Eight universities recently joined together to form the Power Esports Conference (PEC). The PEC is a new esports scheduling alliance catered exclusively to top tier Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institutions, with the Mountain West still remaining Boise State Esports primary conference. Boise State, along with Michigan State and Syracuse, spearheaded the formation of this new alliance. Ohio State University, University of Kansas, Universty of Oklahoma, University of Nebraska and University of Southern California, also join the roster to compete in the alliance’s inaugural year.
The PEC gives Division 1 athletic schools the opportunity to face off against similar institutions in a regular, structured season. Furthermore, it gives universities the resources to create exciting matchups that tap into rivalries present in traditional university sports. It also allows these large schools to pool together resources to create a league with exemplary production, broadcasting, and marketing.
Boise State Leading in Collegiate Esports
Boise State Esports Head Coach Dr. Chris Haskell expressed great support for the new PEC in a recent press release by Syracuse University.
“We are elated to help establish this conference and play peer institutions in a fixed season schedule that expands upon our traditional athletic rivalries,” Haskell said. “The PEC will be a great addition to the other leagues and publisher tournaments that make for a great student experience.”
The creation of the PEC is yet another example of Boise State’s commitment to being a leader in collegiate esports. Boise State University President Marlene Tromp recently highlighted Boise State’s Esports in this year’s state of the university address.
“More young people tune into live broadcasts or match highlights on social feeds like Twitch, Facebook, YouTube, than they do for professional sports,” Tromp said. “That means Boise State is reaching a critical demographic of students to make them aware of this university with the outstanding excellence of that program.”
PEC Fall 2024 Schedule
The PEC season starts September 23rd with teams competing in Valorant, Overwatch 2, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Teams will compete in a round robin format for seven weeks in the fall and spring. The leagues postseason takes place spring 2025. Those interested in following Boise State’s journey through the PEC can see upcoming matches here.
Schedule
- Sept 23-29: vs Ohio State, vs Kansas, vs Oklahoma, vs Nebraska, vs USC, vs Michigan St., vs Boise State, vs Syracuse
- Sept 30-Oct 6: vs Oklahoma, vs MSU, vs Nebraska, vs Boise State, vs Kansas, vs Syracuse, vs Ohio State, vs USC
- Oct 7-13: vs Kansas, vs Nebraska, vs MSU, vs Syracuse, vs Oklahoma, vs Boise State, vs USC, vs Ohio State
- Oct 14-20: vs Nebraska, vs Syracuse, vs Boise State, vs Ohio State, vs MSU, vs USC, vs Oklahoma, vs Kansas
- Oct 21-27: vs Syracuse, vs Boise State, vs USC, vs Kansas, vs Ohio State, vs Nebraska, vs MSU, vs Oklahoma
- Oct 28-Nov 3: vs Boise State, vs USC, vs Ohio State, vs Oklahoma, vs Syracuse, vs Kansas, vs Nebraska, vs MSU
- Nov 4-10: vs USC, vs Ohio State, vs Syracuse, vs Michigan St., vs Boise State, vs Oklahoma, vs Kansas, vs Nebraska
Written by Jacob Palmer