Key information about the current edition of the competition, which includes more than 4,000 students from 300 schools across North America
The 2026 College League of Legends and College VALORANT Season is currently underway. With registration now closed, the competitive phase begins. We are proud to welcome over 4,000 participants from the U.S. and Canada following the incredible success of our Fall Warm-Up tournaments
The official Riot Games’ intercollegiate esports competition in North America—operated by UNIVERSITY Esports NA—will be running from the end of January until early June. 600 teams of 300 schools have been sorted into four regional conferences (North, East, South, and West) and seven partner conferences. Throughout the next few months, participants will face off in weekly matches, ultimately culminating in the College Championship.
Competitive formats and key dates
Continuing the same competitive format of previous years, the 2026 CLOL and CVAL Season will consist of three key dates to keep in mind:
- Regular Season: January 24 – February 22
- Conference Playoffs: February 23 – April 12th
- College Championship: April 18 – TBD
Until February 22, teams compete in a five-week Swiss-style Regular Season to determine which 32 teams advance to the Conference Playoffs. Moving forward, the competition is divided into two structures: a 32-team modified double-elimination format for the Championship Division and a seven-week single-elimination bracket for the Open Division.
Once Conference Playoffs conclude in April, the top teams advance directly to the College Championship. The Selection Committee then identifies teams that did not automatically qualify, completes the field for the Open Division, and finalizes the bracket seeding.
The College Championship begins in April and runs until a winner is crowned at the end of May to early June. It features the top 32 teams in North America with a double-elimination bracket.
Teams competing in the Open Division will have automatic qualification bids that feed them directly into the Open Divisional Playoffs, starting in April and concluding in May with 16 teams competing in a single-elimination bracket.