League of Legends developer Riot Games has announced the plans for the Academy League in the North American Championship Series next year, including details on the playoffs and the format of the competition.
In terms of format, this will be the same format shift as in the regular league, moving to a Bo1 double round robin over Thursdays and Fridays, with broadcast support only coming on Fridays. The regular season will take place over nine weeks, and the first week of the Spring Split will happen on January 18.
In terms of playoffs, the top four teams after the regular season will take part and this will be broadcasted live and on stage at the NA LCS studio, with playoffs being Bo5. The semifinals will happen on March 22 and 23, but the grand finals will be on March 30.
"We wanted to share the Academy League format and Spring Split schedule before the holidays, and we'll share more information in January including broadcast details, start time, match schedule, rosters, and VOD availability," Riot concludes. "We're excited about the upcoming launch the Academy League to develop and support the future stars of the NA LCS."
Do you like the sound of these new plans?