Why Collegiate Cycling Teams Should Race the Arizona Gravel Championship

College cycling programs are always looking for good race opportunities.

Events that challenge riders.

Events that build team culture.

Events that help athletes prepare for the season ahead.

This year, the Arizona Gravel Championship at BorderLands Gravel is opening the door to collegiate teams across the country with the addition of a dedicated collegiate category.

The goal is simple … bring college cycling teams to Douglas, Arizona, and give them a race experience that rewards both individual performance and true team participation.

Why Collegiate Gravel Racing Is Growing in College Cycling

Collegiate cycling in the United States is governed by USA Cycling and organized through regional conferences across the country. Programs range from fully funded varsity teams to student-run club programs representing hundreds of universities.  

What makes collegiate cycling unique is its culture.

Many teams operate like tight-knit communities. Riders travel together, train together, and compete together across disciplines, including road, mountain bike, cyclocross, and now gravel.

According to USA Cycling, the collegiate gravel season typically runs from March through May, culminating in the Collegiate Gravel National Championships.  

That timing creates an opportunity.

Teams need race experience before the spring season begins.

BorderLands Gravel offers exactly that.

A Fall Gravel Race for College Cycling Teams Preparing for Spring

Held in mid-November in southern Arizona, the Arizona Gravel Championship gives collegiate riders a rare chance to race gravel during the fall.

While much of the country is entering winter training mode, Douglas sits in a sweet spot for riding. Cool desert mornings. Wide open gravel roads. Miles of remote terrain.

For collegiate cycling programs, that makes the race a perfect opportunity to:

• Build early-season fitness

• Introduce riders to gravel racing

• Strengthen team chemistry

• Give new riders real race experience

In other words, it’s a pre-season proving ground.

A Team-Based Collegiate Competition at the Arizona Gravel Championship

The collegiate category is designed to reward both participation and performance.

Any recognized collegiate cycling program can participate, including club teams and university-supported programs.

Teams can be as large as they want. The only requirements are simple:

• Riders must be legitimate members of their school team

• Riders must race in their school kit

Seeing riders line up in university jerseys adds something special to the start line. It brings the culture of collegiate cycling directly into the gravel world.

But the real innovation is the scoring system.

Participation Points Reward College Cycling Teams That Show Up

Every collegiate rider who reaches the start line earns one point for their school.

That means teams that travel with larger rosters immediately gain an advantage.

It rewards teams that show up with a full squad rather than relying on one standout rider.

Finish Points for the Top Collegiate Gravel Racers

Beyond participation points, the top 50 collegiate riders to finish the race will earn additional points for their teams.

The scoring works like this:

• 1st place: 50 points

• 2nd place: 49 points

• 3rd place: 48 points

• Continuing down to the 50th rider.

This format creates an interesting dynamic.

A team with several strong riders could beat a team with one elite athlete. That kind of structure encourages programs to bring multiple riders and race as a collective unit.

And that’s exactly what collegiate cycling is all about.

Why This Arizona Gravel Race Is Perfect for College Cyclists

Another reason coaches may want to consider this race?

Not every college cyclist has raced gravel. Some riders come from road racing. Others come from mountain biking. Some are simply strong riders curious about the discipline.

Gravel racing sits right in the middle of those worlds.

The Arizona Gravel Championship provides a welcoming environment where collegiate riders can test themselves on gravel while still competing in a structured team setting.

Racing Gravel in the Arizona Borderlands

The race itself takes place in the Arizona borderlands surrounding Douglas.

The course follows remote desert roads, historic ranch routes, and stretches of the iconic Geronimo Trail. Riders experience expansive desert views, wide-open terrain, and the quiet solitude that makes gravel racing unique.

BorderLands Gravel was designed as an immersive experience that connects cyclists to the landscape, the local community, and the broader culture of adventure in the region.  

For many riders, it’s a completely different environment from the roads and trails they train on during the school year.

That sense of exploration is part of the appeal.

Collegiate Awards at the Arizona Gravel Championship

With collegiate riders expected to finish by early afternoon, race organizers will calculate participation and finish points before the Saturday awards ceremony in downtown Douglas.

One school will leave with the collegiate team title.

But more importantly, the event aims to create something bigger.

A place where collegiate cycling programs can gather, race, and represent their schools in one of the most unique gravel landscapes in the country.

An Invitation to College Cycling Teams

If you’re a collegiate cycling coach looking for a new race opportunity for your program, consider this your invitation.

Bring your riders.

Race for your school.

And experience gravel cycling in the Arizona borderlands.

The start line in Douglas is waiting.