COLLEGIATE CATEGORIES AND UPGRADE REQUIREMENT

Note: The collegiate category requirements were updated with the 2018 USA Cycling Rulebook, and the overall USA Cycling upgrade policy was updated with the 2019 Rulebook, and is available here. For the most up to date upgrade information, please refer to the Collegiate Policy Document.

Collegiate categories and upgrade requirements generally follow the same guidelines as non-collegiate categories and upgrades. The most accurate, up to date information can always be found in the rulebook, but we’ve outlined much of the information below.

Riders in a Collegiate Race are eligible for USA Cycling upgrade points, so long as that Race meets all upgrade requirements, including field size and distance, specified by USA Cycling (see below and/or rulebook). Each Rider must request upgrades through his or her USA Cycling account online and provide proof of category at registration. Upgrade requests go through a Rider’s Conference Director or the Collegiate Manager [7H1d].

Some conferences have additional requirements. Always check with your conference director before upgrading.


Road
Track
Mountain Bike
Cyclocross


ROAD

Initial Placement:

Collegiate Category Non-collegiate USAC Available for USA Cycling Road Upgrades…
From To
A Pro, 1, 2, or 3 with 15 upgrade points as a 3 3 2
B 3, or 4 with 15 upgrade points as a 4 4 3
C 4 5 4
D 5 5 4
E 5 N/A N/A

Note: Collegiate National Championship results may be used for upgrades from Category 2 to Category 1.

Upgrade Requirements:

Category Requirements
D, E to C
  • Finished 10 massed-start races as D or Category 5
  • Or, holding a USAC Road license, Category 4 or higher
C to B
  • 15 upgrade points from collegiate or USA Cycling races as a Category 4 or C
  • Or, experience in 10 qualifying races with a minimum of 5 top ten finishes (in fields under 20 riders, top 50%)
  • Or, 25 upgrade points in 12 months is a mandatory upgrade
  • Or, holding a USAC Road license, Category 3 or higher
B to A
  • 15 upgrade points from collegiate or USA Cycling races as a Category 3 or B
  • Or, 30 upgrade points in 12 months is a mandatory upgrade
  • Or, holding a USAC Road license, Category 2 or higher

Road Race Weekend Minimum – Riders must compete in 4 mass starts before upgrading. Exceptions can be made if the rider places in the top 3 for two races in a row in a collegiate weekend.

Qualifying distances for each category:

To qualify for upgrade points, races must meet distance standards. Races shorter than the minimum distance do not qualify for upgrading. However, if a road race is less than the road race minimum but above the criterium minimum, it will count for upgrading using the criterium points schedule. Points from G.C. places in stage races may only be used for Category 3->2 and Category 2->1 upgrades.

Category Class RR Criteriums
5-4 Men

Women

15 mi

10 mi

10 mi/20 min

10 mi/20 min

4-3 Men

Women

25 mi

25 mi

15 mi/30 min

15 mi/30 min

3-2 Men

Women

50 mi

40 mi

20 mi/40 min

15 mi/30 min

2-1 Men

Women

80 mi

50 mi

30 mi/60 min

20 mi/40 min

Upgrade points awarded for criteriums:

Number of Starters
Placing 5-10 11-20 21-49 50+
1 3 4 5 7
2 2 3 4 5
3 1 2 3 4
4 1 2 3
5 1 2
6 1

Upgrade points awarded for road races:

Number of Starters
Placing 5-10 11-20 21-49 50+
1 3 7 8 10
2 2 5 6 8
3 1 4 5 7
4 3 4 6
5 2 3 5
6 1 2 4
7 1 3
8 2
9 1


TRACK

Initial Placement:

Collegiate Category Correlative USA Cycling Track Category Available for USA Cycling Track Upgrades… CollegiateTrack Upgrade Requirements for this category are the same as…
From To From To
A Pro, 1, 2, or 3 with 15 upgrade points as a 3 3 2 4 3
B 3, or 4 with 15 upgrade points as a 4 4 3 5 4
C 4 5 4 N/A N/A
D 5 5 4 N/A N/A
E 5 N/A N/A N/A N/A

Note: Collegiate National Championship results may be used for upgrades from Category 2 to Category 1.

UPGRADE REQUIREMENTS:

Category Requirements
C, D, E to B
  • Complete a Velodrome Class
  • Or, complete 4 race days
  • Or, holding a USAC Track license, Category 4 or higher
B to A
  • 5 race days and 20 upgrade points
  • Or, holding a USAC Track license, Category 3 or higher

Place Points
1 7
2 5
3 3
4 2
5 1

ENDURANCE MOUNTAIN BIKE

OVERVIEW:

Collegiate Category Correlative USA Cycling MTB Category Available for USA Cycling MTB Upgrades… Collegiate MTB Upgrade Requirements are the same as…*
From To From To
A Pro, 1, or two top five finishes in Cat 2 or equivalent races (with field sizes of ten or more) N/A N/A 2 1
B 2, or two top five finishes in Cat 3 or equivalent races (with field sizes of ten or more) 2 1 3 2
C 3 3 2 N/A N/A
D None 3 2 N/A N/A
E None N/A N/A N/A N/A

GRAVITY MOUNTAIN BIKE

OVERVIEW:

Collegiate Category Correlative USA Cycling MTB Category Available for USA Cycling MTB Upgrades… Collegiate MTB Upgrade Requirements are the same as…*
From To From To
A Pro, or Cat 1 N/A N/A 2 1
B Cat 1 or 2 2 1 3 2
C Cat 2 or 3 3 2 N/A N/A
D Cat 3 3 2 N/A N/A
E Cat 3 N/A N/A N/A N/A

UPGRADE REQUIREMENTS:

  • Riders may advance as quickly as they wish up to Category B.
  • Category C racers must move to Category B after placing in the top five in five races.
  • Category B riders may move up to Category A after two top five finishes.
  • Category B riders must advance to Category A after placing five top five finishes.

CYCLO-CROSS

OVERVIEW:

Collegiate Category Correlative USA Cycling CX Category Available for USA Cycling CX Upgrades… CollegiateRoad Upgrade Requirements for this category are the same as…*
From To From To
A Pro, 1, 2, or 3 with 15 upgrade points as a 3 3 2 4 3
B 3, or 4 with 15 upgrade points as a 4 4 3 N/A N/A
C 4 5 4 N/A N/A
D 5 5 4 N/A N/A
E 5 N/A N/A N/A N/A

UPGRADE REQUIREMENTS:

Category Requirements
B, C, D, or E to A
  • 10 upgrade points
  • Or, holding a USAC Cyclo-cross license, Category 3 or higher

UPGRADE POINTS AWARDEDFOR CYCLO-CROSS RACES:

Number of Starters
Placing 5-10 11-20 21-50 50+
1 3 4 5 7
2 2 3 4 5
3 1 2 3 4
4 1 2 3
5 1 2
6


Cyclo-cross categories may also be upgraded by conversion from a rider’s earned road or mountain bike (endurance) category. If during the season, a rider upgrades his or her road category or XC category, the cyclo-cross category can be upgraded to match his or her road or XC category by request of the rider or by request of the administrator.

Collegiate CX Category Based on Road or XC Category
Road Category MTB XC Category CX Category
USAC 1, 2 USAC 1 or Collegiate A Collegiate A
USAC 3, 4 or Collegiate A or B USAC 2 or Collegiate B Collegiate B
USAC 5 or Collegiate C, D, or E USAC 3 or Collegiate C, D, or E Colleciate C, D, or E

* All information on this page provided by USA Cycling If you have any questions in regards to collegiate upgrades please contact Bryan Garfoot. Please note that indoor time trials, power tests, little 500 (similar bike races not sanctioned by USA Cycling), training rides, and any non-sanctioned USA Cycling events do not count towards upgrade requests. All upgrades should be processed through your My USA Cycling Page. When applying for a collegiate upgrade please note that results being used to warrant the upgrade need to be of the same discipline (ie. Road Race results do not count for Mountain Bike upgrades).