USA CURLING ANNOUNCES UPDATES TO MEMBERSHIPS AND CHAMPIONSHIP REGISTRATION

CHAMPIONSHIPS

Jul 13

[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, July 13, 2026] — In 2023-24, USA Curling introduced a new membership model, eliminating strict club-based mandates. It was a shift that changed membership from a requirement to something the national organization worked to earn every day.

Previously, only one level of individual membership—$34 per person—was offered to everyone. In 2023-24, tiers were introduced—Youth, Basic, Competitor, Coach, Silver, Gold—providing American curlers with choices that reflect their level of engagement. The Basic Individual membership was set at $25.

Member Club status was also introduced, and fees for arena-based clubs where members have limited ice time were sharply reduced.

Since 2023, dues have not increased. Cumulative inflation, however, is estimated between 10 and 11%. As a result, USA Curling will introduce a modest dues increase for the 2026-27 season. The increases in Individual Membership and Individual Membership+Upgrades are between 8 and 10.6%. The Competitor Membership upgrade is the only one that rises more than 10%.

“The support of each individual member and our Member Clubs is not something the national organization ever takes for granted, and this was not an easy decision,” said USA Curling CEO Dean Gemmell. “Unfortunately, we also face rising costs across the board. This modest dues increase will provide resources that ensure we can continue to move the sport forward and deliver benefits that are valued by our members.”

The total cost of Silver and Gold memberships is unchanged, and Member Club dues will not be raised. USA Curling will be announcing new benefits across all membership tiers—look for them on the Membership page in the coming weeks.

Increases in Individual Membership dues and Upgrades are shown below.

  
    
  
     Membership 
     2025-2026 (and prior) Amount
     2026-2027 Amount
     $ Increase 
  

    Basic Membership
     $25
    $27 
     $2
  
 
     Youth Membership
     $20 
     $22  
     $2 
  

    Competitor Upgrade
     $75
      $83  
     $8
  
 
     Coach Upgrade
     $100 
     $108 
     $8 
  

    Basic + Competitor Upgrade
     $100
      $110 
     $10
  
 
     Youth + Competitor Upgrade
     $95 
      $105 
     $10 
  

    Basic + Coach Upgrade
     $125
      $135  
     $10
  
 
     Silver Upgrade
     $175 
    $172 
     -$2 
  

    Gold Upgrade
     $475
    $473 
     -$2
  

  
  

CHANGES TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP Registration.

In the 2026-27 season, teams that qualify for a National Championship will have 14 days to complete their registration for the event. If registration is not completed within 14 days, a 20% late fee will be added to the Championship Registration fee. If registration is not completed within 28 days, the berth will be forfeited.

This change is being implemented to reduce delays in schedule creation, speed the peer seeding process in championships that require it, and ensure that any berths made available through the fill policy can be offered in a timely fashion. USA Curling is also planning to open registration for all championships prior to the start of the season, but competitors should not they should not register for a championship before they have qualified. (Exceptions are Senior Nationals and Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Nationals. Since these are open-entry events, teams can submit registration as soon as it opens.)

Here is how this policy will impact regionally-based championships that have a playdown process, and championships with other routes for qualification.

For championships with qualification through regional playdowns hosted by RRAs (Mixed, Clubs, Arenas, U18):

Teams must complete payment of the National Championship Fee within 14 days of notification from MyUSACurling.com/Sport:80 that their berth has been accepted. The day of notification is Day 0.

For all other championships:

Teams must register within 14 days of qualification. The day of qualification is Day 0, unless:

Qualification occurs prior to the opening of registration for the championship. The day registration opens is Day 0.
Qualification occurs through points. Teams will be notified of qualification by USA Curling. The day of notification is Day 0.

Championship Qualification Procedures

About USA Curling

Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA Curling is the National Governing body for the Olympic sport of curling and the Paralympic sport of wheelchair curling in the United States. The mission of USA Curling is to grow, strengthen, and advocate for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of curling in the United States by prioritizing accessibility and programmatic development from grassroots to podium. USA Curling is sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, the Dale’s family of beers, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, Ice, Sports & Solar (ISS), Rock Solid Productions, Jet Ice, and Laurie Artiss. USA Curling is a proud member of World Curling and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. To learn more, visit usacurling.org.

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