CCNY Revives Men's NCAA Fencing, Reigniting a Storied Beavers Tradition
Published
City College of New York will revive varsity men's fencing beginning with the 2027-28 season, with support from USA Fencing and the U.S. Fencing Foundation.
City College of New York will revive varsity men's fencing beginning with the 2027-28 season, with support from USA Fencing and the U.S. Fencing Foundation.
What is being restored
The program being brought back previously produced Olympic medalists, NCAA individual champions and a U.S. Olympic coach. CCNY competes in NCAA Division III as a member of CUNYAC, and already sponsors women's fencing, which competes across NCAA divisions.
Part of a broader collegiate push
The addition is part of collegiate expansion work USA Fencing is leading with campus leaders — an effort to grow the number of varsity programs rather than watch the college pipeline narrow.
Why one more varsity team matters
NCAA fencing is small. Each new program changes the math for high school fencers deciding whether the sport is worth continuing: more rosters mean more places to fence in college, and more reason to keep training through the years when other sports compete for the same hours.
It also matters where the program sits. A public university in New York City puts varsity fencing within reach of fencers who cannot relocate or absorb private-school costs, which is a different access question than adding a team somewhere without a local fencing base.
What it means for high school fencers
- More varsity rosters mean more realistic college fencing paths, at more price points.
- Division III does not offer athletic scholarships, so academics and need- or merit-based aid drive the decision.
- Coaches recruit from national results, so a competitive record in cadet and junior events remains the currency.
Saber in the college pipeline
Saber squads are part of every NCAA fencing program, men's and women's. Fencers who arrive on campus with several seasons of structured saber training and national competition experience are the ones coaches can use immediately.
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Official USA Fencing source: CCNY Revives Men's NCAA Fencing, Reigniting a Storied Beavers Tradition — published June 24, 2026.
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