This was a busy and exciting 2025-2026 academic year for NIU Esports! Our varsity and club athletes have had the most successful competitive season yet, we’ve introduced new titles to our lineup, and we hired a new director. Keep reading for a few highlights!
Congratulations, graduates!
Our student athletes gathered at the end of the semester to celebrate a great season and our graduating seniors. We’re proud of every player, coach and student who made this season special.
Varsity Season Highlights
Overwatch Fall highlights: The team took 5th place out of 11 teams in Esports Collegiate Conference (ESC) regular season play with a 6-4 record. The team traveled to Miami University, Ohio, for Esports Collegiate Playoffs and won 7th place.
Overwatch Spring highlights: The team finished in 3rd place in the National Esports Collegiate Conference (NECC) Division III regular season with a 5-2 record. They’re currently in semifinals in the NECC Division III playoffs!
Rocket League: Our Rocket League team qualified for a number of invitational LAN events, including the Tri Cities Slam, VOLAN 2026 and Midwest Collegiate Rocket League. They made it to the Collegiate Conference Series playoffs and earned 2 CRL points, placing them in the top 45 overall. The team placed 3rd at the Midwest Battle Ground LAN tournament.
Super Smash Bros Ultimate: Thanks to effective communication and hard work, the team has had a successful season, qualifying for the Esports Collegiate Conference LAN tournament and winning fourth place at the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) tournament.
Congrats to all our varsity student athletes!
Student Club Updates
It’s been a fun and busy year for Huskie Gaming, one of our NIU student esports clubs.
- One of the biggest highlights was the club’s Toybox Streamathon, which raised about $450 for the Salvation Army of DeKalb.
- Huskie Gaming was recognized along with NIU Esports on the field at an NIU football game, which was a super cool moment.
- On the community side, Huskie Gaming teamed up with NIU Esports and Gaming For All to host a relaxing cozy gaming night for students.
- Competitively, the Huskie Gaming League of Legends and Marvel Rivals teams made playoffs in the fall, and the Valorant team made it all the way to semifinals in the spring!
- The club hosted some great events and donated a Nintendo Switch to the NIU Esports Arena to help make gaming more accessible for all students.
- On top of that, Huskie Gaming became a Collegiate Partner Club of Gen.G, one of the world’s premiere professional esports organizations!
To find out more about what the NIU Huskie Gaming Club is up to, check out their new TikTok and LinkedIn accounts.
