The prestigious college football contest the Fiesta Bowl and game publisher Blizzard are bringing a new Overwatch tournament to Arizona. The Fiesta Bowl Overwatch Collegiate National Championship will see four top collegiate Overwatch teams go toe to toe this February.
Intercollegiate Overwatch competition
Since 1971, the Fiesta Bowl has been one of the most important games on the college football calendar. Currently, the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale hosts the game each holiday season.
Now, the bowl season institution embraces competitive gaming by launching this new tournament.
“With the explosive growth of esports, we identified this opportunity to broaden our footprint and get involved right at our sweet spot – intercollegiate competition,” said Fiesta Bowl Executive Director Mike Nealy. “Now is a perfect time to become a part of a new frontier for college gaming. These are highly-talented and dedicated students showcasing their skills.”
As with many other major esports tournaments, Twitch plans to broadcast this new event. Both the upcoming Cactus Bowl (Dec. 26) and the Fiesta Bowl (Dec. 30) will heavily promote the tourney.
“The passion and tradition of college football are a perfect match to the drama and excitement of Overwatch collegiate esports,” said Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaime. “We’re excited to see some of the top college Overwatch players competing for scholarships and glory as part of the Fiesta Bowl festivities.”
Four teams battled through a season of 318 universities and reached the finals.
- California, Berkeley (the defending champions)
- Toronto (last year’s runners-up)
- California, Irvine
- California, San Diego
Prize money as scholarships
Tespa — the college esports tournament organization — co-organizes this Overwatch tournament. As usual, they put up prize money in the form of scholarships. The winners receive $7,000 alongside the trophy and bragging rights.
Tespa is also the organization behind Heroes of the Dorm, an annual Heroes of the Storm competition that rewards winners with scholarship money.
As for the Fiesta Bowl, the organization gives away over $2.5 million in donations to Arizona nonprofits. It now hopes esports will offer another opportunity to not only help passionate students but also continue supporting local charities.
Image credit: Tim Roberts Photography / Shutterstock.com
