Maryville University returns to the North American Challengers League with one goal: Win the LCS

It’s been 719 days since Maryville University played in the 2024 Spring Split Finals of the North American Challengers League (NACL). Though they stumbled on the brink of lifting a title, MU achieved this impressive feat just two splits after being promoted from the Open Qualifiers. After losing to a stacked FlyQuest Challengers roster, top laner Aiden “Niles” Tidwell decided to retire and lead the team as the Head Coach.

Maryville entered a partnership with Brandon Sanderson’s Dragonsteel and smashed their competition by winning the split undefeated. For 2025, DarkZero joined the partnership, but the results weren’t quite as successful as the previous year. DarkZero and Maryville decided to end their partnership, and, as the former retained the NACL, they rebranded as NRG.

The doors of the NACL seemed to close for the collegiate powerhouse, but things quickly changed after Luminosity Gaming disbanded before the start of the 2026 season. The collegiate program brought back Ganbat “Yuuji” Ulziidelger, Djalal “Spirax” Djiar, and Jeremiah “ScaryJerry” Leathe, the core of players still enrolled at the university who last competed under the Maryville University name in Spring 2024.

The addition of international players with contrasting backgrounds, Colombian top laner Victor Leandro “Keii” Durango García and Portuguese support Guilherme Jose “Obstinatus” Cruz, positioned the collegiate program as a contender for promotion into the NACL. Maryville University breezed through the 2026 Open Qualifier and returned to NACL.

Maryville University is classified as talent-development royalty within the North American scene. Nine players have suited up with the Saints before finding their way to the LCS stage. After the aforementioned four players who last represented the University in the 2024 Spring Split, we have to add current Cloud9 mid laner, Eain “APA” Stearns, FlyQuest’s Michael “Cryogen” Luu, Disguised’s Sajed “Sajed” Ziade, former Golden Guardians Ethan “Iconic” Wilkinson, and former Echo Fox player John “Papa Chau” Le.

In the past four splits, a player associated with Maryville, Dragonsteel, or DarkZero has won the Most Valuable Prospect award. Sajed won in Summer 2025, Yuuji won back-to-back awards in 2024, and Frankie “Zamudo” Lin won in Spring 2025. If LYON were able to solve Zamudo’s visa issues, he would be included in the previous list.

Head Coach Niles attributes Maryville’s talent development to accountability. The decision to assemble a roster and stick with it, no matter the competition, helps the team grow together. “Another thing is scouting and recruitment,” Niles says. “We’re really good at scouting and recruiting solid Tier 2 players who can be taken to the next level.”

The 2024 Summer NACL split was a massive success for Maryville. Under the Dragonsteel partnership, they won the split undefeated. After Niles filled the role as coach, he brought Zamudo as his replacement.

“I had a lot of faith in him because he needed someone who would hold him accountable and push him hard,” the current Head Coach of Maryville said about his former understudy. “I saw someone who could be way better than me with the right coaching, and I thought I was the right person to polish him.”

Niles vast experience representing Maryville led him to develop a code which he teaches to his players. These commandments come from “many years of experience to help us strive for success.” Though these rules are followed, they are still intended to be fun and light-hearted.

All players are required to be enrolled at the university, which provides an advantage: living on campus. In-person interaction helps further the roster’s development. According to ScaryJerry, “If you’re in an online environment trying to make it as a pro, it’s easy to fall into a bad routine for days or weeks. If you’re working in person with people who share your goal, and your coach runs a pretty strict regimen, being consistent becomes easier.”

Support Obstinatus is one of the key pieces of the new roster. A player known for their mechanics and laning phase, the Portuguese has had a natural transition with the team. “…He focuses more on the game state and tries to play his champion properly within our composition,” says his lane partner. “Obstinatus is a smart player who is one of the most mature players we have in Maryville.”

As NRG retained the 2026 slot, they will be facing Maryville University. Not only will the match-up scheduled for April 10 feature the rematch of the previously partnered teams, but it will also feature a match against two former alumni: Zamudo and Kolby “PhyMini" Ashby.

“It’s going to feel good beating them,” ScaryJerry said about the future match against NRG. Though there is no real animosity between the players and the organizations, Maryville University’s roster seems to be eyeing its match against NRG with fiery eyes. Niles added, “There is no bad blood, but it will be nice beating him [PhyMini] after he chose NRG.”

Keii, who arrived for the 2025 NACL Split 2 with DarkZero, is a player to watch when these teams face off. According to Niles, both top laners have similar skill sets, confidence in themselves, and like to dominate their lanes. Maryville’s coach shared, “We joke about it all the time, but Keii is a mini Zamudo.”

The 2026 NACL season will feature around ten new players from the rosters announced up until March 21st. New players will look to leave their mark, but for Maryville University, their only goal is to win. Both Yuuji and ScaryJerry had stints in the LCS in 2025 and are back, eager to prove themselves. “I made it to the LCS, yet it made me miss Maryville and working with a pretty good coach,” said the latter about his stint away from the collegiate powerhouse.

The possibility of extending the streak of a player winning the MVP is still alive, and there are two prospects eager to prove their worth. Niles suggests Keii could be a frontrunner for the award, as he can see the Colombian “will be promoted within this year.”

Meanwhile, this could be the last dance for ScaryJerry. In his eyes, a good performance and the award are his last remaining tickets to promote back to Tier 1 competition. “I’m looking to make it this year, even if I make it to a European or Brazilian league, I want to have a good showing,” said the long-tenured AD Carry. “I’m eyeing the MVP, and I’m going to get it. It’s going to be a good year; we’re winning.”