Trinity College Adding Varsity Fencing to Athletics Programs

Trinity College and USA Fencing have announced that the College will add varsity fencing teams to its athletics offerings, beginning with a women’s program in the 2027-28 academic year and then adding a men’s program in 2028-29.

The announcement came at the U.S. Fencing Foundation Fête, the Foundation’s annual gala, held this year on May 28 at the New York Athletic Club with a theme celebrating college fencing.

Gavin Viano, Trinity’s director of athletics and recreation, said that the College is excited to partner with USA Fencing to bring intercollegiate fencing to campus. “The addition of varsity fencing aligns with several of the College’s institutional strategies as we enter our third century of higher education,” Viano said. “Women’s fencing has the highest cumulative GPA of any NCAA sport, and Trinity is ready to attract a cohort of scholar-athletes who are passionate about pursuing the blend of academic and athletic excellence that Trinity is known for globally.”

A Sport on the Rise

Trinity will become the 47th NCAA varsity women’s fencing program in the country when it launches in 2027-28 and the 40th men’s program when it follows in 2028-29. Trinity is the fourth new collegiate fencing program announced through USA Fencing’s collegiate development efforts in 2025-26, joining Arcadia University, Fairleigh Dickinson University, and Denison University.

Trinity will have a good portion of its fencing startup expenses covered, as the Bantams received a $75,000 grant from USA Fencing, to be distributed in three equal annual payments, according to the organization.

USA Fencing noted that fencing is one of just a handful of collegiate sports currently in the net positive for new program additions.

Fencing’s Deep Roots on Campus

Fencing is not new to Trinity. The story stretches back generations, as documented in a 2020 Trinity Tripod feature on the history and future of fencing at Trinity College.

According to Glenn Weaver’s The History of Trinity College, the gymnasium built on campus in December 1871 was home to the “short-lived Fencing and Boxing Teams,” even though the building was famously unheated in winter. In December 1904, students gathered for “an exhibition of fencing in the gymnasium” by Lieutenant J. Marczi de Zoldy.

The most enduring chapter began in February 1948, when The Trinity Tripod reported that “A small but determined group of devotees has inaugurated an informal fencing team at Trinity College.” A few weeks later, in the March 3, 1948, issue, Tripod writer Dick Avitabile celebrated the team’s early success by noting, “At least Trinity has come up with an athletic squad able to defeat Wesleyan!”

That informal club competed uncoached through the 1950s. The team gained its first coach in 1968. A women’s club emerged in the 1980s and sought varsity status as early as 1984.

That long history has already produced a Hall of Famer. Robert Blum ’50, P’88, who fenced at Trinity before continuing his career at Columbia University, went on to compete at the 1964 Tokyo and 1968 Mexico City Olympics in men’s saber. He became the first American to reach the individual saber finals at a Fencing World Championship in 1958 and was inducted into the USA Fencing Hall of Fame in 2010. Blum died in 2022 at age 94. The varsity program that begins in 2027 will give the next generation of Trinity fencers a clearer path to follow in his footsteps.

The Work Behind the Announcement

The four new collegiate fencing programs announced this season represent thousands of hours of outreach, follow-up, and relationship-building by USA Fencing. Brad Suchorski, USA Fencing’s director of membership, service, and growth, said that Trinity is exactly the kind of partner that USA Fencing loves working with. “It’s a school with serious academic credentials, a thoughtful athletic department, and a real commitment to building this the right way,” Suchorski said. “These conversations don’t happen overnight. They take months, sometimes years, of working through facilities questions, recruiting plans, and long-term sustainability. Trinity asked all the right questions, and the answers added up.”

USA Fencing CEO Phil Andrews added, “College fencing is having a moment, and Trinity is helping to define it. We saw it at the NCAA Championships this spring, when a women’s team title was awarded for the first time in program history. We’re seeing it in the pipeline, with our membership surpassing 50,000. And every time another school adds fencing, another generation of young fencers gets to keep going. That is the whole point of this work, and Trinity is a school we’re proud to welcome to the family.”

What’s Next

The Bantams will join a regional fencing landscape that includes nearby NCAA programs at Yale, Brown, Harvard, and Boston College, opening additional competitive opportunities across New England. Trinity competes in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) for its other athletic programs.

The 2026 NCAA Championships at Notre Dame featured separate men’s and women’s team titles for the first time, expanding the championship format and creating new pathways for student-athletes at schools that field a women’s program only.

About USA Fencing

USA Fencing is the national governing body for the Olympic and Paralympic sport of fencing in the United States, dedicated to inspiring a lifetime enriched by fencing. Headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Fencing is recognized by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the International Fencing Federation (FIE), and World Abilitysport and serves more than 50,000 members and 750 clubs nationwide. For more information, visit usafencing.org.