So you think you have what it takes to compete???

The New Jersey State Barbecue Championship is an extremely popular competition on the barbecue circuit. As one of the oldest competitions (27 years in 2025) on the East Coast,   with our great seashore location, what else would you expect?  Each year we develop a  waiting list of teams wishing to compete.

In order to maintain the highest level of competition, while allowing opportunity for new teams to compete against the best, we have developed an entry system where the top one third of the overall placing teams of the previous year,  along with any past Grand Champions, are invited back.  The remaining teams, as well as the new requests compete to register for the remaining spaces.  With spaces for 66 teams each year we the number of open spaces are around 44.

Our competitors range from several teams ranking in the top 20 teams nationally ranked the Kansas City Barbecue Society, many teams compete in only one or two contests each year and a few are first time competitors.  For those that are just getting into competitive barbecuing you need to know a few things – we are a KCBS Sanctioned Contest and all competitors must follow their rules – click on this link to see 2024 KCBS Rules.   Next you should know about our specific contest please click on this link to see the 2024 NJBBQ Competitors Booklet. (NOTE: the KCBS rules and competitors manual is updated annually so view these with the understanding thing may change.  Lastly there is an entry fee which in 2025 is $315.00 (this subject to change).   It is important that you know what you are getting into, so if you have any questions, email us at: Competitors@njbbq.com and we will get back to you.  Off season we check the email every few days so it might take a couple of days to get back to you.

Now that you had an ample time to review the rules and the NJBBQ Competitor Manual and feel you have what it takes to compete you must follow the following procedure.   First you must sign up on our ConstantContact email list that can be found on this link.  If you have signed up before and you get a response that you are already on the list, and you are asked if you want to edit your information, answer YES, and review and possibly retype your information and hit save – this dates your information as the date you do this rather than the first time you signed up.   This is important as we only go back one year when we send out the notice when the registration opens.

Here is the registration procedure and suggested time line that should be helpful:

  1. Sign-up on ConstantContact using the link above.   We only go back to January 1st of the previous year, i.e., for the 2025 contest we will send notice to anyone who signed up or updated their information from January 1st, 2024 and the date the registration takes place.
  2. You will start to get several emails – the first being a test message to check the integrity of the email addresses.  This will be some time in February of the year the contest.  You then get an email with the date and time the registrations will be opened.
  3. On the prescribed date and time, usually a Sunday at 12 Noon, the registration link will automatically open and will stay open until the spaces are filled.  At the registration you will be asked to make payment of the registration fee.   This usually takes place in late February or early March.
  4. On most years registrations are filled within the first few minutes.  Registration process is automated and will stay open until filled. If someone registers and for whatever reason drops out their name will be removed from the registrations and that space will be open for someone else.
  5. Once all the competitor spaces are filled we will start sending the competitors information on the current year event.   This information will include updated rules and regulations, the updated Competitor’s Manual, press opportunities, and any changes we are informed about from our municipal partners.

If you have any question please don’t hesitate to ask by sending an email to competitors@njbbq.com.   Please keep in mind that we check the email infrequently during the winter months and around the first of February start checking it weekly and as we come closer to the event, daily.

Please keep in mind that the staff of the NJBBQ is comprised of all volunteers and are doing our best to keep up with the large demand for information about the event.

Remember to use the competitors@njbbq.com email address for competitor questions only there are other email addresses on other pages for different items.

Maybe you have what it takes to be the next New Jersey State Barbecue Champion!!!