Trinity College has historically dominated the non-NCAA sport of squash, winning 18 men’s national championships and another five on the women’s side. Now, the Hartford, Conn.-based liberal arts school is trying its hand at another country club sport, this time in the NCAA.
Starting in the 2027-28 academic year, Trinity is adding women’s fencing to its Division III athletics program, which the school and USA Fencing told Sportico they will jointly announce on Thursday. If successful, it plans to follow with a men’s team a year later. That continues a push by USA Fencing, the sport’s national governing body, to grow its collegiate presence across the country, which will include 47 women’s varsity teams and 40 men’s squads when Trinity College comes online.
Fencing isn’t a media rights money-maker, nor does it sell a boatload of tickets or attract a flood of donations. However, the sport has relatively low startup costs, especially since a school can largely utilize existing facilities as opposed to building new ones. Last year, New Jersey-based Fairleigh Dickinson University launched a men’s fencing program and almost immediately boosted its bottom line, since the Knights count student athlete tuition as athletic department revenue.
