NCAA Triathlon for Athletes
From recruiting to NCAA bylaws, there's a lot for prospective NCAA triathletes to manage before joining a team.
NCAA Triathlon
Over the last decade, women’s triathlon has made significant progress towards becoming a full-fledged NCAA championship sport. In 2022, Cal Poly Humboldt became the 40th school to add varsity women’s triathlon, meeting one of the NCAA’s requirements surrounding sustainability and success at the NCAA varsity level. Only becoming an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women in 2014, triathlon is already a varsity sport at schools in all three levels of NCAA competition across the nation.
Every fall, USA Triathlon hosts a sprint distance draft-legal championship race for schools in each of the three NCAA divisions. By sponsoring a national championship race, providing resources and funding to schools adding triathlon and championing triathlon at all levels of intercollegiate competition, USA Triathlon is committed to helping the sport reach full NCAA status.
About NCAA Triathlon
Teams
Each member institution is allowed a maximum of 6.5 (Division I) or 5.0 (Division II) equivalency scholarships. There is no lower scholarship equivalency limit.
Teams must have at least three athletes. There is no upper roster limit.
Teams must participate in at least four and at most six intercollegiate contests (except dates of competition excluded under Bylaws).
Races
Races are draft-legal and cover the sprint distance (750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run)
- Distances for each discipline can vary slightly
Five participants per team may compete in the varsity draft-legal race.
Scoring
Scoring will be modeled after the cross country scoring system.
- All athletes who finish a race will be given an overall-finish place.
- Team scoring will be calculated by totaling the points of the first three finishing athletes on each team. The team with the lowest number of points will be the winner.
- Although the athletes finishing after their fourth-place teammate on a team to finish do not score points towards their team's total, their places, if any better than those of any of the first four (4) of an opposing team, serve to increase the team score of the opponents.
Schools that Sponsor Triathlon
As of March 2023, 42 NCAA schools sponsor women's triathlon. Stretched across all three NCAA divisions and located in 25 states, NCAA Triathlon is nationwide. No matter any prospective student-athlete's school preferences, they can find a school that fits their need.
Interested in helping to identify and recruit the next women’s varsity collegiate triathlon program? Inquiries may be directed to Tim Yount, USA Triathlon Chief Sport Development Officer.
NCAA Races
West National Qualifier at the Heartland Triathlon Cup
Information and Registration, opens in a new tabOctober 14, 2023
Springfield, Missouri
East National Qualifier at Blue Ridge Draft-Legal Triathlon Festival
Information and Registration, opens in a new tabOctober 15, 2023
Huddleston, Virginia
Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships
Information and Registration, opens in a new tabNovember 11, 2023
Tempe, Arizona
NCAA Triathlon in the News
- Thomas Fernandez/For USA Triathlon
Arizona State, Lenoir-Rhyne, North Central Win National Titles at 2023 Women's Collegiate Triathlon National Championships
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona State University women's collegiate triathlon team won its seventh consecutive NCAA Division I national title on Saturday, Nov. 11 at home in Tempe, Arizona, at the 2023 Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. L...
NCAA National Titles up for Grabs this Saturday in Tempe at 2023 Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The 2023 Women’s Collegiate Triathlon National Championships are set to take place this Saturday, Nov. 11 as Tempe, Arizona, hosts the country’s top women’s varsity collegiate triathletes all vying for individual and team nati...
These 2 NCAA Collegiate Athletes Share Their Journeys to Delaware State and Lenoir-Rhyne
For more than a decade, Women’s Collegiate Triathlon has shown incredible strides to become an official NCAA championship sport. With more than 40 schools across the country at the Division I, II and III levels, Women’s Collegiate Triathlon offers a pa...
Get to Know 2 NCAA Women's Triathletes from Colorado Mesa University and Trine University
Over the past decade, Women’s Collegiate Triathlon has shown incredible growth and is now close to becoming an official NCAA Championship sport. More than 40 schools across the country, from NCAA Division I to DIII, offer women’s collegiate triathlon, ...
NCAA Triathlon Collegiate Women Dazzle at East and West Regional Championships
NCAA Collegiate Women shined bright this weekend at the East and West Regional Championships in Virginia and Missouri. Thirty-six teams competed — 20 schools headed to Virginia, and 16 headed to Missouri. See the full list of schools.Up for grabs was q...
Women's Collegiate Triathletes Race this Weekend at Regional Championships
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Women’s Collegiate Triathlon athletes will race for Regional titles and National Championships qualification this Saturday, Oct. 14 at the East and West Regional Championship races in Virginia and Missouri.Up for grabs is qual...
Chicago State University 14th NCAA Division I School to Add Women’s Collegiate Triathlon
A Predominantly Black Institution in Chicago, Illinois, Chicago State University will begin competition in fall 2024.
Queens University Wins 2023 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championship Title
LAKE LANIER, Georgia — More than 1,200 student-athletes from 80 collegiate clubs across the country competed at the high-energy and exciting 2023 USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships April 14-16 in Lake Lanier, Georgia. For the second c...