Alpine Skiing Set to Join MacConnell Division in 2026
The New England College alpine skiing program has announced that it will be making the jump to compete in the MacConnell Division for the upcoming 2026 season.
NEC competed in the MacConnell Division when it was first reinstated as a varsity program for the 2015–2016 academic year through the 2019–2020 season. After the Pilgrims did not compete in 2020–2021 due to the COVID pandemic, the team moved to the Reynolds Division beginning in 2021~2022. The ‘Grims will now return to the MacConnell Division after five seasons away, making the move for the 2025–2026 season.
The MacConnell Division falls within USCSA’s Eastern Region and is one of the most competitive USCSA divisions in the nation. Last season, the MacConnell Division began operating and scoring all races under the rules established by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), which acts as the international governing body for ski racing and is responsible for sanctioning events worldwide.
“We are thrilled to be moving back into the McConnell Division,” said NEC Athletics Director David DeCew. “This will provide the best experience for our student-athletes and presents a greater challenge for those student-athletes we are recruiting that will join us in the future as well.”
In this division, the ‘Grims will face elite competition in the northeast: Babson College, Brown University, Vermont State University-Castleton, Clarkson University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Saint Anselm College, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Massachusetts.
No one is more excited about this move and what it means for the program than head coach John Tyler. “With this move to the MacConnell Division we can now offer competitive athletes from the eastern region, across the U.S, and worldwide, a pathway to truly excellent collegiate racing. Athletes who have developed throughout their early years, racing in the USSS and FIS systems with their clubs and academies, now have a fantastic opportunity to continue skiing at a very high level. NEC Skiing has an incredible setup with our primary training slope less than two miles from the campus; Pats Peak provides top-notch training on good surfaces and fully protected venues. Our alpine athletes can ski more without losing valuable time commuting to distant mountains. Along with the committed support of the NEC Athletics Department’s push to grow and improve our athletic facilities and the athletes’ experience, NEC Alpine is in a great place with a bright future.”
For continuing coverage of New England College Athletics, visit athletics.nec.edu and follow the Pilgrims on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
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