Teams see record-breaking wins with three championships in one weekend
Marking its 10th anniversary, Maryville University’s nationally-recognized Esports program recently completed one of its most successful seasons ever. The University’s League of Legends and Valorant teams won every competition at the 2025 College League of Legends (CLoL) and College Valorant (CVAL) National Championship, which took place on May 31st and June 1st at NC State University. With these two wins, Maryville’s Esports program has won a total of 20 National Championships during the 10 years of the program.
In North Carolina, the Maryville team swept Ole Miss in a best of five series to clinch their first CLoL championship since 2019, with Djalal “Spirax” Dijar taking home the MVP of the series trophy. In the CVAL tournament, the Maryville team went 3-1 in a rematch against Winthrop University to claim the first CVAL National Championship in program history.
Maryville also won three championships in one weekend at the National Association of Collegiate Esports Spring Grand Finals held from April 24-27 in Winter Park, Florida. Maryville’s Rocket League team beat West Virginia University to win their first championship as a team, with Dylan “Eekso” Pickering winning series MVP. Maryville’s League of Legends team defeated Winthrop University for their 9th NACE Championship in a row, with Frankie “Zamudo” Lin winning series MVP. Maryville’s Valorant team swept Winthrop University, with Tykhon “Wildfire” Benderskyi winning series MVP.
Athletes in the program also maintained a 3.65 average GPA for the year.
“This impressive milestone is a testament to the dedication, discipline, and talent of our student-athletes—and to the vision and leadership of our pioneering Esports program,” said Dr. Dan Shipp, president of Maryville University. “Maryville continues to reimagine higher education and redefine what it means to be a student-athlete through its commitment to innovation and student success. The sky is the limit for these student athletes, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.”
Maryville Esports is one of the top collegiate programs in North America, known for its success in titles like League of Legends, Rocket League, and Valorant. The program blends competitive excellence with academic standards, setting a high bar for what’s possible in college esports.
“Our athletes demonstrated tremendous grit, resilience, and determination all year long,” said Dan Clerke, director of Esports at Maryville. “To win or outright sweep this many national championships while excelling in their course studies is a huge achievement. Hundreds of institutions have followed our lead in starting Esports programs, but this year demonstrated that Maryville continues to be the top collegiate Esports program in the country.”
Maryville founded its Esports program in 2015, and was one of the first universities in the country to offer scholarships. Maryville is one of the six founding members of NACE, which now supports 200 member institutions.
About Maryville University
Founded in 1872, Maryville University is a comprehensive and nationally ranked private institution with an enrollment of over 9,000 students. Maryville offers over 90 degrees at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels, as well as several certificates that align with the undergraduate and graduate education levels. Maryville is recognized as the third fastest-growing private university in the United States by The Chronicle of Higher Education, serving students from all 50 states and 56 countries. More than 20,000 Maryville alumni work and live in the St. Louis region.