Students on the University of Connecticut Alpine Ski team are asking for support as they prepare to hit the national slopes. Part of UConn’s club sports teams, the men’s and women’s ski teams hope to raise the money to go to the U.S. Collegiate Ski Association championships in Mount Bachelor, Oregon.
The team is looking to raise $10,000 in order to make it there.
“While UConn provides some support, it won’t fully cover the costs — especially with Nationals being across the country this year,” the ski teams wrote through GoFundMe.
The group wrote that the UConn teams placed impressively this year, with the women’s team securing 3rd place overall and the men’s at 4th place in their respective standings in alpine skiing as part of the Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference. The teams’ success in competition based around the Northeast gained them eligibility for the national contest, but at a price the clubs cannot currently afford.
“This is an incredible opportunity, but it also comes with significant costs. Each athlete must cover a $540 entry fee, plus expenses for flights, lodging, food and transportation,” said Kenna McCaughey, the captain of the women’s ski team and trip co-organizer.
According to the group’s webpage, the UConn ski teams have qualified for the national competition every year since 2015. In those previous years, fundraising efforts by the clubs have resulted in them being able to compete atop mountain peaks in Wyoming, Oregon, California and upstate New York. During the season, UConn competes in the “McConnell Division” of the Eastern Collegiate Ski Conference, a division the team says is known for qualifying for the national championships.
The teams’ performance in the Eastern regional championship, held recently at Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine, brought multiple accomplishments for team members in the top 20 places according to the team’s record — and the men’s team won the 2025 Giant Slalom title. Those competitions also came at a cost per athlete.
The UConn Ski Teams also fundraise externally through an independent nonprofit organization, which also helps organize events for teammates and alumni.
Club sports teams have struggled with funding in the past. The Daily Campus reported on funding struggles the UConn Climbing Team and other club sports face because they aren’t yet sponsored by the Recreation Department. Although men’s and women’s skiing are each listed as one of the 36 club sports teams that are sponsored, the funding structure for each of their five tiers tops out at $8,500 in initial funding — and with stipulations regarding the money’s usage.
Club sports teams seeking additional funding are encouraged to request from the Undergraduate Student Government’s budget for Tier II organizations, which may afford the team an additional $15,000 allocation per year, if USG has the money to spare.
“Our friends, family and alumni have been very generous to us and we are so grateful for your past support,” McCaughey said. “We are hoping that you will once again consider donating to help offset our out-of-pocket expenses needed to compete this year at nationals.”
Those who are able to support the fundraiser can do so on GoFundMe at gofundme.com/f/support-the-uconn-ski-teams-road-to-nationals. More information about the UConn club skiing teams can be found at skiing.rso.uconn.edu.