NACL Spring Split 2026: Format, Dates, Teams — Everything you need to know

NACL will officialy come back on March 26. Before that, a qualifier will take place to find the last team to compete in the league

NACL comes back on March 26. Credit: Riot Games

NRG is coming back in League of Legends with a spot in the league

The North American Challengers League’s second division is set to return soon. The league announced this Tuesday the key details surrounding the competition ahead of its official kickoff on March 26. Prior to that, a short qualifying tournament will take place starting February 21 to determine the final team that will join the league.

Among the ten teams competing this season, the two best performers over the Summer Split will earn the opportunity to qualify for the promotion tournament to the LCS at the end of the season. This Spring Split will therefore serve as an early indicator of which teams are likely to emerge as the year’s frontrunners.

Teams:

Currently, we only know nine of the ten teams that will participate in the competition starting from March 26th: Apex Mission Impossible, Blue Otter, CCG Esports, Citadel Gaming, Conviction, NRG, Dorado Gaming, Supernova, Winthrop University

Three new teams are entering the competition compared to the 2025 Summer Split. Apex Mission Impossible reclaim their slot after going through the Promotion Tournament twice, while Vancouver Impact lose their place.

DarkZero Esports step aside, and former LCS Summer 2023 champions NRG return to League of Legends through the NACL. Finally, after competing in last year’s LCS Promotion Tournament, Luminosity Gaming exit the league and will be replaced by a tenth team emerging from an Open Qualifier.

Format and schedule:

Initially, an Open Qualifier with 64 teams will be organized and will start on February 21, over three weekends, and the winner of the competition will be the tenth team to join the league. At the end of this tournament, and once the 10 teams are finally gathered, the competition will officially start on March 26.

Regular Season:
Dates: March 26 -May 15
Format: Single round robin, Best-of-Three matches
Each team plays 9 matches; top 6 advance to Playoffs.
The bottom two teams are sent to the NACL Promotion Tournament
Fearless draft and side selection
Playoffs:
Dates: May 20 - June 5
Format: Double elimination with Fearless Draft
Early rounds are Bo3, while semifinals and finals are Bo5.
Top 2 teams from regular season are seeded into the second round. First place in the regular season gets to pick their side of the bracket.

Where to watch?

The competition will, as always, be available to follow on the NACL's YouTube and Twitch channels. As for the open qualifier, the league encourages players and teams to stream their POV to keep the competition going.