Team Registration & Guidelines

Team Guidelines

• Chili Cook-Off team may consist of students, staff, faculty, alumni, and affiliated partners. Family and friends (community) are also invited to participate. Teams must have a minimum of 5 members.
• Teams must produce a minimum of 6 gallons of chili. They must be prepared to serve about 200+ attendees.
• Teams will be allowed to bring BEER/WINE only; NO liquor is allowed.
  1. Those who consume beer and wine must obtain a wristband from the Hospitality Tent.
  2. Teams may not consume alcohol until 12:00 p.m.
  3. Alcohol must be consumed within the specified event grounds.
  4. The following WILL NOT BE PERMITTED: glass bottles, kegs, drinking games, binge drinking, or devices intended to accelerate alcohol consumption.

• Parking for team members will be available in the Daly Lot
• Team names must be posted and visible at their assigned booth; team banners are allowed and encouraged.
• One table and two chairs are provided for each team. You may bring extra, but it must fit in your space.
• Teams are encouraged to bring one tent per assigned space, but it cannot exceed 12'x12' in size. UHD Facilities team will assist with anchoring tents with university-provided tie-downs.
• Teams are responsible for transporting equipment from their vehicle to their assigned spot. Please do not request assistance from UHD facilities.
• Music that is extremely loud or contains profane, explicit, or inappropriate lyrics will NOT be permitted. 
• Please be respectful to those around your booth space. 

Registration

• The team registration fee for UHD affiliates (student, staff, faculty, alumni) is $20, and for non-affiliated partners it is $50.
• The Team Registration Form must be completed and submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, October 5, 2026 
• The team captain or co-captain must attend the required Team Captain’s Meeting scheduled on Monday, October 5, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. in OMB N600 (Training Room). We will offer the meeting via Zoom, but we prefer that you attend the meeting face-to-face.
• Required Team Forms may be submitted at the Team Captain’s Meeting. A link to the Required Team Forms will be emailed directly to team Captains and Co-Captains upon completion of the Team Registration Form.
• Teams must have at least two members complete the Texas Food Handler Certification. They must submit copies of the certificates at the Team Captain’s Meeting. At least one certificate holder must always be present at the event. Any of these certifications will suffice:
  1. https://www.certifiedonthefly.com/texas-food-handlers-online/
  2. https://www.360training.com/learn2serve
  3. https://www.servsafe.com
  4. https://www.houstonconsumer.org/food-permits/food-manager-food-handler-certification

Payment

Teams must pay their registration fee at the Wellness and Success Center during open hours via credit card. The registration fee is due by October 5, 2026 and is non-refundable. 

 

Volunteer Guidelines

• Volunteers should check in at Hospitality Tent to receive their assignment, t-shirt, and volunteer schedule.
• Volunteers will receive 1 complimentary ticket to attend the event after their volunteer shift ends.

 

Vendor Registration & Guidelines

If you run a local business or organization and would like to have a booth at the Chili Cook-Off, we encourage you to submit a Vendor Registration Form by Monday, October 3, 2026 at 5pm.  
 

The registration fee is $25 for UHD affiliated vendors (faculty, staff, students, alumni) and $50 for non-UHD affiliated vendors. Payment can be made at the Wellness and Success Center Front Desk via credit or debit card and is due by October 5, 2026.  This payment is non-refundable. 

Due to the nature of this event, vendors are not permitted to sell food except for desserts and candy. We'll update this page with full Vendor Guidelines soon.