Go Figure Skating

Figure Skating Nationals

By Go Figure Skating · Last reviewed November 9, 2026

The U.S. Figure Skating Championships are the premier domestic competition in the United States and the end of the qualifying season. They are held every January, in a different city each year.

Who competes

  • Disciplines: women's and men's singles, pairs and ice dance.
  • Levels: Junior and Senior. Senior is the championship level, where the national titles that decide international teams are won.
  • Field size: up to 18 senior singles skaters, 12 pairs teams and 15 dance teams per level.

Junior singles skaters qualify by placing in the top four at their sectional singles final. Senior places go first to skaters with byes (such as the previous year's top five, World Team members and Grand Prix Final qualifiers), then to the top two at each sectional final, then to the next best sectional scores nationwide. Pairs and dance teams qualify through the U.S. Pairs Final and the U.S. Ice Dance Final.

New in 2027: the Development Team Championships

Juvenile, Intermediate and Novice skaters used to finish their season at the U.S. Championships (Novice) or at a separate junior nationals (Juvenile and Intermediate). From 2027 all three levels compete at the U.S. Figure Skating Development Team Championships, held right after the U.S. Championships in the same city. Singles skaters qualify by placing in the top four at their sectional final; pairs and dance teams through their national finals.

The 2027 championships

  • U.S. Figure Skating Championships (championship level): January 5-10, 2027, Maverik Center, West Valley City, Utah
  • Junior events and the Development Team Championships: January 10-14, 2027, Salt Lake City Sports Complex, Salt Lake City, Utah

Why nationals matter

  • International teams: U.S. Figure Skating uses the senior results, together with the season's international results, to pick the teams for the Four Continents Championships, the World Championships and, in an Olympic season, the Winter Olympics.
  • The national title: the senior winners are U.S. champions in their discipline.
  • Format: skaters perform a short program (rhythm dance in ice dance) and a free skate (free dance), and the two scores are added together. Scoring uses the ISU Judging System.
  • Coverage: the senior events are broadcast and streamed nationally, and the event draws skating fans, coaches, officials and media from across the country.

Sources

U.S. Figure Skating 2026-27 Rulebook (rules 2491-2504), the 2027 U.S. Championships event page and U.S. Figure Skating's announcement of the 2027 locations.