Preparing for Nationals
March 9-14, 2026  |  Lake Placid, NY
Congratulations on qualifying for the 2026 U.S. Collegiate Ski & Snowboard National Championships!

Use the page below to make sure you are ready to attend.

​Reach out to the USCSA National Office at [email protected] with any questions. We look forward to seeing you in New York!

Step 1: Pre Registration

​Athletes

Contact your Conference Coordinator regarding your eligibility BEFORE you register for Nationals​. 
​
All competing athletes and teams must be in good standing with the USCSA.

NEW THIS YEAR: Nordic ski teams are limited to registering a maximum of 7 athletes per gender. 
​
​All TEAMS must be registered with the USCSA to compete at Nationals. ​NOTE: if anyone on your team is adding on "cross" as a supplemental discipline at Nationals, you must have a freeski team registered.

​Coaches

All coaches must be registered as a coach / official / volunteer with the USCSA BEFORE arriving in Lake Placid.

Registration records will be cross-referenced between Nationals and the National Office.

Step 2: Registration

Athletes

All qualified athletes must register online before arriving in Lake Placid. Registration is through your SportsEngine account.

Athletes who elect a skier-cross add-on MUST be registered (through your in-season registration) with freeski as a secondary discipline.
​
Athletes who elect a Nordic add-on MUST be registered (through your in-season registration) with Nordic as a secondary discipline.

See below for more information on fees and options for payment.

​Coaches

All coaches must register online before arriving in Lake Placid.

​Every team is defined as having three athletes or more.

Each team is allotted one coach per team at no charge. Additional coaches may be registered for an extra fee.
​
​All coaches must complete both this registration and the in-season coach/official/volunteer registration, along with all associated eligibility components, before arriving on venue at Lake Placid.​​
**The registration deadline for athletes and coaches is 8pm EST on Friday, March 6.
Any registrations after this time may be subject to an additional fee.**
Track your Nationals Registration process with this checklist.
​See who's coming to Nationals!

Step 3: Fees, Tickets & How to Pay

All fees must be paid in order to participate. Fees only apply to athletes and additional coaches beyond the one allotted coach per team. ​There are no team fees. See the full fee breakdown below.

​How to Pay 
​Option 1. Online when you register (cheapest and easiest option!)
Option 2. After you register, request an invoice and online payment link by filling out this form
Option 3. Onsite (additional fees apply)*
​
*For athletes who pay onsite, all unpaid team members must pay with ONE transaction at onsite check-in (e.g. one check or one credit card per team)
​*If paying by check: make checks payable to “USCSA”; submit the check in-person at check-in in Lake Placid (do not mail!)
​*Be sure to include the $25 fee per person in your check total
Training Tickets: Whiteface Only
Alpine/Snowboard/Freeski
Your competition credential includes tickets for competition days only: Tuesday, March 10, through Saturday, March 14. Training tickets are available for athlete use on Sunday, March 8 and Monday, March 9. Training tickets are $70/day. Training days are included in all coach credentials.

Training tickets must be purchased online before arriving at Whiteface Mountain using this link or the button below.

If you are participating in the rail jam qualifier on Monday, your credential allows you to walk to the rail jam venue. If you wish to take the chair lift or access the rest of the mountain, you will need to purchase a training ticket. 

Fees

Alpine Ski
Freeski
Nordic
Snowboard Alpine
Snowboard Freestyle
$560
​Per Athlete
$560
Per Athlete
$410
​Per Athlete
$560
Per Athlete
$560
​Per Athlete
Access to 3 events: slalom, GS, dual slalom
Access to 4 events: rail jam, slopestyle, big air, skiercross​
Access to 4 events: 7.5K interval start, individual sprint, 15K mass start, team sprint
Access to 3 events: slalom, GS, boardercross
Access to 3 events: boardercross, rail jam, slopestyle
Freeski Events Add-On
Skier-Cross Event Add-On
Nordic Events Add-On
Snowboard Full Competition
$80
​Per Athlete
$50
​Per Athlete
$80
​Per Athlete
$640
​Per Athlete
Access to rail jam, slopestyle, big air, skiercross; MUST be a qualified freeski athlete and have a freeski team registered
For alpine ski athletes; MUST have a freeski team registered
For alpine ski athletes; MUST have a Nordic team registered
Access to 5 events: boardercross, rail jam, slopestyle, slalom, GS; MUST be qualified in both freestyle & alpine snowboarding & have both teams registered
All athlete credentials include:
  • 5-day venue access (Tuesday, March 10 through Saturday, March 14)
  • USCSA athlete gift
  • Opening Ceremonies entry and dinner
  • Final Awards Ceremony entry and dinner
  • Full broadcast of events
  • Entry to all Daily Awards events
  • Give-aways from event partners
  • Professional event photography and videography
Onsite Payment Fees
Additional Coach for Nordic
Additional Coach for Alpine / Snowboard / Freeski
$25
​Per Athlete
$200
Per Additional Coach
$330
Per Additional Coach
Pay online to avoid this fee
Each qualifying team (defined as three or more athletes of the same discipline) or individual is allotted one coach at no cost.
Each qualifying team (defined as three or more athletes of the same discipline) or individual is allotted one coach at no cost.

Step 4: Post Registration

Submit Required Team Forms

  1. Event Form: One person from each team must complete this form by March 6 
  2. Team Registration Form: Fill out one form per team by March 6 
  3. NORDIC TEAMS ONLY- Seed Form: Please submit your seed form for the first 2 events (7.5K Classic & Freestyle Sprint) by Sunday March 8 at 8pm Eastern Time​​​

Scholar All-American Forms

Scholar All-American Athlete Form
Complete this form for all qualifying athletes and email to  [email protected] by March 6

More information can be found on our website here​

Step 5: Attend an Informational Session

All registered athletes and coaches are invited to attend a virtual information session about the event, where everyone can have the opportunity to ask questions from USCSA leadership.

​Call-in information also will be provided via email to all registered athletes and coaches before each call.
​Nordic Athletes & Coaches Call
Friday, February 27
6pm Pacific / 7pm Mountain / 8pm Central / 9pm Eastern
Via Google Meets: meet.google.com/ekh-rnkf-uuv

​Alpine Ski Athletes & Coaches Call
Monday, March 2
5pm Pacific / 6pm Mountain / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern
Via Google Meets: meet.google.com/jdb-gvga-kyv
​
Snowboard & Freeski Athletes & Coaches Call
Wednesday, March 4
5pm Pacific / 6pm Mountain / 7pm Central / 8pm Eastern
Via Google Meets: meet.google.com/rnj-tjog-ixp

Step 6: Check-In On-site & Obtain Credentials

Check-In
**All teams MUST visit check-in to pick up team credentials**
​
The Olympic Center Conference Center
2634 Main St.
Lake Placid, NY 12946
​
Sunday, March 8: 2pm - 5pm*
Monday, March 9: 8am - 2pm

*Reminder: If your team has athletes registered for the rail jam, they MUST check-in on Sunday to pick-up credentials before the qualifier on Monday. ​
Check-In CLOSES on Monday, March 9 at 2pm

​You must be registered by then, and at least one representative from your school must have come to check-in by then to pick up all credentials.

​Even if you have already registered online, at least one representative per school must come to check-in.
If your team is not able to visit check-in, please have another team check in for you.​

Step 7: Training and Preparation Info

Whiteface

Training Schedules
Training for alpine ski, snowboard alpine, freeski and snowboard is available starting on Monday, March 9 at Whiteface Mountain.

​Training Tickets
See Step 3 above for rates and access to training tickets at Whiteface.

Training Gates
The New York Sports Education Foundation (NYSEF) will have alpine ski training gates available for rent at Whiteface. Contact John Norton at [email protected] to reserve and pay for your gates.

Teams are also welcome to bring their own training gates and share them with or rent them out to other teams.

Mt. Van Hoevenberg

Training Schedules
​Training for Nordic is available on Monday, March 9 and Thursday, March 12 at Mt. Van Hoevenberg. Skiing will be available on Sunday, March 8, with possible access to the race course. All availability is dependent on weather.

Trailers
​Trailers parked at Mt. Van Hoevenberg will be charged $50 for the week for power. 

Wax Cabins
​Wax cabins will be assigned based on team size. Teams of 7 people will get their own cabin and teams of fewer than 7 people will share. If small teams have a preference about desired location, please email [email protected]. 

Schedule At a Glance

The detailed schedule will be posted on the website as soon as it is available.
​Reach out to the National Office at [email protected] with any questions.

On-Site Info

Visit our on-site info page for details on the schedule, venues, maps, broadcast, results and more!

Lodging & Travel

Check out Lake Placid's Directions to Venues webpage to learn about your options for driving to Lake Placid or flying into the Albany, NY airport.

Check-in and all awards ceremonies, including Daily Awards and Final Awards, will take place at the The Conference Center at Olympic Center. 

​USCSA has partnered with High Peaks Resort to offer a discounted rate for nights from Saturday, March 7 to Sunday, March 15, 2026. Discounted rates available dependent on room availability.
Check out the weather in Lake Placid through OpenSnow, USCSA's official weather partner for Nationals. Use your USCSA member benefit to sign up for a base plan, and come to Nationals prepared!

Nationals Merch & Memorabilia

The National Championships Apparel Webstore  is officially open! 
 
The on-line pre-order webstore for apparel is open now until 11:59PM on February 26th.
There are a couple ways to get apparel; choose the option that works best for you!

​Bonuses to using the Pre-Order Webstore
  • Items on the webstore are $2 less than they will be on-site
  • There are additional personalization options on the webstore
  • There may be additional apparel available on the website, such as premium brands or different styles
  • Skip the lines and have your order mailed directly to you or pick it up at the event
 
On-Site Event Printing Highlights
Match Play Ink will also be on-site (Monday, Friday and Saturday) and printing at the event!
  • If you prefer to try on or compare your apparel options in person, this is the way to go!
  • There may be additional apparel available on-site
  • There will be additional novelty designs available on-site












Thank You to Our 2026 Sponsors