College Rowing and
Scholarship Opportunities
Loyola Academy Rowing Association
2020 - 2021 Season
Introduction
This document is designed to provide
introductory information about rowing in
college. Most of the information is from the
public domain and referenced. The content is
not all inclusive and should be supplemented
with other sources by those student-athletes
interested in rowing in college.
The LARA Coaching Staff
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R
What should I do if my daughter
or son wants to row in college?
There are many options and
different paths to take!
LARA Mission Statement
Founded in 1985, Loyola Academy Rowing Association (LARA)
provides a rare, highly desirable opportunity for Loyola Academy
students to participate in the sport of rowing. Of fundamental
importance, LARA believes that the arduous, demanding nature of
the sport creates the ideal environment for the physical, mental,
and spiritual development of student-athletes. To this end, LARA
endeavors to lead students toward recognition, appreciation and
fulfillment of their true athletic potential through the shared
pursuit of winning both the MRSA Midwest Championships and the
SRAA National Championships. The teams, as constructed, strive
toward excellence with dedication to Jesuit ideals, including
aspiring to become “Women and Men for Others.”
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Playing Your Sport In College
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What schools can I get into?
What’s all this going to cost?
What are my chances of playing college sports?
Where can I find college athletic scholarships?
What Are College Divisions?
There are three divisions for NCAA member schools:
Division I, Division II and Division III. Any school that is a
member of the NCAA belongs to one of these divisions.
Each school selects a division by matching its enrollment,
financial situation and fan support with the requirements
for each division.
Each school must then meet the necessary division
requirements each year.
NCAA = National Collegiate Athletic Association
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How Are The Three Divisions
Determined?
The Three NCAA divisions is dependent on:
The number of sports a school has overall
How many sports are available for both men and
women
How many athletes or teams the school has in each
sport
The number of contests it plays against schools in the
same division
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What Are The Main Differences?
Division I schools must:
• Offer at least 7 sports for men and 7 sports for
women - or 6 for men and 8 for women
Division II schools must:
• Offer at least 5 sports for men and 5 for women - or 4
for men and 6 for women
Division III schools must:
• Offer at least 5 sports for men and 5 for women
• Have student-athletes who do not get sports-related
financial aid
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What Is A Club Sport?
Collegiate Club Sports are any sports offered at a
University or College that compete competitively with
other Universities or Colleges but are not regulated by
the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Collegiate Club Sports can exist at schools that do have
teams that are part of the NCAA. Many times club sports
are student run and receive little financial aid from the
school. An estimated 2 million college students play
competitive club sports compared with about 430,000
involved in athletics governed by the NCAA.
Source: NY Times & Wikipedia
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Available College Athletic Scholarships
Maximum Number of Scholarships
Available
Scholarships
Men Women
Football 30,423
30,423 -
Basketball 28,819
14,259 14,560
Soccer 19,594
8,564 11,030
Track & Field 16,026
6,690 9,336
Baseball 15,190
15,190 -
Softball 14,410
-14,410
Volleyball 11,430
294 11,136
Cross Country 8,169
3,512 4,657
Tennis 7,599
2,732 4,867
Golf 7,398
4,062 3,336
Swimming & Diving 5,784
2,114 3,670
Lacrosse 3,230
1,371 1,859
Rowing 2,080
-2,080
Wrestling 1,898
1,898 -
Ice Hockey 1,657
1,045 612
Field Hockey 1,119
-1,119
Gymnastics 911
101 810
Water Polo 470
126 344
Equestrian 390
-390
Bowling 315
24 291
Skiing 240
107 133
Fencing 233
99 134
Rifle 93
47 46
Beach (Sand) Volleyball 45
-45
Rugby 36
-36
Totals 177,559 92,658 84,901
Source: Scholarshipstats.com
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Not All College Rowers Crewed In HS
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Participated on Club team in High School
46%
Participated on High School team
Total
39%
85%
NCAA Rowers (all Divisions) who competed on a club team in
High School (2018):
HS = High School
Source: NCAA Goals Study
A significant percentage of college rowers participated in other sports during
high school and did not begin rowing until college.
HS And College Rowing: By The Numbers
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Odds of a High School Rower competing in College (2017):
Men Women
Estimated Number of U.S. High School Age Team / Club Rowers 19,747 21,839
Number of College Rowers 2,926 5,660
U.S. High School Rowers competing at any College Level 10.3% 18.3%
U.S. High School Rowers Competing at NCAA I Schools 6.0% 12.4%
Odds of a U.S. High School Rower making an NCAA I, II or III Roster 10:1 6:1
Odds of a U.S. High School Rower making an NCAA I Roster 17:1 8:1
Source: Scholarshipstats.com
Understanding The Time Commitment
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Weekly Time Commitment for NCAA Rowers (2018):
Source: NCAA Goals Study
Average Weekly Hours
Athletic
Hours
Academic
Hours
Total Hours
per Week
NCAA I Rowing 30 42 72
NCAA II Rowing 26 47 73
NCAA III Rowing 29 48 77
Average 28 46 74
If you want to row in college expect the athletic commitment to come close to a 2nd full
time job. And contrary to popular belief, Division III rowing requires virtually the same
commitment of weekly hours as Division I. Developing efficient time management skills
is key to becoming a successful student-athlete.
Scholarship Opportunities: The Impact
Of Title IX For Women
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Scholarship Averages for Women’s NCAA I Rowing Teams (2018):
These are the results of our survey of NCAA I schools that sponsored rowing teams . Number of athletic scholarships
awarded is per team, so for 4 year schools typically only 25% or so will be available for the incoming athletes.
Source: Scholarshipstats.com
Average Low High
Scholarships awarded per team 39 19 51
Average Scholarship per team $21,053 $11,507 $31,771
Men’s rowing is not an official NCAA sport (by choice)
Defining The Rowing Programs
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152 Schools sponsored varsity Rowing teams during 2017-2018:
Average Athletic Scholarship is the average award per athlete for ALL varsity sports sponsored by the specific school.
Some athletes receive full awards, some receive partial and many receive none. Additionally some sports within a school
may be fully funded, some partially and some sports provide no athletic scholarships. Private schools generally have
higher tuition than public schools and the average award will reflect this.
Source: Scholarshipstats.com
# of Scholarships
Limit per Team
Average Athletic
Scholarship *
Division
# of
Schools
# of Teams Total Athletes Average Team Size
Men's Women's Men Women Men's Women's Men Women Men Women
NCAA I 88 35 88 1,886 4,096 54 47 - 20 $17,598 $17,475
NCAA II 16 6 16 163 411 27 26 - 20 $8,232 $9,502
NCAA III 43 27 41 756 1,074 28 26 - - - -
NAIA 2 2 2 67 32 34 16 - - $7,701 $9,946
Other 3 2 3 54 47 27 16 - - - -
Tot als 152 72 150 2, 92 6 5 ,6 60 41 38 $11, 11 4 $11, 20 7
Women's rowing is an equivalency sport so partial scholarships can be awarded in any proportion to meet
the limit per school; for example, an NCAA Division I team can award 40 rowers each a 1/2 scholarship and
still meet the NCAA school limit of 20. Even though it's the oldest intercollegiate sport in the US, men's
rowing has never been an official NCAA sport.
University of Alabama Drake University Creighton University La Salle University
Loyola Marymount University University of Iowa Dartmouth College Lehigh University
Sacramento State (CSU) Indiana University Princeton University Robert Morris University
Saint Mary's College University of Notre Dame Rutgers University Saint Joseph's University
San Diego State University Kansas State University Canisius College Temple University
Santa Clara University University of Kansas Colgate University University of Pennsylvania
Stanford University University of Louisville Columbia University Villanova University
Univ. of California-Berkeley Boston College Cornell University Brown University
Univ. of California-Los Angeles Boston University Fordham University University of Rhode Island
University of San Diego Harvard University Iona College Clemson University
Univ. of Southern California Holy Cross Manhattan College University of Tennessee
Fairfield University Mass Institute of Technology Marist College Southern Methodist Univ.
Sacred Heart University Northeastern University Syracuse University University of Texas
University of Connecticut University of Massachusetts Ohio State University George Mason University
Yale University Loyola University Maryland University of Dayton Old Dominion University
George Washington Univ. U.S. Naval Academy University of Oklahoma University of Virginia
Georgetown University Eastern Michigan University University of Tulsa Gonzaga University
University of Delaware Michigan State University Oregon State University Seattle University
Jacksonville University University of Michigan University of Portland University of Washington
Stetson University University of Minnesota Bucknell University Washington State University
University of Central Florida Duke University Drexel University University of Wisconsin
University of Miami University of North Carolina Duquesne University West Virginia University
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Source: Scholarshipstats.com, 2018
Division I (88 Programs)
Division II (16 Programs)
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Humboldt State University
University of California-San Diego
Barry University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ.
Florida Institute of Technology
Nova Southeastern University
Rollins College
University of Tampa
Assumption College
Merrimack College
Franklin Pierce University
University of Central Oklahoma
Mercyhurst University
Philadelphia University
Seattle Pacific University
Western Washington University
Source: Scholarshipstats.com, 2018
Division III (43 Programs)
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Mills College Hamilton College
Connecticut College Hobart William Smith Colleges
Trinity College Ithaca College
U.S. Coast Guard Academy Rochester Institute of Technology
Wesleyan University Saint John Fisher College
North Park University Sarah Lawrence College
Clark University Skidmore College
Massachusetts Maritime Academy St Lawrence University
Mount Holyoke College SUNY Maritime College
Simmons College Union College
Smith College University of Rochester
Tufts University Marietta College
Wellesley College Lewis & Clark College
Wentworth Institute of Technology Pacific University
Williams College Bryn Mawr College
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Cabrini University
St Mary's College of Maryland Franklin & Marshall College
Washington College Johnson & Wales University
Bates College Pacific Lutheran University
Colby College University of Puget Sound
Stockton University Milwaukee School of Engineering
D'Youville College
Source: Scholarshipstats.com, 2018
Clubs Programs (76 programs)
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University of Central Florida University of California, Irvine University of Virginia Southern Methodist Univ.
Ohio State University University of Cincinnati Stony Brook University Chapman University
Pennsylvania State University Virginia Commonwealth Univ. University of Toledo Duquesne University
University of Texas at Austin Washington State University Georgia Institute of Technology Geneso SUNY
Michigan State University West Virginia University University of Rhode Island Lehigh University
Indiana University University of Iowa University of New Hampshire Seattle University
Rutgers University George Mason University Wichita State University Loyola University (Maryland)
University of Minnesota University of Massachusetts University of Vermont University of Portland
University of Illinois University of Oklahoma Boston College Bucknell University
The California State Univ. University of Tennessee Northwestern University St. Mary’s College of Calif.
Univ. of California, LA
Grand Valley State Univ. University of Dayton Canisius College
Purdue University University of Oregon University of Notre Dame St. John Fisher College
Iowa State University Kansas State University Fordham University University of Puget Sound
University of Michigan Old Dominion University Humboldt State University Middlebury College
San Diego State University Univ. of Southern California Stockton University Lafayette College
University of California, Davis University of Connecticut Washington University North Park University
California State University University of North Carolina Villanova University Bowdoin College
University of Colorado University of Delaware University of Temple Amherst College
Georgia State University Clemson University Drake University Haverford College
Navigating The Waters Of College
Recruiting
Expectations
– Who are your potential teammates?
– Will you love the college if you didn't participate in
rowing?
– Where will you be on the team, and does that
challenge you appropriately?
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Scholarship Myth
! There is no such thing as a four year “Full
Ride”
! ALL athletic scholarship are one year
renewable deals
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Scholarship Facts
! 3% of high school student-athletes receive
ascholarship
! Less than 1% receive a four year D1 scholarship
! 26% of kids who enter college on an
athletic scholarship, are no longer on an athletic
scholarship by the start of their sophomore year
! 80% of scholarship/financial assistance
opportunities are not on the D1 level
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D1 = Division I
Visiting Colleges
Official visit: Any visit to a college campus by you and your parents paid for by the
college. The college may pay all or some of the following expenses:
! Your transportation to and from the college
! Room and meals (three per day) while you are visiting the college
! Reasonable entertainment expenses, including three complimentary admissions to
a home athletics contest
! Before a college may invite you on an official visit, you will have to provide the
college with a copy of your high school transcript (Division I only) and SAT, ACT or
PLAN score and register with the Eligibility Center.
Unofficial visit: Any visit by you and your parents to a college campus paid for by you
or your parents. The only expense you may receive from the college is
three complimentary admissions to a home athletics contest. You may make as many
unofficial visits as you like and may take those visits at any time. The only time
you cannot talk with a coach during an unofficial visit is during a dead period.
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Taking Ownership Of Your Rowing Future
Communication
– Fill out questionnaires on websites
– Follow up with college coaches
that you are interested in
– Show growth and/or the willingness to improve
your standing (erg, boatings, academics, etc.)
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Where Do You Want To Row?
Do you really want to row in college?
! Rowing impact on “normal” college experience
! Pressure on lightweights and coxswains to make/maintain weight
First consider the school: Is the school a good fit for your interests
independent of rowing?
What will your place be in the crew?
! Are all the other “freshmen” coming over from the Czech U23 national
team?
! Being the best rower in a smaller program can be more rewarding
than fighting for the second boat in a faster program
What is it like to row there?
Do you fit an academic profile?
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Considerations In Evaluating A Crew
Program
Coaches
• Do you like the coaches?
• Are they likely to stay?
Rowers
• Have you met your potential teammates? (official visits are good for this)
Facilities
• How close is the boathouse to campus? How long is the commute?
• Are there on campus facilities for off the water activities (tanks, ergs, etc.)?
• How are the facilities?
Location
• How much travel is involved in racing?
• Do you like the water?
• Do you like the weather?
Intensity
• What kind of time commitments are expected by your coach? Travel?
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Questions For College Coaches
“Recruitability”
" Where do you fit in the coach’s recruiting plans?
! Special note for coxswains; your ACT score maybe weighted heavier
because you’re not being evaluated on an ERG score
" What do you need to demonstrate or accomplish in order for the coach to
support your application?
! Academically & athletically
Admissions
" Can the coach “support” admission (typical of Ivy’s), or grant admission (some
state schools)
" How many applications can the coach support each year?
" How many of your supported applications do not get admitted every year?
Acceptance
" Are scholarships available for rowers?
" Are there other benefits to being an athlete at that school?
! Academic assistance through tutors
! Schedule/course selection
! Dorm assignments
" Does the school issue “likely letters”?
The Big One –“Can you, or will you, support my application?”
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Communication with the School / Coach
Contact the coach if you are interested in a program/school
Direct Communication
! Emails (every two weeks, after big race results, or erg PRs)
Indirect Communication
! Recruiting Websites – www.berecruited.com, www.sparksconsult.com,
http://www.vespoli.com/recruiting/ , etc.
" Any athlete can create a profile with athletic and academic
information and interests. Coaches can see your profile at any time.
“social media for recruiting”.
" Con: Not all coaches are keen on social media.
School Questionnaires
! Many programs have their own questionnaires on their home pages. Go
and fill these out so they know you and your interest in their program.
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The Ultimate Recruiting Checklist
Source: US Rowing, Be Recruited, January 2017
Ask Your Student-Athlete This Question
If the college you are researching did
not offer your sport …
... would you still consider attending
that school?
College is a match to be made - not a
prize to be won. Enjoy your journey!
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Loyola Academy 2019 - 2020 Athletic
Participation Report
Sports Teams
Student-
Athletes
Seniors
Signed for
College
Loyola Academy 34 80+ 1,382 (70%) 196 57 (29%)
Rowing 1 4 104 14 8 (57%)
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Rowing accounted for 14% all LA student-athletes
who signed to play their sport in college
Boston College
College of the Holy Cross*
Drake University*ǂ
Drexel University
Fairfield University*
Georgetown University (2)*
Gonzaga University (2)**
Harvard University*
Indiana University (2)*
Lafayette College*
Mercyhurst University*
Miami University
Michigan State University
Princeton University (2)**
Santa Clara University
Seattle University*
St. Olaf College
Stanford University (2)**
Syracuse University*ǂ
University of California SD
University of Illinois
University of Kansas
University of Michigan*ǂ
University of Minnesota (2)**ǂ
University of Notre Dame (4)*ǂ
University of Pennsylvania*
University of San Diego*
University of Wisconsin (4)
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University (3)***
Washington University
LARA Classes of 2018, 2019 & 2020
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Of the 45 senior LARA rowers who graduated over the past
three seasons, 25 (53%) will row in college. These are the
institutions our recent graduates attended:
* Rowing in College (24)
ǂ Scholarship Opportunity (5)
Next Steps
If a LARA student-athlete is interested in pursuing
rowing opportunities in college, they should complete
the “Interested in Rowing in College” form found on
the LARA website.
Matt Baldino
Director of Coaching
Resources
US Rowing
• http://www.usrowing.org/college-rowing/
• http://www.usrowing.org/get-recruited-captainu/
• http://www.usrowing.org/guide-college-recruiting-rowers-parents/
• http://www.usrowing.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BeRecruited-2.pdf?x52716
• http://www.usrowing.org/the-rules-of-recruiting/
• http://www.usrowing.org/wp-
content/uploads/2016/08/USRowing_Recruiting_Guide.pdf?x52716
Scholarshipstats
• http://scholarshipstats.com/rowing.html
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Go Ramblers! Row Hard!
