BRISTOL, R.I. — There will be more women’s college golf opportunities coming online soon.
Roger Williams University in Rhode Island is adding three sports: varsity women’s golf and men’s and women’s varsity hockey.
“Involvement in athletics is an enriching experience that complements a student’s education, setting them up to soar to success both in college and beyond,” RWU President Ioannis N. Miaoulis said in a news release. “Adding these three varsity sports will provide more opportunities for our student-athletes and attract new students from across the United States and internationally.”
When the women’s golf program launches in the 2025-26 season, RWU will be the sixth league school to offer the sport, enough programs to secure an automatic NCAA postseason bid for the conference champion.
Roger Williams University has had a successful hockey club team. Beginning in the 2025-26 season, the school will add men’s varsity hockey, and a year later, a women’s varsity program.
Men’s ice hockey and women’s golf will debut in the 2025-26 academic year, the school said, with women’s ice hockey starting in the 2026-27 academic year.
The Hawks compete in the NCAA Division III in the Conference of New England (formerly known as the Commonwealth Coast Conference), which currently includes 10 full-member and five associate-member institutions throughout New England.
“With popularity rising in collegiate men’s and women’s ice hockey and women’s golf, RWU is excited to build on student interest and offer these three new athletic programs for our students,” said John King, vice president for student life at RWU. “Our new ice hockey teams are the direct result of the accomplishments of our Men’s Ice Hockey Club team and interest in Women’s Hockey, and we are delighted to add a Women’s Golf team following the success of our Men’s Golf team.”
RWU will be the ninth institution to sponsor men’s hockey in the CNE during the 2025-26 year, while the women’s hockey program will be the eighth institutional sponsor within the conference when they begin competition in the 2026-27 year.
Last year, RWU’s men’s golf team won the Commonwealth Coast Conference title and earned its first bid in school history to the NCAA Championship. The competitive men’s ice hockey club team qualified for the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Nationals in 2020. (The university plans to continue the club team alongside the new varsity ice hockey program).
“We are excited to be able to expand our offerings for our students and provide more opportunities for our campus community to cheer on the Hawks,” said Interim Athletic Director Mike Gallagher.