Below are answers to common questions about planning for and participating in NCYC. The questions are grouped by topic to make it easier to find what you’re seeking.
If you can’t find your question below, please email us at [email protected].
Table of Contents
Logistics
Can I bring food into the convention center?
Is the convention center and stadium cashless?
The Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium is a cashless facility for all food & beverage purchases. A cash-to-card kiosk, which exchanges cash for a debit card, is located within the Speedway Corridor vending area on the first level of the Indiana Convention Center. For more information Click Here>
What food options are available?
Concession stands will be open in the convention center from 11 am to 3 pm on Friday and Saturday. There will be more limited options available until 6 pm.
There are lots of restaurants in the surrounding hotels and area. Food trucks may be present, but we won’t know which ones or where they will be stationed.
Do I need a clear bag?
Lucas Oil Stadium (LOS) has required clear bags for public events since 2015. The rule now applies to all LOS guests. Bags must adhere to the guidelines below:
- Clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC bags (max size: 12” x 6” x 12”)
- One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags
- Small clutch bags (max size: 4.5” x 6.5”)
Prohibited bags include backpacks, camera bags, fanny packs, and regular purses.
Exceptions: Nursing and medical supplies are exempt from the clear bag requirement but are subject to additional screening or search. LOS will also allow NCYC group leaders to bring a larger backpack or messenger-style bag. (Leaders carrying such bags must enter through a specified gate and connect with their group on the concourse.) Group leaders in this context are the highest-level leaders for the group, not small-group chaperones.
What happens if I didn't bring a clear bag?
We will have a limited supply of clear bags for sale at the NCYC Merch booth, while supplies last.
If you do not have a clear bag, be prepared to wait in very long lines to enter the stadium.
Will we have lanyards/nametags?
Yes. Delegation leaders will receive a name badge and lanyard for each pass that has a completed Legal Agreement associated with it. These credentials will be used to identify people as event participants to gain access to the facility. Lanyards will differentiate adult and youth participants.
Who should I contact if I lose something or need assistance during the event?
Visit the Information Booth in the Interactive Exhibit Hall for lost and found or general help. You can also reach out to any NCYC volunteer or staff member wearing an NCYC badge—we’re here to help!
Are water bottles allowed?
Participants are welcome to bring water bottles into the convention center and Lucas Oil Stadium. Bottles do not need to be clear OR empty, but all items are subject to standard security screening at the entrances.
What ADA Accommodations are available?
Lucas Oil Stadium is a fully ADA-compliant facility designed to ensure an inclusive and accessible experience for all guests.
All entrances and levels of the stadium are accessible via ramps, elevators, and escalators.
There is a convention center-stadium connector available to anyone that requires ADA accommodations.
We will have a sensory room in room 111-112
Click Here > for scooter rentals
Programming
We’re not sure of the origin of this practice but it has long been a part of NCYC. Participants bring small items from their hometowns or dioceses that they give away or trade with other participants. It’s a great tool for meeting new people. Cool hats (think cheese wedges from Wisconsin groups or lobsters from Maine) are often coveted trade items. But shirts, hoodies, shells, handmade crosses, are also great mementoes of the experience. We recommend staying away from anything that has sharp edges, is especially hard (i.e., plastic frisbees, clothes pins!), or will make particularly annoying noise (i.e., vuvuzelas). If you wouldn’t want the item at an event you were planning to host, we don’t want it at NCYC.
Click Here to view the 2025 NCYC schedule.
Be sure to download the 2025 NCYC App to stay up to date on all things NCYC.
Announcing the Interactive Exhibit Hall (IEH) Service Projects at 2025 NCYC! This year, the space is built around the powerful “I Am” statements that connect us to the sacraments.
To view more information on the Interactive Exhibit Hall Service Project Click Here >
NCYC hosts an interactive exhibit hall that combines traditional exhibiting with active service, artistic, and recreational opportunities, as well as catechetical and educational experiences for participants. The exhibit hall also showcases Catholic musicians, entertainers, religious communities, and colleges and universities.
Yes, Please!
For any priest who wishes to provide sacramental ministry at NCYC (concelebrate Mass, hear confessions) or a deacon who wishes to vest and assist at Mass, a Letter of Suitability must be submitted from your bishop or religious superior. The letter must reference the priest’s suitability for ministry and their completion of safe environment training and background check status.
Address your letter to:
Reverend Monsignor William Stumpf
Vicar General
Attn: Office of Clergy
Archdiocese of Indianapolis
1400 N. Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Email the letter to [email protected]. Questions regarding letters of suitability can be emailed to this address as well.
To view the speakers and artists appearing at NCYC, Click Here
No strobe lights are used at NCYC. Moving lights and other lighting effects are used, but our production team has softened and lengthened chases, flashes, and sweeps to help prevent any sort of triggers such lighting may cause.
Safe Enivironment
Yes. All chaperones must be compliant with their sponsoring organization’s safe environment policy. For most, this means that each adult must complete a youth protection training course, submit to a criminal background screening (which cannot reveal any disqualifying offenses), and agree to a code of conduct. Delegation leaders must attest that all adults in their group are compliant before NCYC credentials will be released onsite.
The following adults are not required to comply with their diocese’s safe environment policy.
- Parents who are participating in NCYC as part of a family group, independent of a parish, school, diocesan, or organizational group.
- Exhibit booth personnel.
- Vendor and facility personnel.
If any of these individuals are safe environment compliant, NFCYM will provide a form they can have their local safe environment coordinator complete to verify their status. Any adult whose safe environment status is unknown or unverified receives a different color lanyard denoting that status.
You must follow the requirements of your local organization (diocese/parish/school). Generally, you should have two adults for the first one to ten youth, and one additional adult for every six additional youth. We recommend the overall ratio of one adult per six youth.
To the best of your ability, groups should have male and female chaperones in proportion to the makeup of the group.
The code of conduct is part of NFCYM’s Safe Environment Policy: Safe Guarding God’s Children.
The Behavior Guidelines address general behavior or conduct during NCYC.
Click Here to read the Guidelines.
Ticketing
Passes have closed for purchase.
NFCYM members receive discounted prices on NCYC passes.
Not a member? Click here to learn more about NFCYM membership and join today to take advantage of these savings!
*NFCYM reserves the right to adjust rates if we cannot verify your member status.
**NFCYM Membership must be in place BEFORE purchasing tickets for the discount to apply. Discounts do not apply retroactively. Fees will not be adjusted after purchase. Please ensure you are logged into your NFCYM Connect account, AND confirm membership (if applicable) before the purchase of tickets.
Any adult over the age of 21 may purchase passes. NFCYM expects members will purchase most passes, but the system is open to non-members as well. NFCYM reserves the right to cancel and refund non-member bulk purchases if it is suspected that they were purchased by a company to resell for a profit.
Payments will be processed through Stripe, which accepts all major credit cards, bank debit cards, and ACH transfers. You do not need a Stripe account to complete your payment, making the checkout process quick and easy.
However, we prefer payments by check. Checks should be made payable to NFCYM and mailed to:
NFCYM
415 Michigan Ave NE #40
Washington, DC 20017
For payments of $2,500 or more, checks or ACH transfers must come from a Catholic parish, school, or diocesan business/corporate account (no personal checks). Checks must be received within ten (30) business days to avoid the sale being voided.
You have two options. You can either pay by credit card immediately or choose to be invoiced. If you receive an invoice, payment is due within thirty (30) calendar days. Please note: you cannot view or reserve hotels until you have fully purchased at least one ticket.
No. You cannot return passes, nor are they refundable. They are transferable. You must notify NFCYM of the sale and remain responsible for the transfer of all related materials, including links to required consent forms, to the purchasing party.
You can sell unneeded passes. Once you buy a pass, you own it. It is not refundable (unless NCYC is cancelled). You must notify NFCYM of the sale (name of new owner, updated email address, and phone number), You remain responsible for the transfer of any related communications, information, and materials, including links to required consent forms, to the purchasing party until the transfer is acknowledged by NFCYM.
While not actual paperwork, NFCYM has two requirements. All these requirements are available to be completed through NFCYM Connect>
- All NCYC participants must complete a registration form. Adult chaperones complete for themselves and parent/guardian must complete for youth participant.
- Confirmation of safe environment policy compliance – adults only.
The registration form is a cloud-based form available for distribution through NFCYM Connect.
While NFCYM does not require anything else, if you are coordinating a group we recommend you collect your own permission/consent form and a medical permission form, including emergency contact information, insurance information, and pertinent health and medical information for each person in your group. Your parish, school, diocese, or organization should have templates for these forms. If traveling as a family, these forms would not be necessary.
All NFCYM members (associate, diocesan, etc.) may purchase passes at a discounted rate. The discount does not extend from the diocese to the parishes and schools within the diocese. Parish and school leaders may purchase discounted tickets if they are either an associate member or a named representative of a diocesan or organizational member.
Ticket site will automatically apply the NFCYM member discount upon ticket purchase.
Not a member? Click here to learn more about NFCYM membership and join today to take advantage of these savings!
*NFCYM reserves the right to adjust rates if we cannot verify your member status.
**NFCYM Membership must be in place BEFORE purchasing tickets for the discount to apply. Discounts do not apply retroactively. Fees will not be adjusted after purchase.
No. The discount does not automatically extend from the member diocese to the parishes and schools within the diocese. If you are a named representative for your diocese, you qualify for the member discount. If not, before you purchase passes, you may become an associate member and then be eligible to buy passes at the discounted rate.
NFCYM Membership must be in place BEFORE purchasing tickets for the discount to apply. Discounts do not apply retroactively. Fees will not be adjusted after purchase.
Yes. Scholarships are available for individuals and groups. Detailed information along with applications and a timeline are available at ncyc.us/scholarships.
The NFCYM scholarship program’s objective is to grow and support the mission of NFCYM through offering opportunities for financial aid and grants for national events under three tenants:
- Serve under-represented communities
- Extend economic assistance to those in need
- Offer the opportunity for new and diverse individuals to participate in NCYC.
If you have specific scholarship-related questions, please contact us at [email protected]
Purchasers must affirm they are over 21 years old and understand that youth must be chaperoned to participate. Also, passes must be paid for at the time of purchase, which means the purchaser will need a credit card or checking account, which most minors do not have.
No participant information is needed to purchase passes or reserve hotel rooms. Only the group leader’s (purchaser) name and contact information will be needed at the initial stage. However, no later than October 31, NFCYM will need all participants to have their registration forms complete:
To pick up credentials, NFCYM requires that a completed registration form for each participant in the group be on file and each adult participant’s safe environment policy compliance must be verified to receive credentials.
Yes. The official title of the form is Participant Registration.
The form is available once the group leader “send” a ticket to the adult chaperone or parent/guardian of the youth participant directly on NFCYM Connect (we are no longer using Permission Click).
Each adult participant and youth participant’s guardian MUST submit the appropriate for on or before October 31. No completed form = no credentials for those participants. Failure to complete the registration is not grounds for a refund.
(Note: An amended form from a previous NCYC is not acceptable.)
Please follow the requirements of your local organization (diocese/school). We strongly recommend a ratio of 1 adult per 5-6 youth.
No. NFCYM will only refund passes if NCYC is cancelled.
No. NFCYM will only refund passes if NCYC is cancelled.
No. NFCYM will only refund passes if NCYC is cancelled.
Please direct your bishop or the bishop’s assistant to the Bishop Registration Page where they can register for NCYC and someone will reach out to them.
Children who are not yet school-age and must travel to NCYC with their parents do not need a ticket. Parents remain responsible for caring for and supervising their young children while at NCYC. Parents should check in at the on-site registration desk for special children’s credentials.
NCYC is designed for high school students, and NFCYM strongly discourages participation in NCYC among children between the ages of 5 and 13. If a child between the ages of 5 and 13 must attend NCYC, then they must pay the registration fee and will receive a name badge. Parents remain responsible for caring for and supervising their elementary school-age children at NCYC.
Dioceses are free to institute their own policies and guidelines about the participation of young adults not yet age 21. NFCYM does not object to their participation in NCYC if they regularly act in a leadership capacity within a parish or diocesan youth ministry program. In this case, these young adults should register as adults, not room with anyone under 18, and act as chaperones, but they may not be counted as chaperones. They should understand that their presence at NCYC is as a role model, not as a youth participant.
Family groups can participate in NCYC independently of a parish, school, or diocese, even when one of those organizations organizes a group. While participating as part of a larger group is valuable, the primary benefits include engaging with other young Catholics from across the country and deepening one’s commitment to Christ and the church. If no group is coming from your area, we highly recommend bringing your child(ren) on your own.
No problem! To view a video tutorial on how to register yourself or a young person participating in NCYC please Click Here>
For a PDF on “How to register your child for NCYC” please Click Here>
If any additional help is needed please email [email protected]
Transportation
Is there ground transportation available?
NFCYM does not provide any transportation to participants. If you are flying to Indianapolis, you must arrange transportation to and from the airport. Most downtown hotels are within walking distance of the convention center.
If you are looking for a ground transportation operator, please visit https://www.visitindy.com/
Where can I park?
- For bus parking, please contact your hotel for information on overnight bus parking. Gate 10 offers overnight bus parking.
- For cars, vans, and SUVs, please visit https://downtownindy.org/explore/parking for up-to-date downtown parking information.
Hotels
Once you purchase at least one NCYC pass, you will see “Hotels” pop up in the upper right corner of your screen. When you click on it the word, it will open another section showing all the hotels in the block, including the number of available rooms and the rate per night, exclusive of taxes (currently 17%).
Room rates for 2025 range from $138 to $211 per room per night.
All rooms accommodate up to four people unless otherwise noted.
All hotels require a three-night stay (Thursday to Sunday) unless otherwise noted.
If you need rooms with only one bed, or alternate arrival or departure dates, you can complete a request form in Hotel section.
Our preference is that groups request/reserve hotel rooms immediately following the purchase of passes. If that is not possible, you may return to request rooms later. We anticipate having enough rooms in our block to accommodate all participant requests, but availability will become more limited the closer we get to November.
Please allow us ninety (90) days to review, accept, or reject your request. As we assess requests, we are seeking to:
- Place (large) groups in one hotel unless two or more are required or requested.
- Place groups that must fly due to distance within walking distance of convention facilities or near the airport.
We will contact you to discuss alternatives if we cannot accept your request.
Two-bedded rooms can generally accommodate a maximum of four people–two per bed. One-bedded rooms max at two people unless they have a pull-out couch or rollaway bed. Room capacity cannot exceed the maximum number of people as defined by the hotel.
Once you accept your booking, your group becomes liable for the rooms. You may reduce your request by up to 10% without penalty on or before June 30. Beginning July 1, you/your group are financially responsible for your assigned rooms. NFCYM will attempt to resell, reassign, or release any unneeded rooms, but your group remains responsible for the rooms if this is not possible. The earlier you notify us of your need to cancel rooms, the more likely we can assist you. Rooms canceled directly with a hotel will not excuse your responsibility for attrition penalties incurred by NFCYM.
Our intent is not to financially burden a group, but NFCYM does not overbook hotels. Hotels require us to use a minimum of 80% of our contracted rooms. Once we remove rooms from our inventory, we consider them sold.
NFCYM will follow the requirements of Lucas Oil Stadium and the Indiana Convention Center and the local health department regarding COVID-19 mitigation in effect at the time of NCYC. Neither entity currently requires vaccination, testing, or masking for visitors. If this changes, NFCYM will communicate the changes to ticket purchasers via email.
Future NCYC
- 2026 NCYC in Long Beach – November 20-21, 2026
- 2027 NCYC in Indianapolis – November 18-20, 2027
Visit the Future NCYCs webpage for more information.
NFCYM is committed to hosting impactful NCYCs. We know this requires detailed information for planning and participation. Click the button below to access a synopsis of our planning timeline and key milestones to facilitate effective coordination by group leaders.
Please visit the NCYC Planning Timeline & Key Milestone page.
Terms and Conditions
The National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) credential is revocable, non-transferable, and must be clearly displayed at all times. It entitles the bearer to enter only those NCYC events, sites, and areas therein as appropriate. Presence in unauthorized areas will serve as grounds for suspension or termination of access privileges. By acceptance and use of the credential, the bearer
- Agrees to comply with all NCYC behavior guidelines, NFCYM’s code of conduct, and all facility rules and regulations, and understands that violation thereof may result in termination of access privileges;
- Voluntarily assumes all risks and dangers incidental to the events and activities for which the credential is issued, whether occurring prior to, during, or after same, and agrees that the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, Inc. (NFCYM) and its agents, staff, and volunteers, and all other official NCYC participants are not responsible or liable for injuries or damage suffered by the bearer resulting from or arising out of such activities;
- Consents to a reasonable search of his/her carry-in items and/or person as deemed necessary by NFCYM, the facility, or law enforcement agencies for security purposes.
- Consents to being recorded, photographed, videotaped, or filmed within and about the areas to which access is permitted, waiving all claims and rights relating to production, acquisition, sale, usage, and distribution of such material, in any form now known or later in use, worldwide.
Failure to comply with the above conditions may result in non-admission and/or confiscation thereof. The sale or attempted sale of the credential is prohibited. In case of loss, a substitute may be issued at NFCYM’s discretion.
