PROSPECTIVE ATHLETES

Depending on the sport, there are several different options: 

• The NCAA sponsors a National Championship in Alpine and Nordic. Teams that compete for this Championship are referred to as "NCAA level" teams, and include NCAA Division I, II, and III institutions which compete in either the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association, the Central Collegiate Ski Association, or the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association. These teams are very competitive and selective: athletes joining these teams generally will have about 25 – 100 FIS points for Alpine or 75-150 FIS points for Nordic. There are about 30 institutions across the country that are NCAA level teams. All NCAA level teams are varsity and include school funding support with some schools also offering athletic scholarships.

• USCSA sponsors collegiate competitions in Alpine, Nordic, Freeski, and Snowboard, and awards National Championships in each discipline. There are many options for participating in USCSA with 170+ member institution teams, 5,000+ athletes, 11 conferences and 6 regions. USCSA offers both varsity teams with school funding and paid coaching staff along with club style teams with volunteer staff. Some USCSA schools also offer athletic scholarships. Athletes range from highly competitive individuals with National Team experience to some who have never competed before college. A big difference between USCSA and other snowsport competitions is the team aspect; USCSA athletes compete as a team against other college teams and typically field five or more athletes with the top three performances used for the team's score. 

• Options also exist to compete outside of college by competing in US Ski and Snowboard and the US Snowboard & Freeski Association. Competitions in these leagues are done at an individual level and individuals do not represent their college at them. Some NCAA and USCSA athletes will also choose to individual compete in these races while attending college.

• For more information about each pathway, please see the Alpine Collegiate Pathways or Nordic Collegiate Pathways documents (A Snowboard/Freeski document is being created)

Local teams, mountain race series, regional high school events, former U.S. Ski & Snowboard competitors – whatever your path was previously, USCSA has options for continuing snowsports competition in college. With over 140 institutions with teams in 11 conferences and 6 regions, USCSA offers varsity and club style teams that can be as competitive or as fun as you'd like!

Even if you never competed previously in snowsports, USCSA offers options for every level from varsity to club style teams. It is a fun way to connect with others interested in skiing and snowboarding and meet new people at your institution and in your region. Because USCSA is a team event, which is very different from other snowsports competitions, it creates connections that go beyond traditional snowsports teams.

Yes! ​USCSA accepts every level of skier and rider. If you have never skied or snowboarded before but are interested in participating in snowsports during college, joining USCSA is a great option.

The USCSA provides a unique experience, in that the entire focus is on the TEAM aspect of competition. Teams compete, score, and qualify truly as a team, and this provides a very unique experience in sports that are more traditionally focused on individual accomplishments. We also are inclusive of all ability levels in all Conferences, with more competitive teams and institutions moving on to Regional and National Championships.

Each USCSA member institution is different. Reviewing the information on this page is a good place to start! Take a look at the “How to Find Your USCSA Team” graphic for a guide on next steps to selecting a school that fits you best.

The FIS (Fédération Internationale de Ski) point system is a rating system used in alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, cross-country skiing, and ski jumping to evaluate the performance of individual athletes in various skiing events. The system is designed to provide an objective measurement of an athlete's performance and to allow for measured competition between skiers of different abilities.

​In the FIS point system, each athlete earns points based on their performance in specific races. The lower the FIS points, the better the athlete's performance. To establish a reference point, top-level athletes are assigned zero FIS points and other athletes' points are then calculated relative to the reference athlete's performance. FIS points are calculated separately for different disciplines (e.g., slalom, giant slalom, downhill) and gender (men and women) and athletes have FIS point profiles, which represent their point totals in different disciplines. These profiles are used to determine an athlete's eligibility for certain races, such as World Cup events and international championships.

We post information on our website about all teams and institutions that register with us each year. You’ll find data from the most recent membership year on our Member Institutions page, along with various data points to help you with your college search.

Please review our Schedules & Results page to see which events take place in each conference across the country each year. You can also reach out to specific Conference Coordinators to learn more about events in their conference.