At the end of our last split, [we shared some highlights][1] on what we were able to accomplish together with our fans, teams, and partners throughout Spring. As we look to Summer, we’re doubling down on creating amazing stories and content, improving our production, and exploring new ways for fans to watch and engage with the LCS.
Monday Night League moves to Fridays
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[1]: https://watch.lolesports.com/article/2020-lcs-summer-split-begins-on-june-13/blte1d1d7ba6917bcf4
This Spring, we introduced a third day of LCS matches each week, which we believe is valuable for the future growth and sustainability of the league. After reviewing community feedback and careful consideration, we decided to move the third day of games from Mondays to Fridays in an effort to better support our fans and their viewing habits this Summer.
We believe having two high-stakes games on Fridays will better set the stage and the tone for the weekend. In addition, we believe a Friday lineup will better satisfy the needs of fans across multiple time zones. Our East Coast and European fans may be more free to stay up late Friday night to tune in live, or catch-up on the games Saturday morning, as we’ll rebroadcast the Friday games before the LEC begins.
Similar to Monday Night League, Friday Night League will have a distinct tone and style and will be broadcast in both 2020 Summer and 2021 Spring. Friday Night League will continue to be hosted by LeTigress and will serve as the test kitchen for new segments and content.
Finally, Bud Light League Lounge will continue to serve as our weekly sign-off, now on Sunday nights.
Academy moving to Thursday and Academy Rush returns to Fridays
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With the schedule shift, Academy will return on Thursday, June 11. We’ve shared the Week 1 matchups below and will release the full match schedule on Friday, May 22.
During the regular season, we’ll hold five Academy games on Thursdays starting at 3:00 PM PT and another five on Fridays at 3:00 PM PT. Games will be played simultaneously in the Academy Rush style.
Once it’s safe to return to the LCS Studios, we’ll look to move Academy games to the weekend, providing the Academy teams with stage time. We’re paying close attention to updated health guidelines for LA and will keep everyone posted on our next steps as soon as we can.
How to Watch the 2020 Summer Split
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**Key dates:**
Here are the new key dates for the Summer Split:
LCS
- Summer Split Start Date: Friday, June 12
- Summer Split Regular Season: June 12 – August 9
- Summer Playoffs: August 13 – September 6
- Round 1: August 13-16
- Round 2: August 20-23
- Round 3: August 29-30
- Finals: September 5-6
Academy
- Summer Split Start Date: Thursday, June 11
- Summer Split Regular Season: June 11 – August 7
- Summer Playoffs: August 13 – September 6
- Quarterfinals: August 13-14
- Semifinals: August 20-21
- Finals: August 27-28
The Week 1 schedule is available below. We’ll release the full match schedule for the LCS and Academy later today on Lolesports.com.
**Start times:**
During the regular season, games begin at:
Thursdays at 3:00 PM PT - Academy
Fridays – Academy Rush and Friday Night League
- Academy Rush at 3:00 PM PT
- Friday Night League at 6PM PT
- Friday Night League pre-show coverage at 5:30 PM PT
Saturdays at 1PM PT – LCS
- Pre-show coverage at 12:30 PM PT
Sundays at 1PM PT – LCS
- Pre-show coverage at 12:30 PM PT
**Where to watch:**
LCS
- watch.lolesports.com
- twitch.tv/LCS
- youtube.com/lolesports
Academy
- watch.lolesports.com
- youtube.com/lolesports
- twitch.tv/Academy
Week 1 match schedule:
As [previously announced in April][1], we’ll continue to follow local and state guidelines around COVID-19 to determine when it’s safe to return to the LCS Studios. We plan to continue hosting LCS and Academy games online until we’re able to return home to the arena.
We’re excited to debut Friday Night League at 5:30 PM PT on Friday, June 12 and kick off the Summer with 100 Thieves vs. Evil Geniuses, followed by the Spring Finals rematch of Cloud9 vs. FlyQuest.
[1]: https://watch.lolesports.com/article/2020-lcs-summer-split-begins-on-june-13/blte1d1d7ba6917bcf4
