Fiesta Bowl organizers are getting into esports, signing a deal to host the collegiate semifinals and finals in Blizzard Entertainment’s “Overwatch” game in February. The Fiesta Bowl Overwatch Collegiate National Championship will be conducted Feb. 17 on the Arizona State campus and include an exhibition between ASU and Arizona. “We know that we do events well, we think this is an explosive growth area, esports, and we want to be a part of it,” said Fiesta Bowl Exec Dir Mike Nealy. “We’re not shy in doing new things. We’ve been the first many times in our history and this goes in line with our being on the front side of things.” The terms of the partnership call for Fiesta Bowl and TESPA, Blizzard’s collegiate division, to co-promote the event. Both parties will have sponsorship inventory available to sell, and Fiesta Bowl will handle hospitality, Nealy said. It is a one-year deal. Player 2 Studios Partner John Pierce advised the Fiesta Bowl on the deal. “The passion and tradition of college football are a perfect match to the drama and excitement of Overwatch collegiate esports,” said Blizzard co-Founder & CEO Mike Morhaime in a statement. The championships mark the end of the "Overwatch" season, in which 318 teams have completed a regular season. The four schools that have qualified for the semifinals include defending champion Cal, the Univ. of Toronto, UC-Irvine and UC-San Diego. The six players on the winning team receive a scholarship from Blizzard.
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