Before we dig into the preseason rankings, here’s a quick refresher for those unfamiliar with OWCRA. These rankings are created by the Overwatch Collegiate Ranking Association, a collective of 21 players, coaches, directors, casters, and community members. Rankings are typically released every other Friday on the OWCRA social media accounts, and they consider each major collegiate league or tournament.
Each member ranks the top 20 teams in their opinion, with each team earning points for their position. For example, if a team is ranked 1st in my rankings, they are given 20 points. The committee combines the points from each member and creates the rankings based on the cumulative point totals.
ISU remains the undisputed best team in the country
It should not be a shock to anyone that the No. 1 Illinois State Redbirds remained at the top of the preseason rankings, given how dominant they were during the Fall 2024 semester.
The unanimous No. 1 team in the country only dropped one series through 48 matches last semester, losing 2-3 to Winthrop in the Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming (OWCH) Upper Finals.
ISU did not have any roster changes coming into this semester, which is not surprising given their success over the last year and the chemistry they’ve been able to build since the roster was formed in January of last year.
Illinois State will have plenty of opportunities to fend off the competition throughout the next four months, as they will compete in OWCC, NACE, and MVC, before finishing the year at CECC Texas 2025 in May.
The rest of the field will be waiting and watching for the Redbirds to slip, but if last semester is anything to go off of, there’s a chance that wishes will remain ungranted throughout the season.
Contenders begin to fight for the Top 3.
This feels odd to say after such a dominant semester for ISU, but this year’s group of contenders could push the Redbirds if they slip up.
No. 3 Northwood, No. 4 Fisher, No. 5 Maryville, and No. 6 Bryant and Stratton (BSCVA) all finished within 48 ranking points, showing that no one truly knows what the actual order will be by the end of May.
It was an eventful semester for some. Maryville saw its worst OWCH finish in program history, while BSCVA tied for its best finish in an Activision Blizzard Collegiate (ABC) event in its history.
I do believe Maryville will bounce back this semester, as it did seem like they treated the fall semester as a time to reset before a grueling spring begins. I just hope that it doesn't come back to bite them early in the year.
Northwood and Fisher allegedly have some roster moves that could push them even higher (there will be an article soon highlighting all of the moves), adding some more spice into the mix.
And lest we forget No. 2 Winthrop in this chaos. The Eagles were unanimously named the second-best team in the country by the committee, and it feels like the committee is just waiting for Winthrop to have a massive win, or for ISU to make a mistake.
Regardless of the unanimous 1-2 ranking, I would say the gap between the Redbirds and Eagles is slightly closer after Winthrop added NTMR DPS Zeruhh in the offseason after TR33 left the team, presumably to focus on his time with Team Liquid in OWCS.
Regardless, I expect the Top 6 – and maybe beyond – to shift around throughout each ranking this semester.
These teams know how close the gap is, it’s just a matter of winning when it counts.
The rest of the field sees major shifts.
These will be some quick hits on the rest of the core, as there’s a lot to get through.
St. Clair College moved up the rankings after the No. 7 team added ex-YFP tank Axure to its starting lineup.
Arizona State entered the preseason rankings at No. 9, and the Sun Devils are the highest-ranked club team in the preseason OWCRA rankings.
No. 13 Blinn took a slight tumble, falling from 9th after it was announced in December that freshman phenom DPS Sunset would be leaving the team for personal reasons.
UT Dallas crashed out of the Top 22, receiving 19 points, after it was reported that the team lost multiple players over the winter break.
This semester will be just as chaotic as the fall, maybe even more so
If we learned anything from the Fall, chaos will ensue when you least expect it.
Whether it be last-second patches that lead to meta shifts, or new teams entering the mix like No. 12 Cumberland and No. 14 Siena Heights, this season will be unlike anything before.
Third-party leagues and partner conferences are just starting their seasons, and the tournament operator for OWCC is still unknown.
Whether you’re just jumping into the craze to get an extra fix of Overwatch during the OWCS breaks, or if you’re a former player who’s cheering on the scene long after you’ve graduated, Collegiate Overwatch has something for everyone.
This season is going to be one for the history books!
OWCRA Spring 2025 Preseason Rankings:
Illinois State (21) [420]
Winthrop [399]
Northwood [362]
Fisher [352]
Maryville [334]
Bryant and Stratton [313]
St. Clair [255]
UC Irvine [254]
Arizona State [251]
Converse [192]
Bellevue [185]
Cumberland [179]
Blinn [166]
Siena Heights [163]
Mizzou [138]
Rutgers [133]
Illini Orange [53]
Fisher Navy [45]
Georgia Tech [44]
Briar Cliff [41]
Others receiving votes: Cal State Long Beach [24], Washington [22], UT Dallas [19], Ball State [17], Illinois Wesleyan [10], Converse Gold [10], Boise State [10], Northeastern [7], Utah [5], UC Grand View [2], UC San Diego, Arcadia [1], Iowa State [1], Texas A&M [1]
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