Bellevue takes home Apex Legends National Championship

CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The Bellevue University Apex Legends has secured the esports program's first-ever National Championship, winning the Octane Collegiate League Season 4: Championship,

It is the second national tournament that the esports program has won this season and third in the program's history. BU secured a title at the University of Kentucky Bluegrass Showdown in Overwatch 2 in both 2024 and 2026.

In a dramatic "Queen City Championship" finale, the Bruins overcame the nation's top programs to claim the title in the only league officially licensed by Electronic Arts (EA).

The Bruins entered the season with high expectations, ranked #2 in the preseason power rankings. While the team showed incredible consistency throughout the year—placing 4th in the Stage 1 (Fall) Finals and 2nd in the Stage 2 (Spring) Finals—the National Championship remained the ultimate goal.

The championship tournament featured the top 30 teams in the country. Bellevue University signaled their intent early, dominating the Saturday group stages with two first-place finishes and entering Championship Sunday as the #1 overall seed.

Championship Sunday utilized a "Match Point" format, requiring teams to reach 60 points before becoming eligible to win the title by securing a first-place finish in a subsequent game.

Despite a 20th-place start in Game 1, the Bruins stormed back with a massive Game 2 victory. By Game 4, Bellevue became the first team in the field to reach match point following an incredible 3-vs-1 clutch by team captain Jason "Jukezy" Zajac. In Game 6, with both Bellevue and Fisher College on match point, the Bruins eliminated Fisher in the final engagement to secure the national title.

Coach David Castillo-Ferrin's championship roster consisted of captain Jason Zajac (Jukezy), Brayden Thompson (Vodery), Christopher McCarthy (Muffins), and Jose Mendez-Ortiz (JoseM), which assistant coach Nick McCormick was instrumental in helping put together.

Apex Legends is a team-based "battle royale" esport developed by Respawn Entertainment. In competitive play, 20 teams of three navigate a shrinking map, balancing strategic positioning with high-speed combat. Success requires elite communication, adaptability, and consistency -qualities the Bruins displayed throughout their historic 2025-2026 campaign.