Pace Esports Takes National Stage in Breakout 2025–26 Campaign

The 2025–26 season for Pace University Esports was a year that pushed the program into a new tier of national recognition.

Across multiple titles, multiple leagues and multiple championship stages, the Setters proved they were no longer just building toward national relevance. They had arrived.

What started as a year of steady growth quickly became one of the most successful seasons in program history, highlighted by championship runs, national tournament appearances and breakthrough performances against some of the top collegiate esports programs in the country.

At the center of the year was VALORANT Gold.

The Setters put together a dominant run through the Eastern Collegiate Conference, completing a perfect 7-0 regular season before carrying that momentum into the postseason. In the ECC Grand Finals, Pace defeated Utica University 3-1 to capture the program’s first conference championship and earn a berth in the Collegiate Esports Commissioners Cup in Waco, Texas.

That championship became the launch point for something even bigger.

Entering CECC as the fourteenth seed, Pace arrived on the national stage as an underdog. The Setters did not play like one.

After working through group play, Pace made its first major statement in the Round of 16 with a convincing win over number three San José State University. The Blue and Gold followed with another standout performance in the quarterfinals, taking down number 11 Stony Brook University in a three-map series to earn a spot in the national semifinals.

Pace arrived on the national stage as an underdog. The Setters did not play like one.

By the time the run ended against number two Fisher College Navy, Pace had already made history. The Setters became the lowest-seeded team in CECC history to reach the semifinals and finished tied for third alongside Texas A&M.

It was a defining moment for the program.

Pace entered the tournament looking to prove it belonged among the best collegiate teams in the country. By the end of the weekend, the Setters had done more than that. They had beaten national contenders, reached the final four and delivered one of the most memorable underdog runs of the entire event.

The momentum did not stop there.

VALORANT Gold continued its strong postseason stretch by winning the New York City Collegiate Esports Circuit title, adding another championship to an already historic spring. The Setters then carried their success to the FORGE Scholastic Esports Championship in San Antonio, Texas, where they once again faced elite national competition.

Pace entered the tournament looking to prove it belonged among the best collegiate teams in the country. By the end of the weekend, the Setters had done more than that.

At FORGE, Pace VALORANT reached the Grand Finals and took on Northwood University, the number three collegiate VALORANT team in the nation. After dropping the opening map, the Setters responded with a win on Lotus to force a deciding third map, eventually finishing second overall in the group.

Even in defeat, Pace showed the same identity that had defined the season: resilience, and the confidence to compete with anyone.

Rainbow Six: Siege also added to the program’s national presence. Competing against top-ranked opponents at FORGE, the Setters tested themselves against some of the strongest collegiate teams in the country, including the University of Akron and Fisher College. Pace pushed Akron, the top collegiate Rainbow Six: Siege team in the nation, in tight maps and finished third overall in the group.

The results across VALORANT and Rainbow Six: Siege showed the depth of Pace Esports. This was not a season carried by one team or one weekend. It was a year that displayed the program’s growth across several competitive spaces, with varsity rosters continuing to raise the standard for what Pace can accomplish nationally.

The 2025–26 season became a statement about where Pace Esports is headed.

The 2025–26 season became a statement about where Pace Esports is headed.

A first conference championship. A perfect ECC regular season. A CECC semifinal appearance. A New York City title. A FORGE Grand Finals run. A top-three finish for Rainbow Six: Siege on another national stage.

Together, those moments formed the most complete picture yet of a program on the rise.

Pace Esports spent the year proving it could win championships, challenge nationally ranked opponents and build momentum across multiple titles. More importantly, the Setters showed that the program’s success was not a single breakthrough moment. It was the result of steady development, and a growing belief that Pace belongs among the top collegiate esports programs in the country.

The 2025-26 season did more than add trophies and national finishes to the record books. It gave Pace Esports a new standard to chase.

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