MACON, Ga. – When the SPHL announced its return to play for the 2020-21 season, the format to determine the President’s Cup champion to be announced at a later date.

That time is now.

The league on Thursday announced that this year’s format would be comprised of four teams, meaning that one of the five participating teams will not advance to the postseason.

Set to begin the week of May 3, the President’s Cup Playoffs will feature the first and fourth seeds playing in one best-of-three series and the second and third finishers in the other matchup.

Both of those round winners will then advance to the President’s Cup Finals, also a best-of-three series.

With no championship trophy being awarded last year due to COVID-19, the last team to win the title is the Huntsville Havoc, having won it in 2018 and 2019, with Macon doing so the year before. Every SPHL champion since 2013 is among those participating in the current season. In addition to Macon and Huntsville, other teams taking part this season at Knoxville, Pensacola, and Birmingham. The Bulls are the only of the five teams to have not won an SPHL title.

Brad Harrison covers the Macon Mayhem for The Sin Bin and is also the SPHL Editor. Follow or interact with him at @SinBinMayhem.