The team competes in the Ivy League within the NCAA Division I.

Harvard founded the first collegiate fencing team in the United States in 1888.

[2][3] Cross and Mills were the first Harvard University female fencers to qualify for the Olympics.

[4][5] On November 16, 2020, former longtime Harvard Crimson fencing coach Peter Brand was arrested and charged under federal law with accepting over $1.5 million in bribes to arrange for the two sons of Maryland business Jie (Jack) Zhao to be admitted to the university as fencing recruits.

Peter Brand and Jie Zhao were found innocent in 2022 after only 5 hours of deliberation by the jury.