ARENA NATIONALS: QUALIFICATION PROCEDURES UPDATE
Photo by: Bob Weder
[EDEN PRAIRIE, MN, April 23rd, 2024] — Following the recent announcement confirming the Wausau Curling Club as the host of the 2024 Arena National Championships, USA Curling wants to further clarify qualification procedures and field composition for this event.
Substantive changes to the 2024 Arena Nationals are:
The defending Women’s and Men’s champions from 2023 will receive a berth in the 2024 Arena Nationals.
To encourage broader participation, team members will no longer be required to belong to the same Member Club. All team members, however, will be required to belong to a Member Club within the Recognized Regional Association they are seeking to represent.
One berth in the 2024 Nationals field is currently reserved for the winners of a Qualifier Bonspiel, tentatively planned for the fall of 2024. Location and dates for this event have not been determined. This qualifying bonspiel will be exempt from the regional requirements associated with regional playdowns. If this event is not scheduled in 2024, remaining berths in the Nationals field will be determined according to the current fill policy.
The full 2024-25 Qualifying Procedures for all USA Curling championships will be updated in the coming weeks, and the 2024 Arena Nationals will be included in that document. But because this particular championship is fast approaching and Recognized Regional Associations have begun opening registrations for playdowns, USA Curling is making Event Eligibility details that are specific to Arena Nationals available now. They are:
2. Event Eligibility: U.S. citizenship or residency is required. In addition to the USA Curling membership requirements in Section I, all team members must be dues-paying, league-playing members of a USA Curling Member Arena Club. Team members can be from different Member Clubs, as long as all belong to Member Clubs from within the same Recognized Regional Association. To be eligible, competitors cannot curl in more than ten league games at any dedicated ice clubs in the calendar year of the championship. Curling in bonspiels or practicing at dedicated ice clubs does not affect event eligibility. Delivery of the stone with a stick device will be allowed. Wheelchair curlers are allowed to compete but must adhere to the USA Curling Wheelchair Curling rules.
In the coming months, more information about the Arena National Championships will be available here. If competitors, clubs, or representatives of Recognized Regional Associations have further questions related to this championship, please email memberservices@usacurling.org or aaron.kaylor@usacurling.org.
About USA Curling
Founded in 1958 and headquartered in Eden Prairie, MN, 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, Twin Cities Orthopedics, Training HAUS, ISS (Ice, Sports & Solar), 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.
