Required Steps for Collegiate Nationals
2026 Collegiate Nationals
April 9-12, 2026
New Orleans, LA
Below lays out the required steps for individual athletes and teams. A clear list of the timeline of due dates is below. Please make sure you read the whole document.
Required Steps for Individuals:
- Register for Nationals
- Register here: https://register.usapowerlifting.com/
- Hit the qualifying total for your weight class between January 1st, 2025, and the deadline
- If you are on a team’s scoring roster, you must hit the team's qualifying total
- If you are NOT on a team’s scoring roster, you must hit the individual qualifying total
- Find QTs here under Collegiate Nationals: https://www.usapowerlifting.com/lifters-corner/qualifying-totals/
- Submit academic enrollment verification form to prove you are a full-time student in good standing with your school
- Submit here: https://collegiate.nationals.usapowerlifting.com/athlete-eligibility/
- Check to make sure your academic enrollment verification form was received and approved
- Check here: https://collegiate.nationals.usapowerlifting.com/athlete-eligibility/
Required Steps for Teams:
- Renew/register their club membership with USA Powerlifting
- Link to Renew/Register: https://www.usapowerlifting.com/clubs/
- You must be recognized by your university to register a USAPL club under your school name. If you are not recognized by your university please contact the Collegiate Committee at collegiate@usapowerlifting.com.
- Register team for Collegiate Nationals and the divisions you are entering a team into
- Divisions:
- Men’s – Equipped (M-C)
- Men’s – Raw (MR-C)
- Women’s – Equipped (F-C)
- Women’s – Raw (FR-C)
- Register here: https://register.usapowerlifting.com/
- Make sure all lifters register themselves for Nationals
- Enter a scoring roster for each division
- Per division, Teams can select up to 12 lifters on a scoring roster. No team can exceed more than 2 lifters in the same weight class.
- These individuals can utilize the team scoring qualifying total (QT)
- Make sure all of your lifters on that roster have reached that qualifying total (QT)
- An email will be sent out to all registered teams
- Make sure all lifters submit the academic enrollment verification form
- Bulk academic enrollment verification form submission is possible through your registrar
- Submissions can be done here, and status can be checked here: Check here: https://collegiate.nationals.usapowerlifting.com/athlete-eligibility/
- Submit the form for the coaches' passes that come with team registration
- This email will go to all registered teams
- Purchase any additional coaches/handlers passes
- Can be found here: https://collegiate.nationals.usapowerlifting.com/
Timeline of Registration Events
JANUARY 1:
- Renew/register their club membership with USA Powerlifting.
- https://www.usapowerlifting.com/clubs/
- Team registration for Collegiate Nationals opens
- https://register.usapowerlifting.com/
FEBRUARY 8: Lifter registration opens
FEBRUARY 13: Lifter registration closes (will close earlier if the cap of 1350 is met) at 11:59 PM EST
MARCH 1: Last date a qualifying total can be met
MARCH 10: Academic enrollment verification form submission opens
MARCH 19: Team registration deadline at 11:59 PM EST
MARCH 24: Academic enrollment verification form submission due at 11:59 PM EST
MARCH 26 11:59 PM EST
- Deadline to change lifting divisions
- Deadline to change weight class
APRIL 7: Deadline to make scoring team roster changes at 11:59 PM EST
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- If I compete in a meet on the QT deadline date, does that count for my qualifying total?
- Yes.
- Is there a deadline for withdrawing from the meet?
- You can withdraw at any time up to the start of the meet.