HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College men's and women's fencing teams have officially announced their schedules for the 2026-27 season. The men's squad will compete in 13 scheduled regular-season and conference championship dates, while the women's team will compete in 14, with both programs looking ahead to the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships, set for March 13-14 in Chapel Hill, N.C. Returning to the helm for both squads is head coach Christine Griffith, entering her third season leading the Fords.
Both programs opened the academic year with their annual Alumni and Alumnae Bouts on October 3 inside the Andy Kates Fencing Salle. The competitive season officially begins with a trip to Philadelphia for the two-day Nikki Franke Classic, hosted by Temple University on October 24-25.
Following the season-opening weekend, the Scarlet and Black will head north to Madison, N.J., for the Drew Invitational on November 7-8. Both squads will compete across two days of dual matches before traveling to Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for the Vassar Invitational on November 22.
The Fords wrap up the fall portion of their schedules on December 6, traveling to Waltham, Mass., for the Brandeis Invitational. The annual event will serve as the final competition of the calendar year before both programs turn their attention to a busy winter slate.
Haverford returns to action in the new year with three consecutive weekends of competition, beginning with the Philadelphia Invitational on January 16, hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. The Fords will then head to Baltimore for the Johns Hopkins Invitational on January 17 before traveling to University Park, Pa., for the Penn State Invitational on January 24.
After the January road stretch, both teams return to campus on February 6 to host their lone home meet of the regular season inside Alumni Field House. The event will also serve as Senior Day for both programs, with the Fords recognizing their graduating student-athletes.
The championship portion of the schedule begins the following weekend, as both teams travel to Madison, N.J., for the Division III Championships. The men's competition is scheduled for February 13, while the women's squad will take to the strips on February 14.
While the two programs share much of their regular-season schedule, the women's team will have one additional championship competition in February. The Fords will travel to New York, N.Y., for the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC) Championships, hosted by Hunter College on February 21.
Both squads will then reunite for the Eastern College Fencing Conference (ECFC) Championships on February 27, hosted by Drew University in Madison, N.J. The event marks the final scheduled competition before the NCAA postseason.
The Fords will head south to Chapel Hill, N.C., for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional Championships on March 13-14. The regional competition will provide an opportunity for qualifying fencers to advance to the NCAA Championships, scheduled for March 25-28 in Durham, N.C.
The four-day national championship event will bring together the nation's top collegiate fencers to conclude the 2026-27 season.
