Hosted by Full Sail University, the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) returns to Orlando, FL, on April 23-26, 2026 for an action-packed weekend event.
For the spring 2026 semester, NACE returns to the stage with an in-person LAN Grand Finals. The event will take place at Full Sail University, competing in the Full Sail University Orlando Health Fortress and Full Sail Live venues across campus.
Founded in 2016, the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) is a non-profit organization that supports collegiate esports programs across North America with over 4,000 student-athletes and 150 member institutions. In spring 2025, the event saw great success from students, coaches, and directors, coordinating with NACE’s mission.
Part of NACE’s mission states: “By championing integrity, leadership, and competitive excellence, we empower students, coaches, and institutions to shape the future of collegiate esports.”
With six game titles, the event will represent the top 48 Varsity teams across the North American region, featuring games such as Call of Duty Black Ops 7, League of Legends, Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and VALORANT.
In partnership with Activision-Blizzard and the official Overwatch Collegiate league, NACE will host the first Overwatch Collegiate LAN since 2019. The event will invite the top eight varsity teams and the top two open teams to battle in Orlando for two unique championships.
From NACE’s official press release, Executive Director Riley Long shares what to look forward to at the event and how it represents collegiate esports: “This event reflects the pinnacle of Varsity competition, reinforcing the importance of our eligibility standards and in-person play requirements. Bringing Overwatch Collegiate to LAN through our partnership with Blizzard to showcase Varsity and Open competition is also an exciting addition to this year’s NACE Grand Finals,” Long stated.
With high-quality production, a live stream will be provided with fan-focused activities, broadcasting talent, and live commentary over the weekend from the official NACE Twitch.
While NACE does not stream regular-season matches, viewers can find individual school profiles to keep up to date on their matches.
In collaboration with ASUS Republic of Gamers, Full Sail University and NACE will provide hardware to guarantee that NACE student-athletes can access premium equipment to highlight their skills.
Before the event, NACE members and Full Sail University will contribute to event planning, operations, and production while providing hands-on experience throughout the event to gain knowledge and experience real-world scenarios.
Full Sail University’s Director of Esports, Sari Kitelyn, highlights the use of students within their program to provide a hands-on experience: “Across production, esports management, live events, and creative teams, our students collaborate alongside esports focused live event professionals to deliver a national event of such high caliber. That combination of elite competition and experiential education, paired with professional guidance, is what makes this partnership so meaningful.”
In anticipation of the Spring Grand Finals, the previous champions from Fall 2025 hope to make a return to the championship in April.
- Call of Duty Black Ops 6: St. Clair College
- League of Legends: Winthrop University
- Overwatch: Illinois State University
- Rocket League: St. Clair College
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Stony Brook University
- VALORANT: Maryville University
With the return of the NACE Spring Grand Finals at Full Sail University, the event will crown seven champions across six game titles in Orlando, FL on April 26, 2026.
To learn more about NACE and keep up to date with the NACE Spring 2026 Grand Finals, visit NACE Esports official website or follow NACE Esports on X.
