Barton College Becomes Latest NCAA Division II Program to Add Women’s Collegiate Triathlon
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by USA Triathlon
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Barton College has become the latest NCAA program to add Division II women’s collegiate triathlon to its varsity sport offerings. A private liberal arts institution located in Wilson, North Carolina, Barton College is nationally recognized for academic excellence and value. Barton College’s women’s collegiate triathlon team will begin competing during the fall 2026 season.
The new program marks another significant milestone in the continued growth of women’s collegiate triathlon across the NCAA landscape, made possible at Barton College through support from the USA Triathlon Foundation and the Dave Alexander Grant. The grant is offered to institutions to help develop, implement, and sustain women’s triathlon programs at the NCAA varsity level.
“We're excited to add the fast-growing sport of triathlon to our athletics portfolio,” said Barton College Vice President and Director of Athletics Ken Tyler. “After extensive analysis, we believe it aligns strongly with our mission and business model. We're grateful for the support of USA Triathlon and look forward to hiring a dynamic coach and competing in fall 2026."
“Barton College continues to impact the movement of women’s collegiate athletics, and we’re excited about the opportunities their new women’s triathlon program will create for our student-athletes both on and off the field of play,” said Tim Yount, USA Triathlon Chief of Sport Development.
The commitment by Barton College continues the momentum women’s collegiate triathlon has built toward becoming an NCAA championship sport. Women’s triathlon is progressing through the NCAA Emerging Sports process, with remaining steps including committee, council, divisional, and budget approvals.
A fall sport, the women’s triathlon varsity season includes races with various distances and race types which culminate with Regional Championships, followed by the Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. Draft-legal races are contested at the sprint distance, featuring a 750-meter open-water swim, 20-kilometer draft-legal bike, and 5-kilometer run, while additional distances and disciplines are also supported, allowing NCAA triathlon to expand racing formats and broaden the competitive footprint of the sport. The 2026 USA Triathlon Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships will be held in November in Tempe, Arizona.
The draft-legal format allows athletes to work together in packs on the bike over multiple laps on a closed course. This dynamic, spectator-friendly format mirrors the style of competition used at the Olympic Games and on the World Triathlon Championship Series circuit.
For more information about triathlon as an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women, visit https://www.usatriathlon.org/multisport/ncaa-triathlon.
Interested in helping identify and recruit the next women’s varsity collegiate triathlon program? Athletes currently competing in triathlon and those from single-sport backgrounds are invited to compete at the NCAA level. Inquiries may be directed to Tim Yount, USA Triathlon Chief of Sport Development, at tim.yount@usatriathlon.org.
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 3,500 events and races and connects with and supports more than 300,000 unique active members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
