Texas High Schools Have Until September 15 to Join Five-Game Esports Fall Season
- Texas high school esports gives students a shot at representing their schools in competitive VALORANT, Marvel Rivals and three other major titles this fall — but the window is closing fast.
- The Texas Esports Collective, the nonprofit behind Texas high school esports, runs the Texas Esports Conference and is currently accepting schools for its 2026–27 season.
- Schools that miss the deadline can still join later, but Texas Esports Collective says late additions will begin competition in the spring rather than joining the fall season.
Texas high school esports gives students a shot at representing their schools in competitive VALORANT, Marvel Rivals and three other major titles this fall — but the window is closing fast. Schools that want in on the fall season of the Texas Esports Conference‘s 2026–27 year need to enroll by September 15, with competition kicking off September 28. It’s worth being clear up front: schools enroll in the league, not individual students signing up on their own.
Texas High Schools Face a September 15 Esports Deadline
The Texas Esports Collective, the nonprofit behind Texas high school esports, runs the Texas Esports Conference and is currently accepting schools for its 2026–27 season. Its official season calendar lays out a tight sequence over the next few weeks: priority enrollment closes September 15, regions get finalized and rosters lock as onboarding begins around September 21, and the first week of fall competition runs September 28.
Schools that miss the deadline can still join later, but Texas Esports Collective says late additions will begin competition in the spring rather than joining the fall season.
Students Can Compete in Five Major Games
The scholastic lineup covers five titles across four weeknights, with Marvel Rivals and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate both scheduled for Thursday:
| Day | Game |
|---|---|
| Monday | Overwatch |
| Tuesday | Rocket League |
| Wednesday | VALORANT |
| Thursday | Marvel Rivals |
| Thursday | Super Smash Bros. Ultimate |
The current season calendar lists first matches at 5 p.m. Central. Marvel Rivals is the newest addition to the core scholastic calendar this year, competing as a 6v6 format on Thursday nights — giving Texas high schoolers a shot at one of the more talked-about team shooters of the past year through an actual school-affiliated league.
How the Texas High School Esports Season Works
The scholastic program runs two seasons: a six-match-week fall season and a nine-match-week spring season. Regular-season play happens mostly online, organized by region, while the postseason moves to in-person Texas venues.
On the fall side, Week 1 starts September 28, Week 6 lands November 16, and Fall Playoffs and Finals wrap the season on December 5. Spring picks back up January 11, 2027, runs through a Spring Regional Playoff on April 17, and closes with the Championship on May 8. There’s also a Metroplex Major set for February 5–7, 2027 at UNT Dallas, which includes scholastic Smash competition alongside other events.
How Much Does It Cost Texas Schools?
High-school membership costs $500 per school for the academic year. It is charged at the school/program level rather than as an individual student registration fee. The membership covers all five titles and both seasons, with teams able to qualify for the in-person postseason.
The standard package lets a school field one varsity team and one JV team per game. Schools that want more than that can add extra teams for $100 each per game, according to the organization’s FAQ.
Texas Already Crowned Its First High School Esports Champions
This isn’t a proposed program still finding its footing — the Texas Esports Conference already ran a full pilot season, called Season Alpha, and it ended with an in-person championship on May 17 at Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio.
The pilot season’s champions: Stephen F. Austin took VALORANT, Hebron won both Overwatch and Rocket League, and Warren E-Sports claimed Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Hebron was the only program to win two titles during the pilot season.
What Texas Students Need to Know Before September 15
Enrollment happens at the school level, not through individual student sign-ups. A school’s application asks for basic program details — the school, district and city, estimated enrollment, a main program contact, an administrator approval contact, and billing information. Texas Esports Collective says it responds to applications within five business days.
For Texas schools that want their students competing from the start of the season, the timeline comes down to two dates: enroll by September 15, and matches begin September 28.