USA Fencing

Last Updated: April 2024

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — As Summer Nationals near each year, NCAA fencing coaches begin receiving questions from prospects about what they can and can’t do at this annual tournament when it comes to recruiting.

To help high school fencers avoid violating any recruiting rules, Zach Moss and the U.S. Fencing Coaches Association's Collegiate Committee has offered some timely guidance. 

Here's what each group needs to know:

• Rising seniors (high school graduation year of 2025): All NCAA coaches are allowed to talk to you about their schools and recruiting.
• Rising juniors (high school graduation year of 2026): 
  • Division I NCAA coaches are not permitted to talk with you in person until Aug. 1. This means that they are not allowed to meet with you at Summer Nationals. They are permitted to exchange emails, phone calls, etc.
  • Division II NCAA coaches are permitted to talk with you in person. The rule states that in-person contact is allowed after June 15 preceding your junior year, and Summer Nationals falls after that date.
  • Division III NCAA coaches are permitted to talk with you in person once you have completed your sophomore year.
• Rising sophomores or younger (high school graduation year of 2027 or later): NCAA coaches in all divisions are not permitted to talk with you at Summer Nationals.

One other reminder: When meeting with coaches, these meetings must take place either on a day when you're not competing or once you're done competing on a given day. This means you can't meet with coaches the morning before you compete.

Division I Schools

• Boston College
• Brown University (women only)
• Cleveland State University
• Columbia University
• Cornell University (women only)
• Duke University
• Fairleigh Dickinson University (women only)
• Harvard University
• Lafayette College
• Long Island University
• New Jersey Institute of Technology
• Northwestern University (women only)
• Ohio State University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Princeton University
• Sacred Heart University
• Stanford University
• St. John’s University
• Temple University (women only)
• United States Air Force Academy
• University of California, San Diego
• University of Detroit Mercy
• University of Incarnate Word
• University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Pennsylvania
• Wagner College
• Yale University

Division II Schools

• Wayne State University 

Division III Schools

• Brandeis University
• City College of New York (women only)
• Denison University (women only)
• Drew University
• Haverford College
• Hunter College
• Johns Hopkins University
• Lawrence University
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• New York University
• Stevens Institute of Technology
• Tufts University (women only)
• Vassar College
• Wellesley College (women only)
• Wheaton College (Starting competition in 2024-25 Season)
• Yeshiva University