The 2026-27 NCAA rifle season is set to begin this weekend, with programs across the nation preparing for competition. All eyes will be on West Virginia as the Mountaineers open their bid for a third straight NCAA rifle championship.
West Virginia’s pursuit of history begins on September 26 at home against Mount Aloysius. Last March, at Ohio State’s Covelli Center, the Mountaineers staged a comeback from fourth place in smallbore to secure their record 21st national title. Their air rifle performance was particularly dominant, tying the NCAA team record with a 2395-211X, fueled by 599s from Griffin Lake, Oceanne Muller, and Jennifer Kocher. WVU concluded the championship with a record 4748-355X team aggregate, finishing seven points and one X ahead of runner-up TCU.
No collegiate rifle program has achieved three consecutive NCAA titles since West Virginia’s five-year run ended in 2017. With nine returning shooters, the Mountaineers, under coach Jon Hammond, are well-positioned to challenge that record. Senior Griffin Lake, the reigning NCAA individual aggregate champion, leads the lineup alongside fellow senior Lauri Syrja. Oceanne Muller, who reached both the air rifle and smallbore finals as a freshman, is also a key returner, with Jennifer Kocher and Camryn Camp heading a deep junior class. A significant test for West Virginia arrives November 14-15 when Morgantown hosts the Fall Classic against the rest of last season’s top five programs.
TCU, which finished second last March, will navigate the season without Katie Zaun and Mikole Hogan, both of whom reached the air rifle final in their final collegiate matches. Christina Hillinger, Rylie Passmore, and Marissa Fedora, all solid contributors at the championship, now anchor coach Karen Monez’s lineup. The Horned Frogs’ season opener is September 26 at Navy, marking their sixth consecutive season-opener in Annapolis. They are scheduled to host Ole Miss on November 7 in a rematch of last year’s second and third-place teams.
Ole Miss returns four of its five championship competitors, led by two-time NCAA air rifle champion Audrey Gogniat. Gracie Dinh, Regan Diamond, and Jordan de Jesus are also back for coach Will Shaner’s second season after the Rebels secured the NCAA smallbore team title and placed third overall. Ole Miss opens at home on September 26 against UT Martin and Ohio State. On January 17, Kentucky visits Oxford, setting up a highly anticipated return of Gogniat sharing the line with Braden Peiser, who defeated her in last year’s smallbore final.
Kentucky boasts Braden Peiser, recognized as the country’s top smallbore shooter. Peiser won the NCAA title in the discipline and set an NCAA record during the regular season. Elizabeth Probst and Sam Adkins return following breakout sophomore seasons, and coach Harry Mullins augments the roster with four freshmen, in addition to former All-American Sofia Ceccarello joining as a graduate assistant. The Wildcats open their season on October 3 at Georgia Southern and will host West Virginia on February 13.
Nebraska, which missed fourth place last March by X-count, sees much of its roster return, including Katlyn Sullivan, who nearly claimed the air rifle title as a freshman before Audrey Gogniat ultimately won. Sullivan is among seven returners for third-year coach Richard Clark, a 2022 NRA Lones Wigger Iron Many Trophy winner. This group also includes senior Charlie Mick and top shooters Maddy Moyer, Alivia Perkins, and Carley Seabrooke. The Huskers open their season on September 26 at home against Akron and will host the PRC Championships on February 5-6.
Navy placed sixth at the 2026 NCAA rifle championship. Senior Isabella Baldwin, a nine-time CRCA All-American, now captains the team under coach Mike Anti. Baldwin and teammate Tyler Wee achieved a remarkable feat last season, each shooting a perfect 600 in air rifle at the same match, a performance believed to be a first for NCAA teammates. The Midshipmen host TCU and VMI in their September 26 opener and will travel to Morgantown to face West Virginia on January 23.
Georgia Southern finished seventh in only its second NCAA championship appearance, with air rifle being a key strength. After posting 202 Xs in that discipline, the Eagles were ranked third in the field. Coach Soren Butler’s team opens at home against Kentucky on October 3 and welcomes West Virginia on October 17-18. Coach Butler is a former assistant coach for the Mountaineers under Jon Hammond and has been named to the NCAA Rifle Committee starting this season.
Alaska-Fairbanks, with 11 NCAA titles—second only to West Virginia—finished eighth last March, a result below their typical standard. Second-year coach Randi Loudin has the Nanooks home for five weekends, commencing October 16 against an Ohio State rifle program that Alaska-Fairbanks has beaten 16 straight times. The marquee weekend for the Nanooks comes January 16-17, when West Virginia visits Fairbanks for the first time since the Nanooks won a top-five showdown in 2023.
Outside of last year’s championship field, Akron, under coach Newt Engle, is a program to watch. Matthew Kimball, the Zips’ Rookie of the Year last season, and Logan McClimans lead the returning lineup. Freshman Maddie Allen set an NRA 3-Position national record this summer, while classmate Megan Fondy is the reigning National JROTC 3-Position air rifle champion. Akron opens on September 26 at Nebraska and hosts Ohio State on January 31 for in-state bragging rights.
NCAA qualifying matches will conclude on February 20. The top eight teams and individual qualifiers will then head to Statesboro, Georgia, for the 2027 NCAA Rifle Championship on March 12-13. Georgia Southern will host the event for the first time in program history, utilizing its new Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center. Smallbore opens the championship on Friday, followed by air rifle on Saturday, with an individual final closing each day. West Virginia has overcome deficits to win the last two championships, and the rest of the field in Statesboro will aim to prevent them from having that opportunity again.