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About Us

The Utah High School Cycling League, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, was organized in 2011 and is an affiliate league of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association. We facilitate the development of interscholastic cycling teams/clubs for grades 7 – 12 and provide the education, training, licensing and insurance for coaches and volunteers. We also provide a high-quality mountain bike racing experience that emphasizes the value of each participant (no one is benched), camaraderie among peers, a positive sporting behavior and the cultivation of health over competition.

The Utah Interscholastic Cycling League:

  • Fills a niche for students whose needs may not met by traditional interscholastic sports
  • Gets kids outside
  • Welcomes and supports diversity in ability, ethnicity, gender, orientation, and skill level
  • Promotes trail-building efforts and environmental awareness
  • Improves focus and academic performance in our student-athletes
  • Promotes health & fitness in teens & their families

Utah Interscholastic Cycling League Mission:

Establish a fun, enduring, and relevant interscholastic mountain biking program to improve Utah’s communities and the lives of Utah’s teens

League History

The league held its first race in 2012 and that same year became the largest first-year league in NICA history. By 2014, the Utah League grew to become the largest league in all of NICA. In 2015, the Utah League became the first league to develop an Elevate program. By 2016, and due to continued exponential growth, the Utah League split into two regions, and hosted a record 9 races. In 2018, the league split into three regions and hosted a record of 13 races. In 2020, even with the difficulties of the coronavirus, the Utah League grew again with almost 5,000 participating student-athletes and over 2,700 registered coaches. Once again, the league needed to expand, and a fourth region was created. In 2022, the league expanded to 6 regions and conducted a record 25 races. In 2026, the Utah League will celebrate its 15th year of racing.

What we do

While mountain biking is not a UHSAA sanctioned high school sport, we do have the largest mountain bike league in the nation. Our 92 teams range from 5 to 205 students and provide these athletes with a unique opportunity you don’t find in traditional school sports. NICA rewards both individual achievement and teamwork. Priority is placed on demonstrating NICA’s 5-core principles, not just winning.

Our Jr. Devo program is one of the first middle-school mountain bike programs in the nation and it is growing as fast as the kids are. This program is focused on providing a fun and positive environment for 7th and 8th graders to get a taste of mountain biking.

Our High School and Middle School races give our student athletes an opportunity to push themselves in a competitive and safe atmosphere. At our races, nobody rides the bench – everyone participates in a race category suited to their skill.

The NICA Coach License Program is designed to ensure that high school mountain bike coaches have the knowledge needed to positively impact the lives of our student-athletes. The program includes professional education, first aid, background screening and field work requirements at varying levels for the three license levels.