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North American Challengers League Spring 2026
Overview
The North American Challengers League (NACL) Spring 2026 was the Spring split of the 2026 season of the North American Challengers League, the official second-tier professional League of Legends league in North America. Organized by Riot Games, it served as the primary development and "path-to-pro" competition, feeding talent into the League of Legends Championship Series (LCS). The edition featured a $40,000 USD prize pool and took place entirely online across North America.
History
The NACL was introduced in 2023 as the successor to the LCS Academy League and LCS Proving Grounds circuits. It consolidated amateur and academy competition into a structured league with fixed and provisional teams. By 2026, the league had evolved to include format adjustments such as a single round-robin regular season in Bo3 matches and dedicated promotion/relegation pathways. The Spring 2026 split marked the first split of the year, running from late March into early June.
Format
The 2026 Spring split featured a regular season with ten teams in a single round-robin format using best-of-three (Bo3) matches. The top teams advanced to a double-elimination playoffs bracket. The playoffs culminated in a best-of-five (Bo5) grand final. The bottom teams faced promotion/relegation challenges. Qualification for the split combined fixed roster spots with open qualifiers. All matches were played online.
Notable Editions
The Spring 2026 edition stood out for Conviction’s dominant playoff run, including a 3-0 grand final victory. It highlighted the growing competitiveness of university-affiliated and independent organizations alongside established academy squads. The split also reinforced the league’s role in LCS promotion pathways.
Past Champions
- Winner: Conviction (CNV)
- Runner-up: CCG Esports (CCG)
- Third place: Winthrop University (WU)
- Prize distribution (from $40,000 USD pool): 1st – $12,000 (30%), 2nd – $8,000 (20%), 3rd – $6,400 (16%), 4th – $4,000 (10%), 5th–6th – $3,200 each (8%).
Conviction defeated CCG Esports 3-0 in the grand final on June 5, 2026. The regular season began on or around March 27, 2026.
Viewership & Impact
The NACL serves as a critical talent pipeline for the LCS, with top performers earning promotion opportunities. Matches are broadcast primarily on the official Twitch channel (twitch.tv/NACL) and YouTube (@NACL). The league maintains an active presence on X (@watchNACL) and is integrated into the broader Riot Games LoL Esports ecosystem via lolesports.com. As the successor to prior academy circuits, it plays a foundational role in North American League of Legends development, with cumulative historical prize pools across the series exceeding $660,000 USD.