04/14/26 – KHSAA Esports Spring State Championships presented by UK HealthCare Information

April 14, 2026 Athletic Department Blog Updates

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It is an exciting time for Esports across the state!  Our Spring State Championship opening rounds began Monday, April 13, and will culminate at our in-person State Championship semifinal rounds on Thursday, April 23. 

The in-person semi- and final rounds will again be held at the University of Kentucky’s Esports Lounge, located in the Cornerstone building on the University of Kentucky campus.

Note: Due to the number of teams participating in our newest title, Street Fighter 6, the in-person semifinal round has already been set for Thursday, April 23, and can be found here.

State Brackets are seeded and created for all game titles and can be found on our Esports Page on our public website (under State Championship Information).  Full regular season standings, along with brackets, can be found on our PlayVS Kentucky Landing Page

To be consistent with the fall, we will hold our final League of Legends match (as an exhibition face-off).  If you recall, we brought forth the two furthest-advancing teams from PlayVS’ Central Region league in the fall to state.  This year, it will once again be the Pinkward Panthers from Elizabethtown taking on the Hardstuck Crimsons from Dupont Manual at 1:00 PM ET.

This is a ticketed event for fans.  Tickets are 100% mobile only and digital through our official ticketing partner, Gofan.  Prices are $12.00 in advance, $15.00 on the day of the event.  Pricing includes all fees.  Children 10 & Under are free, but parents are required to “purchase” the free Kentucky Children’s Hospital 10 & Under Free Ticket for those who are 10 & Under.

Each digital ticket will be exchanged for a wristband upon redemption.  This wristband allows for re-entry throughout the day and must be worn and visible at all times.

Participating coaches and team members (including those on the PlayVS “Bench”) are not required to purchase tickets.  They will receive a different wristband upon check-in.  All coaches must be fully KHSAA Bylaw 25-certified and listed in their school’s KHSAA360 database. 

Full ticketing information, along with much more, will be covered during our Participating Teams Zoom conference call on Monday, April 20. 

Note: Since we had to compress the schedule due to spring break, Mario Kart and Smash Bros. quarterfinals will finish after this call. We will ask all four quarterfinalists to attend the conference call to prepare.  Mario Kart Quarterfinals are scheduled for Monday, April 20, with Smash Bros following on Tuesday, April 21. 

Since we have such a tight turnaround, I ask all coaches and admins, as their teams advance, to confirm the Spring Roster of State Championship Participants by School

This is the document we will use once again to generate the names and gamertags that will be displayed on the back of official TeamIP Merchandising.

Important links:

• State Championship In-Person Time Schedule
• State Team, Participant and Fan Instructions
• Spring Roster of State Championship Participants by School
• Purchase Tickets
• University of Kentucky Visitor Parking Options Website

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