FAIRBANKS - The Alaska Nanooks Nordic skiing team and the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) have announced their schedule for the 2026-27 season. The season will feature 17 races, four of which will be held at the UAF Competition Ski Trails. Both the Nordic Cup and UAF Invitational will return to Fairbanks this season, with the 'Nooks hosting races in November and February.

"We are very excited to have Alaska back on the RMISA calendar this year!" said head coach Ben Buck. "The last time we hosted the RMISA on our home trails here at UAF, it was such a blast, and we're looking forward to putting on another great event for our community and all the visiting teams! With most of our season set for low-altitude venues, we are looking forward to some high-speed racing and lots of opportunities for our athletes to pick up vital NCAA qualification points. This will also be the first year with sprinting as an official NCAA event, and it will be interesting to see which teams and which athletes excel under the new format!"

Their season kicks off with the annual Alaska Nordic Cup, which will be held at the UAF Competition Ski Trails on Nov. 21-22. The Nanooks and the UAA Seawolves will face off in a classic sprint and 10k freestyle interval start.

The RMISA season begins in January with the Utah Invitational on Jan. 2 and 4, with a 10k freestyle interval start on day one and classic sprints on day two. The invitational will be held at the Birkie Trails in Cable, Wis., where the 'Nooks will stay for the RMISA Nordic Qualifiers later that week. The Nordic Qualifiers will be held in conjunction with the U.S. National Championships in Wisconsin, and will feature a 20k classic mass start on Wednesday, Jan. 6, and freestyle sprints on Thursday, Jan. 7. 

The Blue and Gold will return to action three weeks later for the Colorado Invitational on Jan. 29-30, where they will compete in a 15k classic mass start and 7.5k freestyle interval start at Howelsen Hill in Steamboat Springs, Colo. Alaska remains in Colorado for two more races the following week, taking part in the Denver Invitational at Snow Mountain Ranch in Granby, Colo. The invite begins with classic sprints on Friday, Feb. 5, and concludes with a 10k freestyle on Saturday, Feb. 6.

Following their trip to Colorado, the 'Nooks will make their way back home for the UAF Invitational, which is set to be held at the UAF Competition Ski Trails on campus. The invite will run from Sunday, Feb. 21, to Monday, Feb. 22, and features classic sprints on day one and a 5k freestyle on day two. They will stay in Alaska for the RMISA Championships on Friday, Feb. 26 to Saturday, Feb. 27, which will be held at Kincaid Park in Anchorage. The teams will compete in a 7.5k freestyle interval start on Friday and a 20k classic mass start on Saturday.

The 2027 season will end out east in Craftsbury, Vt., for the NCAA Skiing Championships at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, where the Nanooks will look to continue their success from last season, when Ben Dohlby and Philipp Moosmayer both notched All-American results, while Rosie Fordham won both the freestyle and classic races. The Nordic portion of the championships will start on Wednesday, March 10, with the 7.5k freestyle interval start, and continue the following day with classic sprints. The championships wrap up with the 20k classic mass start on Saturday, March 13.

Follow the 'Nooks
IG - @NanookSkiing
X - @NanooksSki
FB - Alaska Nanooks XC