College Rowing Recruiting Guides | RosterWise™
These guides cover college rowing for both women’s and men’s teams, with the differences called out inside each guide. For the overviews of each side of the sport, see women’s college rowing and men’s college rowing.
Each guide is built from primary sources, lists them at the bottom, and is dated to when we read them. Where we couldn’t confirm a rule from the body that sets it, we leave it out and suggest the question to ask instead.
For topics that apply across sports, such as the NCAA Eligibility Center and the House settlement, see our universal recruiting guides.
Who Governs College Rowing: NCAA, IRA and Club Crews
Who runs which part of college rowing: the NCAA, the IRA, the Dad Vail Regatta, club rowing and the NAIA.
Rowing Scholarships and the House Settlement
What the 2026-27 NCAA Manuals say about rowing scholarships and roster limits in each division, the Ivy League's approach, and what to ask about men's crews.
The College Rowing Recruiting Timeline
When NCAA recruiting contact and visits can begin in each division, when Division I written offers can begin, the 2026-27 dead periods, and what to ask a men's program.
Rowing Boats, Seats and Sides Explained
The vocabulary of a racing shell: boat types, seats and sides, for families new to the sport.
Lightweight vs Openweight Rowing
What lightweight and openweight mean in college rowing, and who sets the rules for each.
The 2k Erg Test in College Rowing Recruiting
What the 2k erg score is, and what programs say about it on their own recruiting pages.
Coxswain Recruiting
The coxswain's role, and what the rules and programs say about recruiting coxswains.
Walk-On and Novice Rowing in College
Walking on and starting as a novice in college rowing.
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