MONTREAT, N.C.— The Montreat College athletic department has announced the recent approval to add a cycling program beginning in the fall of the 2024-25 school year. The Cavaliers will only compete in the discipline of mountain biking with the potential to explore other disciplines in the future. Cycling will be the college's 23^rd sport offering and the sixth introduced in the last four years.
 
"We are thrilled to bring cycling, specifically mountain biking, to Montreat College and our athletic department," remarked Director of Athletics Garrett Jones. "The addition of this sport fits our college's footprint and region well. We feel strongly that Montreat College is a very attractive place for future recruits that desire to study in our Christ-Centered environment and compete at a high level."
 
The Cavaliers join 22 other institutions in the country with varsity cycling programs. Because the sport is not sponsored by the NAIA, the Cavs will compete as a part of the National Collegiate Cycling Association (NCCA). The NCCA administers, develops, promotes, and governs collegiate cycling under the umbrella of USA Cycling.
 
USA Cycling, the national governing body for cycling, oversees the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclocross, and BMX. Montreat plans to contend solely in the mountain bike discipline for the 2024-25 school year with expectations to extend into other disciplines, likely cyclocross, in future seasons.
 
Modern mountain biking began in the late 1970s and now serves as a popular form of both recreation and competition. According to USA Cycling, mountain biking encompasses many different formats including Cross Country Olympic, Cross Country Short Track, Downhill, Cross Country Eliminator, Marathon and E-Bike on the national and international stage.
 
"I would like to thank college leadership and particularly Vice President Jose Larios for his vision in making the addition of this sport on our campus a reality. Our campus community will look forward to cheering on our future Cavaliers," Jones declared.
 
An announcement detailing the program's first head coach is forthcoming. The release will be posted on montreatcavaliers.com as well as on Facebook (Montreat College Cavaliers), X/Twitter (@montreatcavs) and Instagram (@montreatcavs). Recruiting will begin immediately, and those interested should visit montreatcavaliers.com for more information.