Any event-specific announcements, updates, or last-minute changes will be posted here during the tournament. Coaches should check this section regularly, especially on competition days.
The 2026 Science Olympiad National Tournament will take place on the campus of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. All events will follow on the 2026 Rules Manual and the official National Tournament schedule. Please make sure to review the Rules Clarifications page and Rules Corrections pages prior to the tournament.
Trial events will be offered during the STEM Expo on Friday, May 22, 2026. The Trial Events will not count towards teams' overall scores.
Please refer to the 2026 Rules Manual for the rules for these events.
Events will follow the National Tournament schedules as posted on the Schedules & Locations page.
As with past National Tournaments, self-scheduling will be managed through the Event Sign Up System (ESUS). The link to ESUS and the specific opening and closing dates for sign-ups will be confirmed in May 2026 and shared with coaches via email and on the Documents & Deadlines section of the Prepare page.
I pledge to put forth my best effort in the Science Olympiad tournament and to uphold the principles of honest competition. In my events, I will compete with integrity, respect, and sportsmanship towards my fellow competitors. I will display courtesy towards Event Supervisors and Tournament Personnel. My actions will exemplify the proud spirit of my school, team, and state.
On behalf of the coaches and assistants at this tournament, I pledge to encourage honesty and respect for tournament personnel, our fellow coaches, and other team members. We want our efforts to bring honor to our community and school.
On behalf of the parents and spectators, I pledge to be an example for our children by: respecting the rules of Science Olympiad, encouraging excellence in preparation and investigation, supporting independence in design and production of all competition devices, and respecting the decisions of Event Supervisors and judges. Our example will promote the spirit of cooperation within and among all our participating teams.
On behalf of my fellow Supervisors and tournament personnel, I pledge to run my event with fairness and respect for the participants and their coaches. Our actions will reflect the principles of the Science Olympiad program and display the pride we feel as representatives of our colleges, universities, companies, states, or organizations.
At the conclusion of the Science Olympiad National Tournament Awards Ceremony on Saturday, May 23, 2026, a copy of the final scores will be posted to this page. A team's head coach has one hour from the end of the Awards Ceremony to submit compelling evidence of a scoring inconsistency using the Team Ranking Inquiry Form. If the evidence is verified, the appropriate points, medals, and trophies will be awarded for that team only. Thinking that your team "did better" than scores reflect is not considered compelling evidence. Teams will not be asked to return awards or relinquish any points. Scores for the 2026 Science Olympiad National Tournament are not official until they are posted on the Science Olympiad website as Official Results. For more information about scoring, please see Science Olympiad's Scoring Guidelines page.