NAIA and NACE Unite to Host Inaugural National Esports Cup

The NAIA Esports Cup is set to take place in spring 2027, marking a significant milestone as the first official collaboration between the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and the National Association of Collegiate Esports. This online national tournament is exclusively for NAIA schools that are also members of NACE. Established in July 2016, NACE has grown to include over 170 member institutions. The cup is touted as the inaugural esports initiative by a four-year college athletics association, with a committee of NAIA program directors tasked with determining the tournament’s format and game titles.

Participation in the tournament comes with specific requirements that entail costs for the schools. According to NACE’s bylaws, institutions must have an esports lab or designated space, conduct all NACE varsity competitions from that location under the supervision of a campus official, and ensure player eligibility through the NACE Eligibility Center. Details regarding prize money, scholarships, sponsorships, or entry fees beyond NACE membership have not been disclosed. NACE Executive Director Riley Long described the cup as “our first step in exploring a national-level self-select experience.”

This tournament emerges at a time when other institutions are scaling back their esports programs. The College Esports Closures & Cuts Tracker notes that 26 schools have either closed or reduced their esports offerings since 2022, including two NAIA members, Siena Heights and Lourdes, which will discontinue their programs after the 2025-26 academic year. Meanwhile, NACE has been expanding its commercial partnerships, having recently signed deals with ASUS Republic of Gamers and InTouch Credit Union, as recorded in the College Esports Deals Tracker.