The Varsity National LifeSmarts Championship
For more information about the 2025 Varsity National Varsity LifeSmarts Championship, click here. This will be updated in January.
To register as a volunteer for the 2025 National LifeSmarts Championship (opens in January), click here.
For results of previous Nationals, visit the archives. ( Update in progress ) 
- State Varsity Champion teams will be invited to represent their state at the Varsity National LifeSmarts Championship by their State Coordinator or by the LifeSmarts Team.
- Wild Card Champion teams and Sweepstakes Champion Teams will be notified of their selection by the National LifeSmarts Team.
- Coaches must complete the National LifeSmarts Championship Team Registration and Competition Agreement (link to online registration shared with those coaches), within two weeks after winning their state competition and prior to the registration deadline.
- National competitions usually take place from a Thursday – Sunday. All team members and a minimum of one adult coach must be present when competition begins on Thursday . Teams unable to attend any or all portions of the National LifeSmarts Championships will be ineligible to represent their state at the event, and the Second Place (Runner-Up) team will be invited by the LifeSmarts Team or the State Coordinator to represent the state instead.
- Coaches must notify the National Consumers League immediately (within 14 days of being notified of their state win, sweepstakes win, or selection as a Wild Card team) if their Champion team will be unable to attend any or all portions of the National LifeSmarts Championship so that the Runner-Up or another team can be invited in their place. To facilitate this, Coaches must complete and turn in the “State Champion Team Attendance Confirmation Form and Room Reservation Numbers” within two weeks following their state competition, Wild Card or Sweepstakes selection notification, or any other notification inviting a team to compete in the National LifeSmarts Championship. Your State Coordinator can provide you with the form.
Teams Compete at least Seven Times
- Each team has an equal opportunity to advance to the single-elimination knockout bracket. All teams will compete seven times and team scores will be cumulative through mid-morning Monday.
- Preliminary Competition Rounds include:
- Competitions 1 and 2: Pre-competitions
- Competition 3: Sister Team Activity
- Competition 4: Speed Smarts
- Competitions 5-7: Buzzer matches – 3 per team
- After all teams complete the seven competitions, scores are tallied and the top 16 teams advance to a single-elimination knockout bracket. Teams play off until 4 teams remain as National Semifinalists, who play on Sunday morning to reach the National Championship Match.
- Teams that do not qualify for the knockout bracket can take part in activities during the Round of 16 and quarterfinal matches or can choose to explore the city with their coach.