Snowboarding Has Just Become This College's Newest Varsity Sport

Lees-McRae College Athletics recently announced that beginning in Fall 2024, skiing and snowboarding will join the college's roster of varsity sports.

Since its revival in 2015, the skiing and snowboarding team has operated as a club sport. This move will elevate it to the status of the first varsity ski and snowboard team in the Southeast Conference of the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association (USCSA).

Winter sports hold a significant legacy at Lees-McRae. The college's interest in skiing led to the establishment of a formal ski team in 1938, making it one of the first formal clubs in North Carolina, as noted by Our State magazine. In 2020, Lees-McRae solidified its partnership with Beech Mountain Resort, a local establishment, through the dedication of the Dr. Thomas Brigham Classroom. Nestled in the Beech Mountain Resort Lodge, the Brigham Classroom serves as the onsite headquarters for the skiing and snowboarding team, as well as for the Outdoor Recreation Management and Ski Industry Business and Instruction academic programs. Beech Mountain Resort also serves as the official training ground for the skiing and snowboarding team.

Read the full article here.

Generally, colleges will have a snowboarding "club" or a "team" in the loose sense of the word, but it is not common to find snowboarding at the varsity level. Hopefully this brings more people in the sport!