2026-2027 Season · Unified Collegiate
THE CLASH.
April or May 2027 · Butler Esports Park, Indianapolis. Three days, six titles, Championship + Challenger brackets. The premier collegiate esports LAN of 2026-2027.
Signup opens · 5 days away
7,500 sqft purpose-built facility · 45 LAN setups · pro stage lighting + production studio · Indianapolis, IN.
Friday Group Stage (GSL groups of 4) → Saturday Semifinals (Championship + Challenger) → Sunday Grand Finals + Awards.
Adapts per title based on actual commits. Titles short of 8 LAN teams at roster lock run online-only with refund/credit.
Six titles for 2026-2027
Three days at Butler Esports Park
GSL-style groups of 4 per title. Top seeds advance to Championship, bottom seeds to Challenger. Multiple competitive matches per team on day one.
Both Championship and Challenger semis across all titles. Saturday evening: community event, sponsor mixer, coach fireside.
All Grand Finals (Championship + Challenger), 3rd-place matches, and the awards ceremony on the main stage.
Why two brackets?
The Challenger bracket guarantees every team that travels to Indianapolis plays meaningful matches through Sunday — not just Friday group games. Every program gets a real competitive path, a chance to win hardware, and content-worthy moments for their community.
Two ways to compete
Both tracks run the full online competitive season together. The difference is what's on the line at the end.
Online standings seed your Clash invitation — top teams advance to the LAN finals in Indianapolis. The Clash carries no separate bids. It IS the destination. Earn your seed through the online competitive season.
Compete in the same season online, with bids on the line to CCC national competitions including the Riot Games College Championship and additional pipelines we are sourcing. Sets up 2027-2028 LAN eligibility.
Commitment timeline
Signup opens. Submit your declaration of interest — no payment required to declare.
Early commit deadline. $500 deposit per team locks your slot — every team, regardless of LAN or Online-Only track. 50% forfeit window runs July 15 – August 30.
Roster lock. Schedule published. Full deposit forfeit window opens for late withdrawals.
Online season. Phase 1 round-robin / Swiss → Phase 2 double-elim playoffs. Final brackets seed the Clash invitations.
The Clash · Butler Esports Park, Indianapolis. Exact dates announced by October 2026.
Frequently asked
Each title runs at LAN only if 8+ teams commit by roster lock. Titles short of that run online-only for 2026-2027, and registered LAN teams get a refund or credit toward another title.
12+ months of advance notice + confirmed venue/dates fits standard travel approval cycles. If the AD still won't approve, the Online-Only Track at $350/team keeps you in the season and sets up 2027-2028 LAN eligibility.
Yes for the online regular season — each roster registers independently. At The Clash (LAN) each university is limited to one team per title. A separate JV (Tier 2) division runs at LAN if 8+ JV teams commit per title.