KeSPA has announced that the preseason for the '2026 School League'—the first-ever institutionalized school esports tournament—kicks off on the 14th.

The School League is a recurring inter-school competition debuting this year, utilizing existing esports infrastructure within schools. It is designed to allow aspiring pros to hone their skills and grow professionally without having to abandon their studies. Teams consist strictly of official school representatives sanctioned by their headmasters.

The 2026 School League spans across both semesters, featuring three titles: League of Legends, Valorant, and PUBG. Due to academic schedules, the first semester operates as a preseason, with matches held every Thursday starting from the 14th. Matches will pause from the second to the fourth week of June for final exams, with playoffs scheduled for July 4th and 5th. The total prize pool for the first semester is 7.5 million KRW. Following an official launch ceremony in July, the league will transition into a full-fledged competition starting in the second semester.

A total of 14 schools nationwide are participating in the 2026 School League. Seoul-based Future Industry Science High School and Eunpyeong Meditech High School have joined, alongside Tongjin High School from the Gyeonggi/Incheon region. The Yeongnam region sees participation from Gyeongnam Electronic High School, Gyeongnam Information High School, Daeyang High School, Busan Computer Science High School, Masan Central High School, and Gyeongnam Tourism High School. Joining from the Chungcheong region is Gyeryong Digitech High School, while the Honam region is represented by Korea Science & Technology High School, Yeosu Technical High School, Korea Game Science High School, and Mokpo Movie Middle School. By title, 11 teams are competing in League of Legends, 12 in Valorant, and 9 in PUBG.

The 11 League of Legends teams will be divided into two groups for a round-robin format in the first semester. The top two teams from this stage will earn promotion to the LCK Academy League (LCK AS), providing them a rare chance to lock horns with professional third-tier teams. In the second semester, the remaining nine teams will compete in a regular season. All School League participants will be granted a seed for the National Middle/High School Championship in December. Performance across the second-half LCK Academy League, the second-semester School League, and the National Championship will determine which teams advance to next year's LCK Academy League and which remain in the School League.

The Valorant section will operate as a two-group round-robin throughout both semesters, ensuring every team gets at least four matches of real-world competitive experience per term. Following the second-semester regular season, seeds for the National Middle/High School Championship will be awarded based on performance. As for PUBG, the nine participating teams will play six matches every week. It is run as a points-based league where final rankings are determined by cumulative points over the semester. First-semester rankings grant priority in selecting landing spots for the playoffs, a move intended to simulate a professional-grade competitive environment for student athletes.

Participating schools will be matched with professional coaches selected by KeSPA—linked with the school esports club instructor support project—to provide technical and professional training. Live broadcasts are available via the official Middle/High School Esports YouTube channel where you can catch all the action.