Rio Rancho teams shine at state esports finals, season ends strong

Rio Rancho’s Scorpions, Rams and Storm closed the season with a visible sign that esports is becoming a fixture in Sandoval County schools. At the state finals in Albuquerque, the local programs turned in strong showings that underscored how far competitive gaming has spread from a niche activity into a schoolwide draw.

The 2026 New Mexico Activities Association State Esports Championships ran April 23-25, with the semifinals and finals staged in person at the APS Berna Facio Professional Development Center. Admission was free, a detail that mattered for families who came to watch students compete across 10 titles, from League of Legends and Hearthstone to Madden NFL 26, Rocket League, Street Fighter 6, Overwatch 2, Marvel Rivals, Splatoon 3, Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros.

For Rio Rancho Public Schools, the results gave the district another proof point that esports is helping pull more students into school activities. The NMAA’s 2026 overall standings listed Rio Rancho Cyber Academy atop Class 2A with 96 points, while Rio Rancho High School finished with 61 points in Class 5A. Those numbers reflected more than a weekend of competition. They showed that local programs are building sustained participation across campuses and grade levels.

That growth fits a broader trend statewide. The NMAA said esports has been part of the association since 2018, and participation continued to rise in 2026 after officials added new titles. KOAT reported that in 2025, 58 high schools and more than 4,500 students took part in New Mexico esports, a scale that puts the activity alongside many established athletic offerings.

Portales High School head coach JD Mead summed up the momentum bluntly: New Mexico is “probably one of the biggest states for Esports in the country.” That kind of growth carries weight for families in Rio Rancho and across Sandoval County, where students who may not connect with a traditional roster can still find a place to compete, represent their school and stay engaged.

The annual championship format has become a regular part of the postseason calendar, with NMAA posting statewide results in 2024, 2025 and 2026. In April 2026, the association also said four New Mexico programs were ranked in the USA Today/PlayVS Esports Super 25, a sign that the state’s best teams are starting to draw national attention. For Rio Rancho, this year’s finals were not just an end-of-season finish. They were another marker of a local program gaining identity, reach and staying power.