AN OPEN LEAGUE FOR K-12 STUDENTS

The USAEL Open is an open-to-everyone esports league for high school, middle school and elementary school students with $10,000+ in seasonal prizing. Whether you’re a veteran team or brand new to esports, we invite you to experience what makes us the best.

USAEL Open Logo
Abstract colorful gradient background with flowing shapes in orange, pink, and purple tones with subtle dotted patterns and arrows.

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT

We pride ourselves on being the most accessible esports league. These are our promises to our teachers, coaches, parents, and students.

Curriculum

Curriculum Demo

Pair our competition with a free demo of our award-winning curriculum.

Security

Secure Platform

Our competition platform is trusted by everyone, from  Riot Games to the Department of Defense.

Beginner friendly

Beginner Friendly

Register to play in less than 5 minutes. Even if you get stuck, we’ll be here to help.

Scheduling

Assisted Scheduling

Have specific days or times you can play? Our admins will find you a match that works for you.

In-platform chat

In-Platform Match Chat

We use a secure in-platform chat for all matches. No Discord required.

Video Games

Games for Elementary, Middle and High School

Age-appropriate competitions for all grade levels, from 3rd to 12th grade.

Resources

Coaching Resources

A free library of coaching resources to help you kickstart your program or esports team.

Team

Student Teams Welcome

Don’t have an esports program? Sign up with your friends.

Offline Competitions

Have IT constraints? Have your students compete in our new offline competition: Mario Kart Time Trials!

Weekly Broadcasts

Our casters will stream a live match every week of the Season.

Full Coach/Parent Control

If you're a parent or coach, you can build and manage a team using placeholder students.

Curriculum

Curriculum Demo

Curriculum Demo

Pair our competition with a free demo of our award-winning curriculum.

Security

Secure Platform

Secure Platform

Our competition platform is trusted by everyone, from  Riot Games to the Department of Defense.

Beginner friendly

Beginner Friendly

Beginner Friendly

Register to play in less than 5 minutes. Even if you get stuck, we’ll be here to help.

Scheduling

Flexible Scheduling

Flexible Scheduling

Have specific days or times you can play? Our admins will find you a match that works for you.

Offline Competitions

Offline Competitions

Have IT constraints? Have your students compete in our new offline competition: Mario Kart Time Trials!

Weekly Broadcasts

Weekly Broadcasts

Our casters will stream a live match every week of the Season.

Full Coach / Parent Control

Full Coach / Parent Control

If you're a parent or coach, you can build and manage a team using placeholder students.

In-platform chat

In-Platform Match Chat

In-Platform Match Chat

We use a secure in-platform chat for all matches. No Discord required.

Video Games

Elementary → High School Games

Elementary → High School Games

Age-appropriate competitions for all grade levels, from 3rd to 12th grade.

Resources

Coaching Resources

Coaching Resources

A free library of coaching resources to help you kickstart your program or esports team.

Team

No School Program Required

No School Program Required

Don’t have an esports program? Sign up with your friends.

Abstract background with overlapping smooth shapes in shades of blue and purple.

Spring 2026 Game Titles

$10,000 in prizing provided by Lenovo Legion & Insight

Our new game titles for Spring `26 have arrived, featuring Overwatch 2 and Madden NFL by popular demand, and a new offline Mario Kart Time Trials competition that you can play from home with no scheduling required.

MS/HS
6-Player
Dynamic artwork of various Marvel superheroes in action poses around the Marvel Rivals logo.

Marvel Rivals

MS/HS
5-Player

Overwatch 2

Several Super Smash Bros.
ES/MS
HS
Solo

Smash Ultimate

Rocket League gameplay
ES/MS
HS
3-Player

Rocket League

Fortnite gameplay
MS/HS
2-Player

Fortnite

Minecraft landscape
ES/MS
Solo

Minecraft: Bed Wars

Chess
ES/MS/HS
Solo

Chess

Mario kart gameplay
ES/MS/HS
Solo
Offline

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe:
Time Trials

ES/MS/HS
Solo

Madden NFL `26

* Grade tags show who can play: ES, MS, HS. Combinations (like ES/MS/HS) mean those levels compete together.

Spring 2026 Schedule

Date

Event

Feb 2, 2026

Registration Open

Feb 9 - Feb 19

Preseason Showmatches

Feb 24-26

League Week 1

March 3-5

League Week 2

March 10-12

League Week 3

March 17-19

League Week 4

March 21 - April 5

Spring Break

April 7-9

Week 5

April 14- 16

Week 6

April 21-23

Week 7

April 28-30

Playoffs Week 1

May 5- 7

Playoffs Week 2

Abstract background with overlapping smooth shapes in shades of blue and purple.

HOW IT WORKS

STEP 1

Create Your Account

Make an account on the platform! All you need is a name and email address.

Step 2

Register Your Team

Join one (or all) of our competitions! If you're a parent or coach, you can use placeholders for your students.

Step 3

Play Weekly Matches

Fill out the schedule form and wait for our admins to send you a match!

COURSE DEMO & LESSON PLAN

The USAEL offers a wide range of award-winning esports and STEM courses that are designed to make learning fun. If you’re a parent or educator that’s interested in a more balanced esports experience for your students, we’ll send you a free course demo and lesson plan when you sign a team up for the USAEL Open.

Webpage for USAEL Open Mario Kart 8 competition showing navigation menu, tutorial tips, competition info, and registration options.

SECURE PLATFORM

The USAEL Open is hosted on a best-in-class tournament platform that was custom built for security, with compliance that meets the highest bars of nation’s largest school districts to on-platform match chat that eliminates the need for third-party platforms like Discord. Our platform is trusted and used by clients like the US Air Force and NFL Play Football.

USAEL at the HyperX Arena in Las Vegas

Bring Academic Esports to Your School

As educators, we know that gaming can be a gateway to building workforce-ready career skills in a world changed by technology. Boost engagement and academic performance with our award-winning curriculum.

STEP 1

Schedule an Intro Call

We’ll find a time to sit down with your team, learn about your needs, and overview our services. Then, we’ll build a custom package that’s tailored to your vision of an esports program.

STEP 2

Customize Your Program

After you receive your custom package quote, we’ll be there to help you with questions and further customization needs. Then, we’ll send you an invoice that you can submit as a purchase order.

STEP 3

Get Started

Once your order is processed, you’ll receive a full onboarding and immediate access to the competition platform and your selected courses.

Get Started

FAQ

Can’t find the answer you’re looking for?
Please contact us.

Get in Touch

I’m new to this. Is there a guide to help me register?

Why would I need a curriculum demo to compete?

How do I get my curriculum demo?

Our school only has a couple gaming devices. Which games can we compete in?

Is this league free? What’s the catch for signing up?

Our IT department doesn’t allow gaming and/or Discord. What can I do?

How does scheduling work? What if I can only play on certain days of the week?

Can a group of students sign up without a parent or teacher?