the International Olympic Committee announced that rugby would return to the Summer Olympics in 2016. Although NCAA Division I schools dropped 72 women's varsity sports teams during 2008–2012 due to the economic recession, women's rugby programs grew in number during that time frame. As of the fall of 2022, the NCAA has sanctioned rugby for 27 schools across 3 Divisions. Current NCAA women's rugby programs include the following: This league is known as the National Intercollegiate Rugby Association (NIRA) For the 2022–23 season, Princeton University will join as an NCAA D1 team. Division 1 National Championships (15s) Men's National Championship Sports Illustrated named Notre Dame national champion in 1966. In 1967, Sports Illustrated named California national champions after their 37–3 defeat of Notre Dame. 1980–2012 Except for interruption by the COVID-19 pandemic, USA Rugby has crowned an official national men's champion each year since 1980. After the 2010 season, USA Rugby split Division 1 into two, with the top flight called Division 1-A Rugby (formerly called the College Premier Division), and the second flight called Division 1-AA. YEAR; CHAMPION; RUNNER-UP 1980 – California 15, Air Force 9 1981 – California 6, Harvard 3 (a.e.t.) 1982 – California 15, Life College 14 1983 – California 13, Air Force 3 1984 – Harvard 12, Colorado 4 1985 – California 31, Maryland 6 1986 – California 6, Dartmouth 4 1987 – San Diego State 10, Air Force 9 1988 – California 9, Dartmouth 3 1989 – Air Force 25, Penn State 7 1990 – Air Force 18, Army 12 1991 – California 20, Army 14 1992 – California 27, Army 17 1993 – California 36, Air Force 6 1994 – California 27, Navy 13 1995 – California 48, Air Force 16 1996 – California 47, Penn State 6 1997 – California 41, Penn State 15 1998 – California 34, Stanford 15 1999 – California 36, Penn State 5 2000 – California 62, Wyoming 16 2001 – California 86, Penn State 11 2002 – California 43, Utah 22 2003 – Air Force 45, Harvard 37 2004 – California 46, Cal Poly 24 2005 – California 44, Utah 7 2006 – California 29, BYU 26 2007 – California 37, BYU 7 2008 – California 59, BYU 7 2009 – BYU 25, California 22 2010 – California 19, BYU 7 2011 – California 21, BYU 14 2012 – BYU 49, Arkansas State 42 2013–2017 In 2013,