SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The Ithaca College men's and women's rowing programs will look to defend their Liberty League Championships on Friday as the 2026 Liberty League Rowing Championships take place at Fish Creek's 2,000-meter course on Saratoga Lake in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Union College will serve as the host institution, with racing scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. with the Women's Varsity Eight heats.  
In women's rowing, Ithaca is seeking an eighth consecutive Liberty League Women's Rowing title. At last year's championship, Ithaca posted victories in the Varsity Eight and Varsity Four races en route to the Bombers' seventh straight Liberty League crown. William Smith won the Second Varsity Eight race for the first time since 2017, and RIT earned its first win in the Novice Four race.
 
In the most recent Pocock Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association (CRCA) Division III poll (April 28), William Smith checks in No. 8 to lead off the league teams while Rochester, Ithaca, and Skidmore follow at No. 12, No. 13, and No. 14, respectively.
 
With eight teams entered in the Women's Varsity Eight, there will be two heats to open the championships. RIT, Skidmore, St. John Fisher, and William Smith will compete in the first heat at 9 a.m., and Ithaca, Rochester, St. Lawrence, and Union will face off in the second heat at 9:10 a.m. The top three finishers from each heat will advance to the Final. The Petit Final (2 boats) and Final (6 boats) are scheduled for 11:00 and 11:15 a.m., respectively.
 
In the 2V8+ at 9:30 a.m., seven schools will race: Ithaca, RIT, Skidmore, St. Lawrence, Union, Rochester, and William Smith. Ithaca and William Smith will then face off in the 3V8+ at 9:45 a.m. The Women's Open Four race will also be held on Friday (10:30 a.m.) with four boats battling for gold (Ithaca, RIT, Rochester, William Smith).
 
On the men's side, Ithaca is seeking its third consecutive Liberty League title since 2024. St. Lawrence is seeking its first title since 2022, while RIT, Skidmore, and Union are on the hunt for their first titles in program history.
 
At the 2025 championship, the Bombers swept both Varsity Eight events as both boats (V8+, 2V8+) crossed the finish line in under seven minutes. Rochester won the Varsity Four for the first time since 2023, and Union earned its first win in the Novice Four.
 
In the latest IRCA/IRA Men's D3 Varsity 8+ (April 29) poll, Ithaca leads the way among Liberty League teams, checking in at No. 8. Skidmore is also ranked among D3's top 15 at No. 13. In the Division III 2V8+ poll, Ithaca is tenth, and the only league team ranked.
 
There will be three Men's Rowing events at the 2026 championship: Varsity Eight, Second Varsity Eight, and Open Four. The V8+ race starts at 10:00 AM with five boats entered (Ithaca, RIT, Skidmore, St. Lawrence, Union). The 2V8+ race also features five boats (Ithaca, RIT, Skidmore, Union A, Union B) and will immediately follow the V8+ at 10:15 a.m., while the Open Four race gets underway at 10:30 a.m. (Ithaca, RIT, Rochester A, Rochester B).
 
Winners of the Varsity Eight races are crowned Liberty League team champions. To earn the Liberty League's automatic bid to the NCAA Championship in Women's Rowing, the winning Varsity Eight team must also have a Second Varsity Eight boat participate at the regatta.
 
The NCAA Women's Rowing Championships for all three divisions will be held May 29 and May 31 in Gainesville, Georgia, at Lake Lanier Olympic Park. The winner of the Men's Varsity Eight earns a trip to the 2026 IRA Championships, which will take place May 29-May 31 at Lake Natoma in Gold River, California.