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Get University Recognition

NCGA requires your team to be formally recognized by your university. Start with Club Sports or Student Activities and find the campus office willing to sponsor the program. You’ll also need to confirm your school has no existing NCGA grappling program; only one is allowed per institution.

Good to know: Club Sports or Student Activities is often the fastest path for a new program.

Confirm Insurance Coverage

Teams must be covered by the school’s liability structure, and every athlete must carry personal health or injury insurance. Check with your school’s risk management or club sports office before you apply. Once fully accepted, NCGA covers athletes, coaches, and the school with $1,000,000 of liability insurance. Fully registered athletes also receive $25,000 of secondary injury coverage.

Good to know: Most universities already cover registered sport clubs under their general liability policy.

Recruit a Non-Student Head Coach

For full, non-provisional membership, your program must have an NCGA-accepted non-student coach who provides year-to-year leadership. The coach must complete the NCGA questionnaire, pay the coach registration fee, and have had a university background check within the last two years.

Good to know: SafeSport certification and current CPR/First Aid are NCGA best practices for coaches.

Appoint a Team Admin & Compliance Officer

NCGA recommends that each team designate a Head Coach, a Team Admin who registers on the NCGA site, and a Team Compliance Officer responsible for monitoring NCGA, NCAA, and school eligibility requirements. These roles keep the program healthy and accountable.

Good to know: A student officer often fills the Team Admin role; a faculty advisor can be used for compliance.

Contact NCGA & Request the New Team Application

Reach out by phone or email to start the membership process. NCGA will send you the New Team Application. Once it is received in good order, NCGA performs due diligence directly with your institution’s administration.

Good to know: You do not need to have every answer before you call. We will help you understand what comes next.

Submit During the Open Window

The registration window for new programs is June 1–March 1. New programs are not accepted after March 1 without Board of Directors approval. Get your university recognition and coaching structure in place well before that date.

Good to know: Individual athlete registration opens October 1 and closes April 1.

Budget for Membership Fees

Current NCGA membership fees: men’s teams pay a $500 team fee + $75 per athlete. Women’s teams pay a $300 team fee + $75 per athlete, regardless of which team pays first or whether the school has a men’s team. Your assigned conference may charge an additional team fee of $0–$250.

Good to know: Event entry fees for conference championships and nationals are separate from membership fees.

Register Your Coach & Team Admin

Both your Head Coach and Team Admin must register separately on the NCGA website before athlete registration can proceed. Only new users need to register.

Good to know: If your program is not listed yet, request the team first. NCGA will review it and email private staff-registration links.

Register Your Athletes

Athletes register through the NCGA website, acknowledge the waiver and release, pay individual dues ($75), and complete a required three-day practice window before being cleared for competition. No athlete may compete in NCGA events until clearinghouse requirements are complete.

Good to know: Eligibility: 9+ credit hours (6 for graduate students), a 2.0 cumulative GPA after year one, and up to five years of competition eligibility.

Keep Your Team Page Current

NCGA requires member teams to maintain current rosters, contact information, athlete biographical data, headshots, schedule, and results on the official site. Failure to do so can result in fines. Think of it as a few minutes of routine administration each week.

Compete In-Season to Unlock Postseason

For conference championship eligibility, athletes must compete in at least two separate collegiate events during the regular season unless the conference grants a waiver. Every team must join a conference to be eligible for postseason competition.

Good to know: Conference championships are held 20–13 days before Nationals. Check with your conference for any additional competition requirements.

Complete Your First Year & Earn Full Membership

Your inaugural year is provisional. After it, NCGA automatically moves compliant teams to full membership. Stay eligible, keep your non-student coach in place, maintain site records, and compete cleanly.

Good to know: Full membership unlocks conference alignment, postseason rights, and the opportunity to compete at Nationals for All-American honors.