Column | Examining Penn State fencing’s future amid NCAA rule changes, misconduct allegations

Penn State’s 2025 season ended in disappointment, as the Nittany Lions fell to seventh place in the NCAA championships.

It was the fourth consecutive year the Nittany Lions finished outside the top five, in addition to the disappointment, the blue and white had these poor results at home with national competitions being held in Happy Valley for the first time since 2021.

The below-average finish was a shock considering the successful reputation that Penn State has established for winning hardware, a trend that began in 1990 when the NCAA voted to combine both men’s and women’s scores in vying for a singular team championship.

This rule change benefited the Nittany Lions, as they’ve won 13 times over the past 35 years — more than any other school in the country. Before the change, Penn State had won only one fencing national championship, claimed by the women’s team in 1983.

Uniquely in fencing, Division I programs also compete with Division II and Division III universities in the final national competition, making Penn State the most successful program across the entire nation in this stretch.

Yet, only a few months into the offseason, Penn State’s fencing team has experienced a whirlwind of news that has changed the landscape of its program for the foreseeable future.

On June 26, the NCAA Division I Council passed a successful measure to eliminate the team championship, essentially splitting the championships by gender for the first time since 1989. Although it has not been officially approved yet, both Division II and Division III councils are expected to pass the vote in late July.

The change has massive implications. There are currently only nine universities that send a women's team, and under the previous format, they were mathematically unable to compete against universities with both a men’s and women’s team for NCAA championships.

Now, an estimated 150 student-athletes at these nine programs can compete for national championships, and the NCAA estimates more schools will join the playing field in launching women or men-only fencing teams as their sole fencing unit.

The rule change is a massive development not only in women’s athletics but in college sports as a whole, and it gives Penn State athletics a lot to think about in navigating this for next season. It’s a decision made even more difficult by recent allegations reported by The Daily Collegian regarding current head coach Matteo Zennaro.

Zennaro's leadership faces criticism from former and current members of Penn State’s team who allege neglect, misconduct and unsafe conditions.

Zennaro has been at the helm in State College for two seasons now, posting a 32-22 record in men’s competitions and 28-27 in women's. This is his first head coaching job in college athletics after a very successful stint as an associate coach at Harvard.

The Penn State administration now faces the challenge of both managing this new format and addressing these allegations. The athletic department has recently demonstrated a willingness to pursue an overhaul of its programs, with increased investment, intensified recruiting efforts and the development of new facilities to support various teams.

It’s possible to envision a revamp of the fencing unit and a shift in Zennaro's role, given the differing results in women’s and men’s fields. Regardless, the head coaching job has been one typically held for both squads, a trend that’s evolved since 1986.

Whatever changes fans see Penn State make before next season — if any — it’s clear that in recent years, the form on the piste has taken a hit for one of the most prestigious teams in the competition as the Nittany Lions haven’t taken home national honors since 2013-14.

If Zennaro remains at the helm, it will be a make-or-break season for him in righting the ship, which will involve navigating a lot of outside noise.