Novice

Question
QUESTION: Hey I am currently a senior in college and have no rowing experience. I am
interested in rowing when I attend graduate school. Is this allowed? I have
never played a sport in my college career and just turned 21 a month ago, but
I cant seem to find eligibility regulations for graduate students. I am 153 lbs
and 5'11". My father was a champion oarsmen in the 70's and would help me
train for the following year before I would choose to apply to schools. If I am
eligible, is this enough experience to participate on a reputable eastern
university's crew?

ANSWER: Hi Mike: Your situation is interesting.  You are coming in to the game pretty late.  While college coaches like to have walk-ons, they much prefer them be freshman or sophomores because they have more time to develop.  At best, you have just one year to learn the sport and then boom, you're gone.  But if you have ability, the coach can put you in the JV Boat.

I would not choose your grad school on the basis of how good the crew is.  In fact, if I were you I would select a good academic school that has an average crew program as that would increase your chances of competing.    

To answer your eligibility question, this is from the NCAA rulebook:

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A student-athlete who is enrolled in a graduate or professional school of the college or university which he/she previously attended as an undergraduate student may partite in intercollegiate athletics, provided he/she has eligibility remaining and is within five calendar years of initial full-time collegiate enrollment for Division I and within the first ten full-time semesters of collegiate enrollment for Divisions II and III.

A student-athlete who has eligibility remaining and is within the specified five-year or ten-semester period also may partite while enrolled in a graduate or professional school at a Division I or II college or university other than the institution at which he/she completed an undergraduate degree, provided he/she meets the criteria of the one-time transfer exception to the general transfer residence requirement. That exception is as follows:

The student-athlete must be seeking to partite in a sport other than Division I football, basketball and men's ice hockey, except that a student-athlete who seeks to partite in Division I-AA football may use this exception only if transferring from a Division I-A program.
The student-athlete may not have transferred previously from another four-year institution unless he/she transferred previously and received an exception to the transfer residence requirement because his/her institution either discontinued the sport or did not sponsor the sport in which the student-athlete is a partint.
The student must have been in good academic standing and eligible to compete had he/she decided to remain at the previous institution.
The student-athlete's previous institution must certify in writing that it has no objection to the student-athlete being granted an exception to the transfer residence requirement.
NOTE: This exception does not apply to a student-athlete who attends a Division III institution for graduate school, unless the student-athlete is attending the same institution at which he/she was an undergraduate.

NOTE: If the student-athlete transfers to the certifying institution from a Division III member institution and meets the above-mentioned conditions, he or she may be eligible to compete but may not receive athletically related financial aid during that year.

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When I rowed in college, we had one guy in Nursing School who was allowed to try out (he didn't last).  Another guy joined crew as a senior and made varsity while in grad school.  

Of course, if the grad school runs crew as a club program, then these eligibility rules don't apply.  If I were you, I'd do one of two things:

1) Ask your school's crew coach if you can try out for your school's crew this spring (assuming they have one).  Even if you just practice and not race, you will have a head start for next year.

2) You can join a private rowing club this spring and summer.  This can give you the experience you need to compete.  You might even find it preferable to row at the club level instead of college.

Good Luck/AP

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QUESTION: I saw these rules but also saw the NCAA doesn't have a championship for mens
rowing. Do they still regulate eligibility?

Answer
Hi Again, Mike: Your statement is not totally true.   There are several different intercollegiate championship regattas competed in the spring.  They include the Eastern Sprints, Dad Vails, Southern Regionals, PAC Ten and Big East Champonships.  The rowing season culminates with the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Championship, which is kind of like the NCAA Men's Rowing Championships.

I am fairly certain these regattas all use NCAA eligibility requirements.  I do know that the fall races, such as the Head of the Charles, might be a bit more lax on the eligibility rules and you might be able to race in the fall even though you might be out of compliance with NCAA eligibility (that's up to the coach).

Of course, you can call the NCAA directly.

Regards/AP