Baylor students to compete in first Big 12 esports tournament this weekend

Baylor students will compete this weekend in the first officially sanctioned Big 12 Conference esports tournament.

Teams from six other conference schools will join Oso Esports for the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (SSBU) tournament, which will take place virtually March 1, and serve as the conference qualifier for the prestigious Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup (CECC), to be held this May in Arlington.

Oso Esports will face a team from the University of Colorado in the first round Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The tournament will follow a double-elimination (best of three) format, concluding with a championship (best of five) Saturday at 8 p.m. The tournament will be hosted via EsportsU on Battlefy; you can also watch via EsportsU on Twitch.

The Big 12 has received an automatic qualifying bid for SSBU in the CECC, marking a significant milestone for the conference, which continues to grow its footprint in the fast-growing world of collegiate esports.

“Esports continues to expand nationally (and particularly here in Texas) as the level of competition increases and the gaming community continues to grow,” says Jason Cook, Baylor’s vice president for marketing and communications and chief marketing officer. “It’s important for Baylor, as a Christian Research 1 university, to have a significant role in esports.”

Since 2017, Oso Esports has provided a place on campus where students interested in online gaming can foster an organization of community and competition. In December, Baylor hosted the Texas Esports League Fall Finals at Hurd Welcome Center (pictured above), as 450+ middle and high school competitors battled for state championships. Baylor’s involvement in the world of esports is only expected to grow in the near future.

Sic ’em, Oso Esports!