Starting in the spring of 2024, teams in select game titles will be able to qualify for the NACE Starleague Varsity Premier Superconference. This new conference will feature the top eight teams from the previous season’s playoffs, with the best of the best facing off every week. Teams must earn their spot in the Superconference each season by continually making quarterfinals in playoffs.

View the Superconference announcement video here.

Aside from creating marquee matchups every week of competition, the Superconference will bring all of the top tier teams out of every other conference, leading to greater parity for everyone else. Every team in the Superconference will qualify for the postseason as well, with the top six teams automatically moving on to playoffs while the seventh and eighth place teams will compete in the Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ). The addition of the Superconference will create a more competitive season for all teams in Varsity Premier, both within and outside of the Superconference. Qualifying for the Superconference now represents another goal for teams to strive for.

This fall saw the addition of our first self-selection conference, featuring teams like Boise State University, University of Missouri, and Michigan State University. After a successful trial, this system will be opened up to all NACE member schools in the coming months. Teams will be able to “register” their conference affiliation with a form that will be made available this spring, with competition starting in the fall of 2024. Schools in a self-selection conference will benefit from having consistent opponents each regular season, allowing them to do things like schedule matches much farther in advance or play matches together in-person. Teams who do not affiliate with a conference will still be seeded into regional conferences using the current system.

Self-selection conferences are new groupings of like-minded NACE member schools who choose to affiliate together on an esport-by-esport basis; if your existing athletics conference wants to compete and have their matches count as part of the NACE Starleague, reach out to NACE Director of Operations Michael Jones. The first of these traditional conferences will be joining us this spring – the Big East, competing in multiple titles in NACE Starleague.

These changes represent a massive step towards NACE’s long term vision for varsity esports, one that incorporates traditional athletic conferences while also allowing for the creation of esport specific ones. “I am incredibly excited to introduce the Superconference to NACE Starleague,” said JJ Myers, NACE Director of Competition. “I firmly believe that this initiative represents the natural next evolution of varsity collegiate esports and is a testament to our commitment to continual growth.”

FAQ

1. What is the goal of the Superconference?
To provide the opportunity for top teams to have consistently strong competition throughout the regular season, and to create more competitive parity throughout the remaining Varsity Premier Conferences.

2. Which Game Titles Have the Superconference?
Rocket League, Overwatch, Call of Duty, Valorant, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

3. Which division of NACE Starleague does the Superconference live in?
The Superconference lives within the Varsity Premier Division.

4. Why would a team be interested in participating in the Superconference?
Consistent weekly matches against the best of the best in NACE Starleague. Every match is a must see with playoff implications.

5. How many teams will participate in the Superconference?
Eight teams for each of the designated titles.

6. How are teams selected for participation in the Superconference?
The top eight teams from the previous Varsity Premier Season will be invited into the Superconference. If the invitation is declined the next highest placing team will be invited in their place.

7. Does my school need to be a NACE member to participate?
NACE Membership is a requirement for all of Varsity Premier.

8. What if my team opts out of the Superconference?
If your team opts out of the Superconference they will be regionally seeded, or if you are in a Self-Selection Conference or Traditional Athletic Conference you will be placed there.

9. How many teams in the Superconference will make it into the Postseason?
The top six teams from the Superconference will make it into the playoffs automatically. The remaining two teams will be inserted into the LCQ.

10. Will the number of teams allowed into the Superconference increase over time?
The number was decided due to the total population of these titles. As total teams increase we may be looking at expanding the Conference.

11. Why were those specific esports chosen for the Superconference?
These specific esports were chosen due to the total number of teams participating in these titles. We are looking at a minimum of at least 32 Teams in Varsity Premier to create the Superconference.

12. My school is not a NACE member. Would they benefit from becoming one?
To learn more about NACE membership, which grants unlimited access to Varsity competition, please reach out to Michael Jones, Director of Operations at mjones@nacesports.org.

13. Will there be more Self-Selected Conference(s)?
We are looking to add more Self-Selection Conference(s) for Fall of 2024. We will be opening the affiliation forms and sharing more information about this process
this Spring.

14. I have a question not answered here, where should I go?
If you have additional questions please reach out via email to jmyers@nacesports.org or message JJ Myers on the NACE Discord.

15. Forfeits in the Superconference?
Any School that Forfeits one match will become ineligible to participate in the Superconference in that title the next semester. Teams will still be considered playoff eligible. If a School forfeits two games they will be removed from the League entirely for the duration of the season.