The University of Denver skiing team will begin its 2026 collegiate season after the New Year, starting with the RMISA Invitational in Lake Placid, New York. The season will conclude with two postseason meets in Bozeman, Montana.
This year’s schedule includes 29 events across seven meets and individual qualifiers. The Pioneers will host their annual DU Invitational from January 12-14 and February 7-8. Hosting duties for the alpine portion in mid-January are shared between Denver and Colorado, with slalom events at Loveland Ski Area on January 14-15 and giant slalom at Eldora Mountain Resort on January 12-13. For the DU Invite, giant slalom is scheduled at Eldora on January 12 and slalom at Loveland on January 14. Colorado’s meet includes races at Eldora on January 13 and Loveland on January 15.
The Nordic section of the Denver Invitational returns to Maloit Park in Minturn, Colorado, on February 7-8. It starts with a 10-kilometer classic mass start before concluding with a 7.5K freestyle interval start. The Nordic team continues racing in Steamboat Springs during the Colorado Invitational, which features a 20K freestyle mass start and a 7.5K classic interval race at Howelsen Hill Ski Area.
Denver opens its Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) season with a Nordic-only invitational at the U.S. Cross Country National Championships held at Mt. Van Hovenberg in Lake Placid. Events include a 10K classic race on January 4 and classic sprints on January 9; the latter serve as part of the meet while a separate Nordic qualifier takes place with a 20K freestyle event on January 7.
Four additional qualifier races are scheduled to help alpine athletes secure spots for national championships. The Alpine-only Nevada Invitational is hosted by Mount Rose-Ski Tahoe with slalom races on February 1 and giant slalom events on February 3; additional qualifying events take place there as well as in Utah (giant slalom, February 23) and Montana (slalom, February 28).
The Utah Invitational begins January 24-25 with Nordic competitions at Soldier Hollow Nordic Center in Midway followed by alpine races at Utah Olympic Park in Park City from February 22-24.
Montana State University will host both this year’s RMISA Championships and NCAA Championships in Bozeman, using Bridger Bowl Ski Area for alpine events and Crosscut Mountain Sports Center for Nordic races. The conference championship starts February 26 with giant slalom before both disciplines compete together on February 27 (slalom for alpine; a mass start for Nordic). The championships finish up February 28 with another Nordic event.
Less than two weeks later, Denver returns to Montana aiming to add to its record of twenty-four NCAA national titles. The national championships begin March 11 with an alpine giant slalom event; subsequent days feature more competitions including final races that determine this year’s NCAA champion.
Montana State last hosted these championships in 2020 when they were cancelled after two days due to COVID-19 concerns; however, Denver still secured three individual national titles that year—Storm Klomhaus won women’s alpine giant slalom, Tobias Kogler took men’s alpine giant slalom honors, and Eveliina Piippo claimed victory in women’s Nordic freestyle.
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For further information about all eighteen Division I sports offered by Denver or updates throughout ski season visit DenverPioneers.com or follow official social media accounts listed below.
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