From SCTP to College: Your Guide to Collegiate Clay Target Shooting
For many SCTP athletes, shooting has been part of their lives for years.
They’ve learned how to compete. They’ve learned how to handle pressure. They’ve celebrated great rounds and learned from difficult ones. They’ve traveled with teammates, made friendships and discovered what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves.
Then graduation arrives. But graduation doesn’t have to mean the end of the journey. Through the partnership between the Scholastic Clay Target Program and ACUI Clay Targets, student-athletes have an established pathway to continue competing in college.
ACUI’s Clay Targets program was established in 1968 and is the oldest collegiate shotgun sports program. Today, it has evolved into a national collegiate program offering regional competitions throughout the season in addition to the Collegiate Clay Target Championships.
And SCTP athletes are uniquely positioned to take advantage of that opportunity.
A Partnership Built for College Athletes
SCTP and ACUI announced their collegiate partnership in 2022, with the goal of strengthening and expanding collegiate shooting opportunities.
The partnership allows ACUI to utilize SSSF’s SHOT system for scoring and registration, as well as SSSF’s liability insurance for participating collegiate athletes and coaches. The organizations also identified expanding scholarship opportunities as an important part of the partnership.
The result is a more connected collegiate shooting experience. For an SCTP athlete, that means the skills and experience developed in high school can carry forward into college.
What Can You Shoot?
College athletes have opportunities to compete across multiple clay target disciplines.
Depending on the event and season, ACUI/SCTP collegiate competition can include:
- American Trap
- American Skeet
- Sporting Clays
- Doubles American Trap
- Doubles American Skeet
- Super Sporting
- International Skeet
- International Trap
The Collegiate Clay Target Championships, held in March each year, include all six American disciplines, with International Disciplines held alongside the SCTP National Championships in July each year.
That means whether you grew up shooting Trap, Skeet, Sporting Clays or multiple disciplines, there is an opportunity to continue developing your skills.
Competition Doesn’t Stop After High School
One of the biggest advantages of college shooting is the opportunity to compete throughout the season.
The ACUI Shotgun Bowl Series provides regional competition before the season finale at the Collegiate Clay Target Championships. The 2026–27 season includes Bowl Series events beginning in October, with competitions held at locations around the country.
For 2027, the Collegiate Clay Target Championships are scheduled for March 14–20 at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, Texas.
What If My College Doesn’t Have a Team?
This is one of the most important things for high school athletes to understand: Don’t automatically cross a college off your list because it doesn’t already have a shooting team.
ACUI/SCTP rules provide a pathway for an individual attending a school without an established team to work with a school advisor or representative to establish one. Once a team has been established in the registration system, the athlete can compete for the institution as long as all other eligibility requirements are met. Meaning, sometimes the opportunity isn’t waiting for you. Sometimes you create it.
Starting a college team can be one of the most rewarding ways to continue your shooting journey. You aren’t simply competing, you are creating an opportunity for future students who may walk onto that campus years after you graduate.
It’s About More Than Competition
ACUI Clay Targets program is a nonprofit, student-centered, campus-based community made up of student-athletes, coaches, ranges, sponsors, families and staff. Its goal extends beyond competition, emphasizing student development, leadership opportunities and personal growth.
A shooting team can give students another place to belong. It’s a chance to meet people. To develop leadership skills. To represent your school. To travel. To set goals. To learn how to win and how to respond when you don’t. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s a way to continue doing something you love.
There Are Opportunities to Build Your Team
ACUI works with partner organizations, including the MidwayUSA Foundation, to support teams and encourage the growth of collegiate shooting programs. Awards that include team donations are deposited into the team’s MidwayUSA Foundation team endowment account.
That creates another opportunity for teams to think beyond one season. Build the team. Build the endowment. Build the future.
Start Thinking About College Before Senior Year
If you’re an SCTP athlete considering college, don’t wait until you’re filling out applications to start asking questions.
When researching schools, find out:
- Does the college have a shooting team?
- What disciplines does it offer?
- Who is the coach or team leader?
- How often does the team practice?
- Where does it compete?
- How much travel is involved?
- How is the team funded?
- Are there scholarship opportunities?
- What is the team culture?
- If there isn’t a team, could you start one?
These questions can help you choose a college where you can thrive academically and continue pursuing the sport you love.
Your Next Chapter Is Waiting
SCTP is about more than learning how to break targets. It’s about developing confidence, discipline, teamwork, problem-solving and character.
Those lessons don’t expire when you graduate. They go with you. And through ACUI/SCTP collegiate competition, there is a place to keep putting those lessons into practice.
So when you start thinking about what comes after high school, remember:
Your shooting career doesn’t end at graduation. It just moves to the next level. Where will yours take you?
