and provide a safe space for marginalized gender players in collegiate as there have been many issues in the past in co-ed spaces that have made myself and some of my students uncomfortable,” remarked Kennedy. Thus, the need for the Aurora Series as a safe tournament environment remains.
Kennedy also added that her biggest hope moving forward is to be a “bastion of the community and the safe space for all players to find a home.” While other marginalized gender esports avenues may take hits and remain fractured, Kennedy also acknowledges that many pre-existing avenues for marginalized gender competition in both professional play (Milk Cup, Calling All Heroes, Game Changers, etc.) and collegiate have the capacity to flourish and for more people to be accepted into competition. While this goal will take some time to accomplish, she remarks, investing in initiatives such as Aurora Series helps to create that safe space that these players need.
The return of the Aurora Series acts as a beacon to drive more student engagement across colleges around the country. With NECC at the helm, many students are excited for the next round of competition to start. It is clear that the Aurora Series made a lasting impact on the students it served, and its impactwill continue to change the space for seasons to come.
