Top College Cycling Teams

Pfeiffer University Cycling
Pfeiffer University Cycling

Although many colleges and universities have cycling at the club level, there are fewer than 25 Division I and Division II varsity college cycling teams in the United States as of mid-2017. These teams operate under the auspices of the school's athletic department and receive institutional support for things like coaches' salaries, travel, equipment and entry fees. Depending on the level of competition. Some even provide scholarships for student cyclist athletes. Following are the top 10 varsity cycling teams in the U.S., according to USA Cycling.

01
of 10

Marian University - Indiana

Marian College - Anna Sklorenko
Anna Sklorenko competes in track cycling for Marian College. Marian College

Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Enrollment: 2,050
Mascot: Knights
Interesting Fact: Marian has a particularly strong track cycling program, with a thick string of individual and team championships going back to 1992. Marian riders have captured 11 national collegiate track cycling championships in 14 years including the last three straight. Individuals who have competed for Marian College cycling have won 41 national championships in individual or team events since Marian College’s first national championship competition in 1992.

Marian College became Marian University on July 1, 2009.

02
of 10

Fort Lewis College -- Colorado

Fort Lewis Skyhawks

Location: Durango, Colorado
Enrollment: 3,900
Mascot: Skyhawks
Interesting Fact: Fort Lewis College has perhaps the strongest collegiate cycling program in the nation, bringing home national titles in Mountain Biking (1994-1996, 2000-2001, 2003-2004, 2006-2007); the Division II Road Championship (2000); and Cyclocross (2003-2005).
Cycling page: Ft. Lewis Cycling

03
of 10

Colorado Mesa University

Colorado Mesa University
Colorado Mesa University. Photo Courtesy of Colorado Mesa University

Location: Durango, Colorado

Enrollment: 10,662
Mascot: The Maverick
Interesting Fact: The Mavericks hosted the Collegiate Road National Championships in April 2017. And, in 2016, the Mavericks had two individual national champion cyclers: "Collin Hudson won a national championship in the dual slalom downhill event and Eivind Roed rallied for a title in the cross-country race" that year, noted The Daily Sentinal" -- which accounts for the team's high ranking, despite the fact the ​school did not field a Division I team until 2015.

Cycling page: Colorado Mesa University Cycling

04
of 10

Lindenwood University - Missouri

Lindenwood Lions

Location: St. Charles, Missouri
Enrollment: 14,500
Mascot: Lions
Interesting Fact: Cycling became a varsity sport at Lindenwood in 2007. Riders compete in the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference, sanctioned by USA Cycling.

05
of 10

Brevard College -- North Carolina

Brevard College logo
Brevard College

Location: Brevard, North Carolina - in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Enrollment: 700
Mascot: Tornados
Interesting Fact: ​"U.S. News & World Report" ranks Brevard among the top comprehensive colleges in the South, and among the best schools in the country in terms of students' first-year experiences. Brevard College’s Cycling Team has won the past three Division II Collegiate Mountain Bike Championships and the area is absolutely loaded with top-notch singletrack.

06
of 10

Lindsey Wilson College -- Kentucky

Lindsey Wilson

Location: Columbia, Kentucky
Enrollment: 1800
Mascot: Blue Raiders
Interesting Fact: Lindsey Wilson's cycling squad took third in 2008 in the Division I cyclocross championships, and the school has its own BMX course. The program has been highly successful, with eight individual national championships and two national team titles. Among current riders is Weston Pope, a two-time BMX world champion.

07
of 10

Lees-McRae College -- North Carolina

Carla Swart Lees-McRae
VeloNews called Lees-McRae's Carla Swart the "best-ever female collegiate cyclist" after winning an unprecedented 11 national (both individual and team) titles in road, mountain bike, cyclocross and track. Lees-McRae Sports Information

Location: Banner Elk, North Carolina
Enrollment: 900
Mascot: Bobcats
Interesting Fact: Lees-McRae Bobcats have captured three consecutive Division I national championships in cyclocross and are always in the hunt for a national championship. VeloNews called cyclist Carla Swart (pictured) the best female American collegiate rider ever.

08
of 10

Midwestern State University -- Texas

Midwestern State University Team Pursuit
Midwestern State University Team Pursuit.

Location: Wichita Falls, Texas
Enrollment: 6,500
Mascot: Mustangs
Interesting Fact: USA Cycling named Midwestern the collegiate program of the year for 2004. MSU’s athletes have won nearly two dozen national cycling championships since the team was formed in 1989 -- including the men's road race and women's criterium at the 2007 Collegiate Road Cycling Championships.

09
of 10

Mars Hill College -- North Carolina

Mars Hill College

Location: Mars Hill, North Carolina, outside ​of Asheville.
Enrollment: 1,500
Mascot: Lions
Interesting Fact: Mars Hill's location in the Blue Ridge Mountains offers some excellent riding. Area climbs feature colorful names reflecting the interesting local character, including "The Wall” “Elevator Shaft” and the most challenging, "Little Tinker Bell,” which is not quite the happy experience as it sounds like. Mars Hill is a member of the South Atlantic Conference.

10
of 10

Milligan College -- Tennessee

Milligan College

Location: Elizabethton/Johnson City, Tennessee
Enrollment: 1,000
Mascot: Buffaloes
Interesting Fact: Milligan College features mountain biking as a brand-new varsity sport. It competes against East Tennessee State University, Lees-McRae College, Brevard College, Appalachian State, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Union College, and Warren Wilson College as a member of the Southeastern Collegiate Cycling Conference.