Women’s Division I has a whole new look this season, with the top level being split into two distinct competitions – Division I and Division I-AA. Division I is a seven-team gauntlet featuring top teams from Utah to Buffalo, all varsity or with elevated institutional support. 

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Headlining the group is the reigning DI national champion, Wheeling. The Cardinals pitched a perfect season in their first-ever as a program, going 12-0 en route to the national title. They’ve returned all but one from last year’s roster, graduating lock Jill Stewart. All-Americans Joelle Taylor, Bella Gullata, Alexis Dallas and Tamzin Boyce all return. 

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The champs aren’t resting on their laurels, though, bringing in plenty of fresh talent to stoke competition amongst the incumbents. Some newcomers to keep an eye on include Canadian U23 lock Milena Hammons, Central Washington transfer Stitch Savelio, English hooker Daisy Cunningham, and Life transfer Emerson Callegari.

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Ranked No. 2 is Brigham Young University. The Cougars are new to the competition, but one of the more decorated programs in all of college rugby. They lost a large graduating class, but talent seems to grow on the trees in Provo. Plus starting flyhalf Cara Murri and fullback Taiana Albert, a pair of dynamic playmakers, are back. Head coach Jared Whippy, a BYU All-American himself, will undoubtedly be well stocked.  

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Starting the season at No. 3 is Penn State, the blueblood program of all blueblood programs. The Nittany Lions, like BYU, are new to the competition, and they’re set to play each other for the first time in years as a result. Penn State’s warm welcome is a week-one meeting with top-ranked Wheeling Saturday in Happy Valley. These two tussled last season, a 39-14 win for the Cardinals. 

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That game was early in the season last year, too, and head coach Lauren Shissler had only been on the job for a few weeks. Now with a full season under her belt, the Nittany Lions should be in better form out of the gates this fall. 

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Maren McSorley, Jada Rudkin and Amber Bigler are some key losses, but there’s still plenty of talent at Penn State, especially in the back row. Physical flanker Danica Luzack is an impactful returner, as is No. 8 Cara McManus. Freshman front rower Kylie Heichman from Eagle, ID has shown promise in the preseason. As has first-year fullback Jessica Ciaffi from Sudbury, MA.

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Runners-up to Wheeling last December were the Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm out of Bethany, OK. The run to the title game was the best playoff performance yet for the four-year-old program. 

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Most of the starting lineup is back, including All-American trio Telesi Uhatafe (center), Salu Pau (No. 8) and Lauren Anderson (hooker). SNU also welcomes back a pair of playmakers in halfback Riley Erickson, who returns from injury, and center Ella Gilliland, who took last season off to get married and have a baby. 

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Ireland Jeffrey is an exciting grad transfer from Colorado Christian University, where she’d been playing soccer. She played high school rugby in Plano, TX, so her new home in Oklahoma is also a homecoming to both the region and rugby. And wing Vivianne Wright brings significant high-level experience, transferring from Central Washington.  

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Rounding out the top five is St. Bonaventure, which enters its second season in Division I having jumped all the way up from Division III last fall, following their 2023 D3 national title. The Bonnies lost to Wheeling in the Allegheny Championship in their DI debut, just missing out on a playoff berth. 

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The Bonnies will miss graduated All-Americans Makenna Ramsey and Kaylee Middaugh, but not the latter too much, as she’d joined the coaching staff under head coach Meredith Pyke. Bonaventure returns plenty of firepower in the likes of center Taylor Cohen, fullback Natalie Lamar and wing Elizabeth Lyons, who accounted for more than their fair share of points last season. 

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No. 6 Walsh enters its second season as a program as head coach Kelly Wallenhorst enters her second season as a head coach. The Cavaliers played two current DI teams last fall, narrowly losing to the Bonnies, and falling by a competitive margin to Wheeling. With the additions of a sizable recruiting class and assistant coach Stephanie Snoeberger, expect Walsh to be competitive. 

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Coming in at No. 7 is Aquinas, led by third-year head coach Dani Harris, who has been active on the recruiting trail. Joining the Saints this fall are a pair of decorated high school recruits in Lily Stough and Drew Dauser.  Stough, from Waverly-Shell Rock, Iowa, was a three-time all-state selection and a nationally-ranked high school wrestler. Dauser is a USA U18 national teamer from Rockford, MI. She comes in injured, while Stough is expected to make an early impact.  

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With just seven teams in the mix, Women’s Division I is lean and mean, with nowhere to hide. The top four teams get a shot at the national title game, with the champion being crowned Saturday Dec. 6 at Sabercats Stadium in Houston, TX.