The Sports Almanac

NCAA Fencing Champions


NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Current Men's NCAA Title Holders
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
Current Women's NCAA Title Holders
Men's Championship Schools
 Women's Championship Schools

Through the 2026 Championship
1990-2025 Fencing Combined Champions
Men's Champions  Women's Champions  Combined Champions
YEAR WINNER RUNNER-UP
 SCORE
1941 Northwestern Wildcats
 Illinois Fighting Illini
 28½-27
1942 Ohio State Buckeyes
 St. John's Red Storm
 34-33½
1947 New York University Violets
 Chicago Maroons
 72-50½
1948 City College of New York Beavers
 Navy Midshipmen
 30-28
1949 Army Black Knights/Rutgers Scarlet Knights
 NONE
 63-63
1950 Navy Midshipmen
 New York University Violets/Rutgers Scarlet Knights
 67½-66½
1951 Columbia Lions
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 69-64
1952 Columbia Lions
 New York University Violets
 71-69
1953 Pennsylvania Quakers
 Navy Midshipmen
 94-86
1954 Columbia Lions/New York University Violets
 NONE
 61-61
1955 Columbia Lions
 Cornell Big Red
 62-57
1956 Illinois Fighting Illini
 Columbia Lions
 90-88
1957 New York University Violets
 Columbia Lions
 65-64
1958 Illinois Fighting Illini
 Columbia Lions
 47-43
1959 Navy Midshipmen
 New York University Violets
 72-65
1960
 New York University Violets
 Navy Midshipmen
 65-57
1961
 New York University Violets
 Princeton Tigers
 79-68
1962
 Navy Midshipmen
 New York University Violets
 76-74
1963
 Columbia Lions
 Navy Midshipmen
 55-50
1964
 Princeton Tigers
 New York University Violets
 81-79
1965
 Columbia Lions
 New York University Violets
 76-74
1966
 New York University Violets
 Army Black Knights
 (5-0) - (5-2)
1967
 New York University Violets
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 72-64
1968
 Columbia Lions
 New York University Violets
 92-87
1969
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 Harvard Crimson
 54-43
1970
 New York University Violets
 Columbia Lions
 71-63
1971
 New York University Violets/Columbia Lions
 NONE
 68-68
1972
 Detroit Titans
 New York University Violets
 73-70
1973
 New York University Violets
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 76-71
1974
 New York University Violets
 Wayne State Warriors
 92-87
1975
 Wayne State Warriors
 Cornell Big Red
 89-83
1976
 New York University Violets
 Wayne State Warriors
 79-77
1977
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 New York University Violets
 114-114(fence-off)
1978
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 121-110
1979
 Wayne State Warriors
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 119-108
1980
 Wayne State Warriors
 Pennsylvania Quakers/MIT Beavers
 111-106
1981
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 Wayne State Warriors
 113-111
1982
 Wayne State Warriors
 Clemson Tigers
 85-77
1983
 Wayne State Warriors
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 86-80
1984
 Wayne State Warriors
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 69-50
1985
 Wayne State Warriors
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 141-140
1986
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Columbia Lions
 151-141
1987
 Columbia Lions
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 86-78
1988
 Columbia Lions
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 90-83
1989
 Columbia Lions
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 88-85
2026
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Columbia Lions-Barnard Bears
 91-81

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHOOLS
POSITION
 SCHOOL
 CHAMPIONSHIPS
 LAST CHAMPIONSHIP
1
 New York University Violets 12
 1976
2
 Columbia Lions 11
 1989
3
 Wayne State Warriors 7
 1985
4
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 4
 2026
5
 Navy Midshipmen 3
 1962
6
 Pennsylvania Quakers 3
 1981
7
 Illinois Fighting Illini 2
 1958
8
 Northwestern Wildcats
 1
 1941
9
 Ohio State Buckeyes
 1
 1942
10
 City College of New York Beavers
 1
 1948
11
 Army Black Knights
 1
 1949
12
 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
 1
 1949
13
 Princeton Tigers
 1
 1964
14
 Detroit Titans
 1
 1972

Women's Champions  Men's Champions  Combined Champions
YEAR WINNER RUNNER-UP SCORE
1982 Wayne State Warriors
 San Jose State Spartans
 (7-0) - (6-1)
1983 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Wayne State Warriors
 (5-0) - (3-2)
1984 Yale Bulldogs
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 (3-0) - (2-1)
1985 Yale Bulldogs
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 (3-0) - (2-1)
1986 Pennsylvania Quakers
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 (3-0) - (2-1)
1987 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Temple Owls
 (3-0) - (2-1)
1988 Wayne State Warriors
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 (3-0) - (2-1)
1989 Wayne State Warriors
 Columbia Lions-Barnard Bears
 (3-0) - (2-1)
2026
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Columbia Lions-Barnard Bears
 102-99

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHOOLS
POSITION
 SCHOOL
 CHAMPIONSHIPS
 LAST CHAMPIONSHIP
1
 Wayne State Warriors
 3
 1989
2
 Yale Bulldogs
 2
 1985
3
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 2
 2026
4
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 1
 1983
5
 Pennsylvania Quakers
 1
 1986

Combined Champions  Men's Champions  Women's Champions
YEAR WINNER RUNNER-UP
 SCORE
1990 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Columbia Lions-Barnard Bears
 36-35
1991 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Columbia Lions-Barnard Bears
 4700-4200
1992 Columbia Lions-Barnard Bears
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 4150-3646
1993 Columbia Lions-Barnard Bears
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 4525-4500
1994 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 4350-4075
1995 Penn State Nittany Lions
 St. John's Red Storm
 440-413
1996 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 1500-1190
1997 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 1530-1470
1998 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 149-147
1999 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 171-139
2000 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish/St. John's Red Storm
 175-171
2001 St. John's Red Storm
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 180-172
2002
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 St. John's Red Storm
 195-190
2003
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 182-179
2004
 Ohio State Buckeyes
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 194-160
2005
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Ohio State Buckeyes
 173-171
2006
 Harvard Crimson
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 165-159
2007
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 St. John's Red Storm
 194-176
2008
 Ohio State Buckeyes
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 185-176
2009
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 195-182
2010
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 St. John's Red Storm
 191-182
2011
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 174-168
2012
 Ohio State Buckeyes
 Princeton Tigers
 182-161
2013
 Princeton Tigers
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 182-175
2014
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 Princeton Tigers
 180-159
2015
 Columbia Lions
 Penn State Nittany Lions/Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 165-156
2016
 Columbia Lions
 Ohio State Buckeyes
 174-167
2017
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Ohio State Buckeyes
 186-161
2018
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Columbia Lions
 185-170
2019
 Columbia Lions
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 178-166
2020
 Tournament
 Canceled
 --
2021
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Penn State Nittany Lions 201-182
2022
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Harvard Crimson
 293-241
2023
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Princeton Tigers
 188-175
2024
 Harvard Crimson
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 169-161
2025
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 Columbia Lions-Barnard Bears
 183-172

CHAMPIONSHIP SCHOOLS
POSITION
 SCHOOL
 CHAMPIONSHIPS
 LAST CHAMPIONSHIP
1
 Penn State Nittany Lions
 13
 2014
2
 Columbia Lions
 5
 2019
3
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
 10
 2025
4
 St. John's Red Storm
 1
 2001
5
 Ohio State Buckeyes
 3
 2012
6
 Harvard Crimson
 2
 2024
7
 Princeton Tigers
 1
 2013