NA LCS Offseason, Scheduling, and more

TL;DR:  

• NA LCS Spring Split begins on January 20 at 3:00 PM PT.  
• NA LCS Spring Split match schedule will be available on January 9. Weeks 5-9 could be affected by flex scheduling.
• Tickets for Weeks 1-4 of the Spring Split will be available on January 9 at 1:00 PM PT.

As we’re gearing up for Spring, we’ve seen some community feedback and fan questions around the offseason and our upcoming split. In this post, we’ll share some context and clarification around what happens in the offseason, schedules, flex scheduling, tickets, and Spring Finals.

Offseason

What changes are coming to the NA LCS?

As we previously announced, we’ll be introducing expedited arbitration for ruling disputes, new lines of digital goods, Head Coach poaching protection, and expanded team rosters. We’ll also be increasing the prize pool, revising our policy around NA LCS-Challenger Sister Teams, and updating relegation.

Further, we’ve created a cooldown period for players who have appeared in a certain number of NA LCS matches (within the current split) before they can participate in a Challenger Series match (either via loan or on a sister team’s roster). We’ve also simplified the rules around timing of player substitutions to give teams more flexibility within their Active Roster.

What’s the roster lock date? What does it mean?

Teams were required to submit their Week 1 Active Roster (starters and subs) on January 4 to give proper time for asset generation, eligibility checks, etc. Barring unforeseen emergencies, any player not on the submitted roster or who lacks appropriate paperwork will not be eligible to start for Week 1.

Rosters will be available on Lolesports on January 9 along with the schedule. Additionally, any player who is signed to an NA LCS team is listed in the official Global Contract Database.

Opening Day and Scheduling

When does NA LCS begin? When does it air?

NA LCS begins on January 20 at 3:00 PM PT. The broadcast begins at 3:00 PM PT on Fridays, and 12:00 PM PT on Saturdays and Sundays. We’ll continue to feature dual streams for weekend matches during the regular season.

When is the full schedule available?

The Spring Split match schedule will be announced on January 9. Match timings for Weeks 1-4 are locked.

We’ll be using flex scheduling for Weeks 5-9. The weekly matchups will always stay the same but the days, times, location, or streams might shift.

Using an example from last split, TSM will always play P1 and CLG on Week 5 but now, they could be affected by flex scheduling to play on different:

• Days: Friday and Saturday instead of Saturday and Sunday
• Times: They could be the first or second set of games
• Locations: They could play in the Arena or Theater but always at the NA LCS Studio
• Streams: They could be on NALCS1 or NALCS2

The final and locked schedule and tickets for Week 5 will be available on February 1. Weeks 6-9 will be released on February 8.

What’s flex scheduling?

As we introduced in the 2014 Season, flex scheduling allows us to adjust the schedule so that the most compelling matchups fall within the "primetime" viewing window. The weekly matchups will still be the same, but we may shift match order or days around as teams rise and fall in the standings. Regardless of any changes made, certain scheduling policies will still be upheld (e.g., no team plays back-to-back matches within a day, each team plays two matches per week, etc).

What are the final dates for Spring Playoffs? Finals? Summer Promotion Tournament?

NA LCS Spring Playoffs take place:

• Quarterfinals: April 8-9
• Semifinals: April 15-16
• Finals: April 22-23

The Promotion Tournament will take place from March 31-April 2.

What are the final NA LCS teams for Spring Split?

• Cloud9
• Counter Logic Gaming
• Echo Fox
• FlyQuest
• Immortals
• Phoenix1
• Team Dignitas
• Team Envy
• Team Liquid
• TSM

What about Summer Split? What are those dates?

The Summer Split will take place from June 2-September 3. These dates are subject to change and we’ll confirm when you can expect the full Summer Split schedule after NA LCS Spring Finals.

Tickets

When can I get tickets for the NA LCS?

Tickets for Weeks 1-4 will be available on Monday, January 9 at 1:00 PT.

What about tickets for NA LCS Weeks 5-9? Playoffs?

Tickets for Week 5 will be available on February 1.

Tickets for Weeks 6-9 and Playoffs will go on sale on February 8.

We’ll confirm the launch time closer to the on sale date.

NA LCS Spring Finals

What are the NA LCS Spring Finals?

The NA Spring Finals weekend concludes our Spring Split Playoffs. These matches usually take place at a “roadshow” venue (not our NA LCS Studio).

The weekend begins with the battle for 3rd place on Saturday, April 22. Then, we’ll transition to the top two teams fighting to win the 2017 NA LCS Spring Split on Sunday, April 23.

Where will NA LCS Spring Finals be? When will it be announced?

Watch this space - we’ll confirm the NA LCS Spring Finals location before the start of the Spring Split.

If you have a question that wasn’t answered here about the offseason or the upcoming split, comment below. We’ll also be hanging out on the Boards and reddit to answer questions.

 

Bear Schmiedicker, yes, Bear is his real name, is one of the NA LCS Leads. Besides leading the NA LCS team, he works with a group that is focused on pro player career/personal development. He previously led and grew the NA Player Support team at Riot and has had a long history and passion for Esports. When he isn’t on the Rift or the NA LCS studio, he’s chasing around two corgis (Appa and Korra). On Twitter, he’s just @bearfromspace.