General
What is the COVID-19 Policy?
Please read the congress's 2025 Covid Policy.
What is the facility like this year?
The 2025 US Go Congress will be held at Southwestern University, about 45 minutes north of Austin, Tx.
The main playing area will be in the Robertson Athletic Building. A very short walk away will be the Strong Players room (for the Masters tournament) and Cafeteria. In an adjacent building will be the lecture halls and youth room.
Dormitories and apartment housing are available on campus. See 2025 Housing for more details.
What is the weather like?
Daily high temperatures are likely to be mid to high 90s ( ~35°C). Over night lows will be in the 70s (~22°C).
Days will generally be sunny with little chance of rain.
Is there air conditioning?
Yes, all buildings, including residency halls are air conditioned.
Time Zone
Central Daylight Time (CDT) (US & Canada) (UTC-5)
Is there wireless internet access?
Wireless internet access is available to all Congress participants. Upon check-in, each participant will receive a login and password that will grant access to the Southwestern's secure wireless network. The network is available throughout the campus.
Is there cell phone service?
The three major carriers have service on campus: AT&T, T-Mobile/Sprint, Verizon. You can also use a voice-over-internet service like Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, WeChat, etc. Newer smartphones also support Wi-Fi calling.
What airports serve the Austin area?
Austin Bergstrom International Airport is the primary airport serving the Austin area. It is about a 45 minute drive to Southwestern University. FYI...it is about a 15 minute drive to downtown Austin.
What time should I arrive and leave?
Most people will arrive on Saturday morning or afternoon, July 12 and leave on Sunday morning, July 20, after breakfast. The registration/check-in desk will open on Saturday morning by 10 AM. The main playing area will be available for casual games after check-in.
There will be a Welcome Ceremony on Saturday evening. If you plan to arrive after 10PM on Saturday and are staying in campus housing, please contact registrar@gocongress.org in advance so arrangements can be made to get you your key and room assignment.
The check-in desk will also be open Sunday morning at 7:30 AM.
Please be aware that the first round of the US Open will start at 9:00AM, so arriving on Sunday may cause you to miss the first round of the US Open tournament.
Where should I stay?
The congress has blocks of both traditional dormitory rooms and apartment style rooms. See the 2025 Housing page for details. There are also hotels within a few miles of Southwestern University.
Bed linens and towels
Laundry is available in every dorm. Payment would be through credit card or app on phone (presuming Google pay/Apple Pay). Cost is $1-$2 per load.
Are there laundry facilities?
Bed sheets, pillows and towels will be included for each resident in campus housing. These will need to be returned in a supplied bag at check out.
Meals & Meal Plans
There is a newly renovated and award winning cafeteria on the Southwestern campus. A meal plan is available for the whole week, or meals can be purchased individually using a credit card.
In addition, there is pub on campus where 'pub style' food is also available for purchase.
There are many restaurants and coffee shops in Georgetown, a 20-30 minute walk.
Can I attend the Congress for part of the week?
Yes. During registration you can choose partial week and specify the dates you plan to attend. Please contact the Registrar directly if you have questions about partial week registration.
Is parking available on campus?
Yes. There is plenty of free parking on campus. Details on the lots to use will be available before the start of the Congress.
Registration
How do I change my reservation?
Please contact the Registrar with any requested changes to your registration.
What payment options are available for registration ?
When making a payment for registration and/or housing there will be multiple options. The options presented will be:
- Credit Card (Apple and Google Pay are included in this option)
- Note: that the AGA does not receive or store credit card information, that information is retained securely by the Stripe system behind our pay system
- ACH Direct Deposit
- Check (Checks are discouraged and should only be used as a last resort)
What is the refund / cancellation policy?
After July 1st, the cancellation fee is $50.00.
What if I’m not currently an AGA member?
To register to play in the Congress, you must be a current member of the American Go Association. (See Non-participant below.) If you are not currently an AGA member, sign up by clicking Join the AGA. If your membership has lapsed, Sign In to your account and renew your membership.
What is the Non-participant registration fee?
Anyone who uses the Congress for rooms, meals, or discounts must be registered at Congress. We recognize that there may be family members that will not be interested in participating in Go events, like tournaments and lectures from Professional Go Teachers. For these we have the much-reduced registration fee for Non-Participants of $100 for the week (Early bird rate). Non-Participants also get a t-shirt and other congress gifts. The guardian of under-age youth participants must be registered at the Congress.
What is the youth policy?
Each youth (age 17 and younger) must have a designated adult on-site who is also a registered attendee at the Congress and agrees to watch over the youth and be responsible for their behavior. This adult will either be a Legal Guardian (parent or otherwise), or someone assigned to be the “Attending Guardian” at the Congress. The Legal Guardian must fill out and sign one of the agreement forms on the Youth Participants page, and submit it before or during Congress registration. If an Attending Guardian is used, that adult must also sign the form to acknowledge responsibility.
What should I put for my rank?
In most cases you should select the option to use your current AGA rating. If you don’t have an AGA rating, or believe that your current rating is significantly different from your AGA rating, select the option to have the Tournaments Coordinator contact you before the congress. The Tournaments Coordinator has the final say on your rank. (Consult this Sensei's Library page for some guidance on ranks, especially with regard to online server ranks.)
Miscellaneous
What about alcohol, tobacco, etc?
Alcohol is not allowed on campus, except at catered events.
Smoking is only permitted in designated areas and NOT in campus housing. The dorm rooms have smoke detectors.
The use of marijuana and other controlled substances are not allowed anywhere on campus.
What about bringing pets?
No pets are allowed, with the exception of service animals.
What about people with disabilities?
Dorms have ADA rooms available. All paths between the buildings are paved and the campus is quite level with no hills.
What if I have an emergency?
If there is a health emergency, contact any Southwestern University or Go Congress staff member immediately to get help, or call 911.
Lost & Found
Items can be brought to the Congress Help Desk.
What else about Southwestern University should I know?
- Room check-out time is noon (12:00).
- Laundry facilities are available in each dorm.