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2026 ANNUAL REPORT
2026 Annual Report
Every year, the USCSA reports on key accomplishments across the organization's various programs and events. In addition to financial reports, members can learn about how athlete registrations, team sizes, and discipline representation have grown and changed over the years, along with how their dues are allocated across organizational operations.
This report is best viewed on a desktop or laptop due to the number of charts and visuals presented.
Past Annual Reports (2022 - 2025) are available on our Past Annual Reports page. For additional information, including a copy of any Form 990 tax returns, please contact the National Office at help@uscsa.org.
Supporting Your Team.
Building a Legacy.
2025-2026 Season Highlights
Snowboard & Freeski Program
The Snowboard & Freeski Program saw some exciting new developments throughout the season, including the first Collegiate Rail Jam in partnership with Westminster University at Brighton Resort; the launch of a new moguls program in the Rocky Mountain and Grand Teton Conferences; and the introduction of a Freeski Big Air event at Nationals.
Officials Credential Support Program
We launched the Officials Credential Support Program to provide funding to support USCSA volunteers' efforts to obtain and maintain the credentials necessary to officiate USCSA events throughout the season. As we rely on our volunteers to help run our events, this is a crucial investment in our support system and our event structure.
Marketing & Brand Awareness
Our continuous marketing efforts have resulted in an increase in broadcast watch time, social media followers, content interaction, link clicks, website users, organic searches, individual page visits, and organic Google search impressions. We shifted our website platform and launched new efforts to increase our advertising reach, which saw higher click through rates, return on shares, reactions, and follows.
Partnerships
The USCSA is a member of the National Ski Area Association's Growth Committee, which brings together key industry leaders to discuss strategic initiatives within the industry to increase participation in snowsports. In the 2026 season, we attended U.S. Ski & Snowboard's annual Congress and launched several marketing partnerships to enhance awareness around collegiate pathways in snowsports.
Rules & Policies
For the second year in a row, the USCSA undertook a significant review of the Competition and Rules Manual (CAR) to ensure consistency and clarity. This included a significant update to the snowboard and freeski sections, along with rule updates for alpine and Nordic associate team athlete participation at Nationals.
New Strategic Plan
At the 2026 Annual Conference, the USCSA hosted several workshops to begin the planning process for a new three-year strategic plan. This new plan aligns with the inauguration of USCSA's new President and combines past initiatives and results from USCSA's first strategic plan into a revised version that defines goals in alignment with USCSA's current environment.
Student-Athletes
The USCSA hosted 4604 total student-athletes during the 2025-2026 season.
We saw a slight decrease in membership across disciplines, with the sole exception in snowboard freestyle, which saw a slight increase.
The 10-year average of student-athlete members remains steady, at just over 4800 student-athletes each year.
The Eastern Conference remains USCSA's largest conference, followed by the Southeast and Midwest Conferences.
The Eastern and Midwest Conferences are the only two conferences with divisions (MacConnell, McBrien, Reynolds, and Thompson in Eastern; Chicago & Lake Superior, Michigan, and Ohio in Midwest).
The USCSA hosts 11 conferences total, each led by a Conference Coordinator and a crew of volunteers. The conferences host six Regional events in the post-season.
Teams
The USCSA emphasizes team performance. This is a unique departure from the typical individual or World Cup scoring format in skiing. Teams field five or more racers, with the top three performances used for the team score.
Most former USCSA athletes agree that the USCSA’s team orientation has been the seed for developing and nurturing a team approach in other aspects of their lives and careers.
On average, the USCSA hosts about 500 teams across all disciplines (alpine ski, Nordic, freeski, snowboard alpine, and snowboard freestyle). Athletes must be part of a team to compete in the USCSA.
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Institutions
The USCSA fields about 143 member institutions each year.
Prospective athletes and parents can find a list of all registered institutions and teams on our Member Institutions page, along with an interactive map where users can filter by conference and by team type. As always, we recommend that prospective athletes contact the teams directly to inquire about this year's status.
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The USCSA is made up of both club and varsity teams, and all teams compete together.
The classification of a team is self-selected.
The USCSA does not define the parameters of how an institution or team defines their team status. The majority of USCSA teams consider themselves to be "club" teams.
Most USCSA teams are uniquely structured within their academic institutions.
The majority of teams-- whether "club" or "varsity"-- receive some level of funding from their institution, and many fundraise from within their alumni networks.
At the same time, many teams receive no funding from their institution and rely on external fundraisers, self-funding, or sponsor support.
U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard National Championships
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The 2026 U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard National Championships returned to Lake Placid, New York with a new Big Air Freeski event, a shift in the program to accommodate the Rail Jam Qualifier events, and the largest crowd of spectators on record.
The cap on alpine berths maintains a nearly full field in women's and men's alpine ski. We saw steady participation in the Nordic program and a slight decrease in snowboard and freeski participants, which is typical when we host Nationals in the East Eastern venues.
Volunteers & Officials
All USCSA events are put on by a dedicated crew of volunteers and certified officials.
Supported by a small, part-time National Office team, USCSA's Conference and Division Coordinators, elected VPs, committee chairs, Board of Directors, and Student-Athlete Representatives are a core part of how we operate.
We have welcomed a steady increase in volunteer participation over recent years. Many conferences can still benefit from additional volunteer support both on-hill and off-hill during their fall and winter seasons; if you are interested in volunteering, let us know!
All volunteers, officials, and coaches are required to complete a background check, SafeSport-compliant training, and concussion awareness training on an annual basis. They also must follow USCSA's Abuse & Molestation Prevention Policy.
Financials
The USCSA's operating expenses are largely supported by in-season registration fees from competitors, teams, and institutions. We also receive support from donors, sponsors, and investment income. Our largest program is the U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard National Championships, which is predominantly covered by the event's separate registration fees. Additional notable expenses include support personnel, marketing costs, event production, and insurance.
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Where Do My Dues Go?
Your registration fees cover the operating expenses of the organization, which include support personnel in the National Office, marketing resources, administrative expenses, and insurance.
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A Note About Nationals
The income and expenses associated with the U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard National Championships are accrued separately from full-season membership fees. The registration process for “Nationals” is separate from USCSA's regular in-season registration. All income generated from Nationals registration goes toward Nationals expenses, along with sponsorship revenue.
Tracking Relevant External Factors
As part of our new three-year strategic plan, as approved by the Board of Directors in September 2026, and our goal of Resilience and Inclusive Adaptation, we are tracking several external factors that have direct influence on USCSA operations:
Snowfall
Skier visit numbers
Enrollment rates at colleges & universities
Variations in school funding