FAIRFIELD, Conn. – While the Fairfield University women's rowing team goes into the 2026 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) as the defending champion, Head Coach David Patterson and the team both know that it will take their best effort to bring home the title once again.

"All year long the message has been that we have "poked the bear" with last year's result," Patterson said. "If we want to contend for a championship this year, we're going to need to take care of business by ourselves and not look for any favors because no one will be of the mind to give us any."

The Stags have worked all season with their focus on being ready for their title defense. The fall season prepped the team for the spring, and the spring season brought the team to where it is now – poised to challenge the conference's elite for another chance at an NCAA Championship bid.

"One of the metrics of performance in training is to assess where we are this year compared to last," Patterson said. "Our fastest have got faster and indeed our slowest have got faster. Across the board almost everyone has got a PR this year so everyone has put the work in. We do all our training and work to get us to the start line. A constant theme from me is for everyone to focus on getting to the finish line without preempting the result until they do. Racing this season has given us an indication of the likely result but doesn't dictate the result."

Last year, the Stags finished in a first-place tie in the team scoring with Jacksonville University with both teams scoring 47 points. Fairfield took the title on the conference tie breaker by winning the varsity 8 which provided the program its second MAAC championship and first NCAA Championship bid.

"Winning the championship was an interesting head space to be in." Coach Patterson said. "Because we finally won that second championship and earned that first NCAA bid, we know we can do it. We know we can do it but of course understand the pressure that comes with it.  But again, that's why we train for the start line and only focus on the finish line when we race through it."

The championship will embark from Cooper River Park in Pennsauken Township, N.J., the seventh time in the last eight years that the site hosted the MAAC championship. The racing schedule begins with the second varsity 4 which is scheduled to start at 9:50 am. The varsity 4 final commences at 10 am with the second varsity 8 pushing forward at 10:10 am. The varsity 8 concludes the championship when it gets underway at 10:20 am. The awards ceremony will follow the day's races.

For complete results and coverage, please visit the MAAC Rowing Championship web site.