College Curling USA

The idea of college curling in the US began in the late 1980s when the Illinois State Curling Foundation (ISCF) began to look into college curling, filling a gap between junior and adult curling levels. The ISCF, along with curling clubs, began promoting the idea of curling to schools.^[2] National Tournament began in the early 1990s with only a few schools in Northern Illinois and Wisconsin. Since then, has boomed to more than 40 schools- mostly in the Northern tier of the US and Northeast US. New Programs are starting all over the US as new clubs are being established.^[3]

In the 2012-13 season, more than 200 curlers from 36 colleges or universities participated in College Curling USA sanctioned events.^[4]

In September 2013, the College Championship became a United States Curling Association sanctioned event.^[5]

For the 2014 Curling College Championship held in Blaine, MN, Taco Bell became an official corporate sponsor.^[6]

Before the pandemic, the USA Curling College Tour and Championship had over 450 registered college students, participating in 15 college only bonspiels from the East Coast to the Midwest.

College teams compete in regional categories:

Until 2013 the regions were:

• Grand National (East Coast)
• Great Lakes
• Minnesota
• North Dakota
• Wisconsin

For the 2013 and 2014 championships, the regions were:^[7]

• Region 1: Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine
• Region 2: Lower Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana
• Region 3: Upper Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois
• Region 4: Minnesota and North Dakota
• Region 5: Remainder of the US

For the 2015 through 2017 championship the regions were:^[7]

• Region 1: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont
• Region 2: Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
• Region 3: Indiana, Illinois, Lower Michigan, Ohio, and Southern Wisconsin
• Region 4: Upper Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Northern Wisconsin
• Region 5: Remainder of the US

After 2017 the regional aspect of the championship was abandoned except for the relabeling of the former "Region 5" as the "Emerging Region."

After 2023 the "Emerging Region" was relabeled the "West Region." Before this change, all new college curling programs began in the Emerging Region, regardless of their school's location. This was in addition to the existing college curling programs located out West, which were originally given the label "Emerging" due to their geographic remoteness within the broader college curling world. This label change made the composition of all the regions purely geographic.

Since then, the three regions have been Northeast, Midwest, and West. The number of teams that receive nationals berths from each region varies year-to-year depending on that respective region's size (number of participating schools).

Invitations to the National Championship are awarded based on accumulated 'merit points'. Points are primarily earned by hosting and/or competing in a collegiate bonspiel. Points can also be collected through non-bonspiel (Match Play) intercollegiate play or, for the West Region schools only (due to their remoteness relative to the other regions and each other), through other non-collegiate/local bonspiels and league play. College athletes must be members of USA Curling and full-time students at the school they represent in order to earn points.

The national tournament is typically held in March.

• Arizona State University
• Babson College
• Bowdoin College
• Butler University
• Bowling Green State University
• Carthage College
• Castleton University
• Colgate University
• Colorado School of Mines
• Colorado State University
• Creighton University
• Hamilton College
• Harvard University
• Johns Hopkins University
• Minnesota State University, Mankato
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Michigan Technological University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Princeton University
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
• Rochester Institute of Technology
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute
• Syracuse University
• United States Naval Academy
• University of Denver
• University of Michigan
• University of Minnesota
• University of Nebraska–Lincoln
• University of Nebraska Omaha
• University of Notre Dame
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of Toledo
• University of Wisconsin–Madison
• University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point
• Villanova University
• Western Michigan University
• Yale University

^[8]

• Location: Schenectady, NY
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Scheduled: March 12–15, 2026
• Gold: University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Silver: University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
• Bronze: Penn State
• Fourth: Bowdoin
• Consolation: RIT

• Location: Midland, MI
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Scheduled: March 7–9, 2025
• Gold: University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Silver: Michigan Technological University
• Bronze: RPI
• Fourth: Bowdoin
• Fifth: MIT
• Sixth: Navy
• Seventh: RIT
• Eighth: Harvard

• Location: Rice Lake, WI
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Scheduled: March 8–10, 2024
• Gold: University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Silver: Princeton University
• Bronze: Michigan Technological University
• Fourth: University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
• Consolation: MIT

• Location: Bowling Green, OH
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Scheduled: March 10–12, 2023
• Gold: University of Pennsylvania
• Silver: Princeton University
• Bronze: University of Wisconsin - Superior
• Fourth: University of Minnesota
• Consolation: MIT

• Location: Fargo, ND - Fargo-Moorhead Curling Club
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Champion: University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
• Runner-up: University of Pennsylvania
• Third: University of Wisconsin - Superior
• Fourth: Harvard
• Consolation: North Dakota State University

^{[9] [10]}

2022 USA Curling College Tour Results (Red indicates championship invitation)

Note: Wisc-Green Bay declined their invitation. Yale was invited in their place. ^[11]

Canceled due to the Covid Pandemic. The entirety of the 2020-2021 College Tour was canceled. The 2019-2020 College Tour took place as normal. The tour season was completed and the invitations had been sent out when the pandemic conditions reached a level where it was determined that the event could not take place. The National Championship was scheduled to take place at the Fargo-Moorhead Curling Club in Fargo, ND.

2020 USA Curling College Tour Results (Red indicates championship invitation)

^[12]

• Location: Wayland, MA - Broomstones Curling Club
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Champion: North Dakota State University
• Runner-up: SUNY Polytechnic Institute
• Third: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Fourth: Yale University
• Consolation: Syracuse University

2019 USA Curling College Tour Results (Red indicates championship invitation)

^[12]

• Location: Eau Claire, WI - Eau Claire Curling Club
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Champion: University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
• Runner-up: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
• Third: Yale University
• Fourth: University of Pennsylvania
• Consolation: Rochester Institute of Technology

2018 USA Curling College Tour Results (Red indicates championship invitation)

^[12]

• Location: Whitesboro, NY - Utica Curling Club
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Champion: University of Minnesota
• Runner-up: University of Nebraska - Lincoln
• Third: University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
• Fourth: Harvard University

2017 USA Curling College Tour Results (Red indicates championship invitation)

^[12]

• Location: Chaska, MN - Chaska Curling Center
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Champion: University of Pennsylvania
• Runner-up: University of Minnesota
• Third: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Fourth: Colgate University
• Fifth: Hamilton College

2016 USA Curling College Results (Red indicates championship invitation)

^[12]

• Location: Rochester, NY - Rochester Curling Club
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Champion: University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
• Runner-up: University of Pennsylvania
• Third: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Fourth: Rochester Institute of Technology
• Fifth: Boston University

The 2014 College Championship was the first to be officially recognized by the USCA.

• Location: Blaine, MN - Four Seasons Curling Club
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Champion: University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
• Runner-up: Villanova University
• Third: Carroll University
• Fourth: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

• Location: Duluth, MN - Duluth Curling Club
• Teams: 16
• Format: Four pool round-robin
• Champion: University of Minnesota
• Runner-up: College of Saint Benedict/ Saint John's University (MN)
• Third: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Fourth: Boston University

• Location: Chicago, IL - Northshore Curling Club and Chicago Curling Club
• Teams: 32
• Divisions: 4
• Format: Round robin

The first-place teams in each division:

• Division 1 - *Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Division 2 - Villanova
• Division 3 - Northwestern University
• Division 4 - Bowdoin College

• Location: Chicago, IL - Northshore Curling Club and Chicago Curling Club
• Teams: 32
• Divisions: 4
• Format: Round robin

The first-place teams in each division

• Division 1 - University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
• Division 2 - Northwestern University
• Division 3 - Northwestern University
• Division 4 - Carroll College

• Location: Chicago, IL - Northshore Curling Club and Chicago Curling Club
• Teams: 32
• Divisions: 4
• Format: Round robin

The first-place teams in each division

• Division 1 - University of Minnesota
• Division 2 - Hamilton College
• Division 3 - University of Tennessee
• Division 4 - Northwestern University

The 2008 College Curling National Bonspiel was held in Chicago, IL in March at the Northshore Curling Club and Chicago Curling Club. 34 teams participated this year separated into 4 divisions separated by combined years of experience.

The first-place teams in each division

• Division 1 - University of Wisconsin Eau Claire
• Division 2 - Northwestern University
• Division 3 - Hamilton College
• Division 4 - Yale/Hamilton College

• United States Curling Association (USCA)
• Illinois State Curling Foundation
• Chicago Community Trust