Most college sports recruit athletes who have spent years developing sport-specific skills. Rowing does the opposite. The majority of college rowers — especially women — arrive on campus having never touched an oar. Coaches don't expect experience. They recruit for physical attributes, athletic background, and coachability, then teach the sport from scratch. For families who have never considered rowing, this creates one of the most accessible paths to competing — and earning scholarship money — at the college level.
Women's rowing, in particular, carries a scholarship allotment that rivals football in its generosity. D1 women's rowing programs receive 20 head-count scholarships per team — more than almost any other women's sport. Many of those scholarships go to athletes who walked onto the team with no rowing background. If your athlete is tall, athletic, and open to learning a new sport, rowing may offer a realistic college opportunity that no one in your circle has mentioned yet.
This article covers the rowing-specific recruiting timeline, explains the dramatic difference between men's and women's programs, breaks down what coaches evaluate, and maps the scholarship landscape at every division level.
Why rowing recruiting is different from every other sport
Three structural realities set rowing apart from the rest of college athletics.
Most recruits have no prior rowing experience.
Unlike basketball or swimming, where athletes develop sport-specific skills over a decade of youth competition, rowing programs expect to teach the sport at the college level. Club rowing exists at the high school level, and experienced rowers have an advantage — but coaches fill a significant portion of their rosters with athletes from other sports. Former basketball players, volleyball players, swimmers, and track athletes are common on college rowing teams. Coaches look for raw material, not finished products.
Women's rowing exists in large part because of Title IX.
Title IX requires colleges to provide proportional athletic opportunities for men and women. Football rosters of 85 scholarship athletes create a massive gender-equity gap that schools must offset. Women's rowing, with its large roster sizes and 20 scholarships, is one of the most common sports schools add to balance the equation. This is why women's rowing programs are widespread, well-funded, and actively searching for athletes — they have roster spots and scholarship dollars they need to fill.
The erg is the great equalizer.
The erg — short for ergometer, the indoor rowing machine — is the primary evaluation tool for recruits without on-water experience. A single number, the 2K erg time (how fast you can row 2,000 meters on the machine), gives coaches an objective measurement of your athlete's potential. An athlete who has never been in a boat but posts a strong 2K erg time is a legitimate recruiting prospect. No highlight reel required.
The rowing recruiting timeline by graduation year
Rowing recruiting runs later than most sports. The combination of athletes entering the sport late and coaches evaluating raw physical potential rather than years of competition means the window extends well into senior year.
Freshman and sophomore year:
Formal recruiting contact from D1 coaches cannot begin until June 15 after sophomore year. For rowing, these early years are about physical development and — if your athlete is interested — exposure to the sport. If a club rowing program or high school team exists nearby, joining it gives your athlete a head start but is not required. Athletes from other sports should focus on building the strength, endurance, and height that rowing coaches value. There is no urgency to specialize.
Junior year:
This is when rowing recruiting becomes active. After June 15 following sophomore year, D1 coaches can initiate contact. Athletes should begin emailing coaches at target programs, sharing their athletic background, physical stats (height and weight matter in rowing), and erg scores if available. If your athlete doesn't have erg scores yet, many coaches will ask them to complete a timed test at a local gym or rowing club. Official visits can begin August 1 before junior year.
Athletes with club rowing experience should be competing at regattas where college coaches are present — the Head of the Charles, youth national championships, and regional championship events draw significant coaching attention. Athletes without rowing experience should focus on building erg scores, attending ID camps hosted by college rowing programs, and reaching out to coaches with their athletic profile.
Senior year:
Rowing recruiting extends later than most sports precisely because coaches are accustomed to developing raw athletes. Verbal commitments happen throughout senior fall. The early signing period in November formalizes commitments through the National Letter of Intent. But many programs — especially at the D2 and D3 level — actively recruit into the spring and summer. Walk-on tryouts in September of freshman year are common, real, and frequently lead to roster spots and eventual scholarship offers.
If your athlete is a senior who just discovered rowing as an option, it is not too late. This is one of the few sports where that statement is genuinely true.
Women's rowing: the scholarship opportunity most families don't know about
Women's rowing has the most generous scholarship structure of almost any women's sport in college athletics — and one of the lowest barriers to entry.
| Division | Scholarship type | Scholarships per team | Approximate programs |
|---|
| D1 | Head count | 20 | 90+ |
| D2 | Equivalency | 20 | Emerging, fewer programs |
| D3 | None (athletic) | 0 | Strong programs at liberal arts colleges |
The head-count distinction matters.
D1 women's rowing is a head-count sport, not an equivalency sport. That means each scholarship is a full scholarship — coaches cannot split one scholarship among multiple athletes. A D1 women's rowing team with 20 scholarships awards 20 full rides. Compare that to a D1 women's soccer team, which has 14 equivalency scholarships split across a roster of 30 players, with most athletes receiving partial awards. In women's rowing, if you earn a scholarship, it covers the full cost of attendance.
Walk-ons regularly earn scholarships.
Because rosters are large and many athletes arrive without experience, walk-on tryouts are a genuine pathway. An athlete who walks on, develops during freshman year, and proves she can contribute will often earn scholarship money for sophomore year and beyond. This is not a theoretical scenario — it happens on most D1 women's rowing teams every year.
The recruiting pool is smaller than the opportunity.
There are roughly 90 D1 women's rowing programs with 20 scholarships each — that's approximately 1,800 full scholarships available nationally. The number of experienced high school female rowers in the country is a fraction of that demand. This structural gap is exactly why coaches recruit from other sports and why the opportunity for non-rowers is real.
For a broader look at how college athletic scholarships work across all sports — including the difference between head-count and equivalency awards — our scholarship guide covers the full landscape.
Men's rowing: a different landscape with fewer scholarship opportunities
Men's rowing operates under a fundamentally different structure than women's rowing, and families need to understand this difference clearly.
Men's rowing is not an NCAA championship sport at the D1 level.
There is no NCAA D1 men's rowing championship. Men's collegiate rowing is governed primarily by the IRA (Intercollegiate Rowing Association), and most men's rowing programs at D1 schools are club teams — funded partially by the athletic department but not carrying full varsity status. Only a handful of schools operate varsity men's rowing programs with NCAA scholarship allocations, including several Ivy League schools (which offer no athletic scholarships regardless), Navy, and Wisconsin.
Scholarship availability is limited.
Because most men's programs are club-level, athletic scholarships for men's rowing are scarce. Athletes at Ivy League programs receive need-based financial aid but no athletic scholarships. At the few varsity programs that exist outside the Ivy League, scholarship money is available but far less plentiful than on the women's side. At the D2 and D3 level, a small number of programs exist with varying scholarship structures.
Club rowing is still competitive and rewarding.
Club men's rowing at schools like Michigan, Harvard, and Cal is highly competitive — the racing is elite, the tradition is deep, and the experience is comparable to a varsity sport in intensity and commitment. The difference is primarily financial: club rowers generally don't receive athletic scholarships, and the program may charge dues rather than providing full athletic department funding.
The practical implication for families:
If your son is interested in rowing in college, the most realistic path at most schools is club rowing with strong academic or need-based financial aid covering tuition. A smaller number of varsity opportunities exist, and they are worth pursuing — but the landscape is nothing like the women's side.
What rowing coaches look for (height, strength, coachability — not prior experience)
Rowing coaches evaluate recruits differently than coaches in almost any other sport. Understanding what they prioritize helps families position their athlete accurately.
Height is the most important physical attribute.
Longer limbs create a longer stroke, which generates more power per pull. For women, D1 programs generally target athletes 5'10" and above. Athletes 6'0" and taller are highly sought after. For men, 6'2" and above is typical for competitive programs. Shorter athletes can and do row in college — particularly as coxswains (the small athlete who steers the boat and directs the crew, typically under 5'5" and 125 pounds) — but height is the single biggest physical advantage in the sport.
Erg scores are the primary measurable.
The 2K erg test — rowing 2,000 meters as fast as possible on an indoor rowing machine — is the standard benchmark. Common targets for women:
| Level | Women's 2K erg time | Context |
|---|
| Top D1 programs | Sub-7:00 to 7:15 | Power conference programs, nationally competitive teams |
| Mid-tier D1 | 7:15 to 7:45 | Solid D1 programs with competitive schedules |
| D2 and lower D1 | 7:45 to 8:00 | Programs that develop athletes over four years |
| D3 | 7:45 to 8:15+ | Strong liberal arts programs with no athletic scholarships |
For men, competitive club and varsity programs typically target sub-6:30 for the 2K, with top programs looking for sub-6:20 or faster.
Athletic background matters more than rowing experience.
Coaches want to see that your athlete has competed seriously in some sport — basketball, volleyball, track and field, swimming, or any other discipline that builds cardiovascular fitness, competitive toughness, and team discipline. A tall volleyball player with strong endurance and no rowing experience is a better recruiting prospect for most D1 women's rowing programs than a shorter rower with three years of club experience.
Coachability is the intangible coaches mention most.
Because coaches expect to teach the sport, they prioritize athletes who take instruction well, work hard without complaint, and demonstrate the mental toughness to push through a sport that is physically brutal in its demands. Camp attendance — where coaches can observe how an athlete responds to instruction in real time — is one of the best ways to demonstrate this quality.
Your first email to a rowing coach should include: graduation year, height and weight, athletic background and sport history, erg scores (if available — if not, say so honestly), GPA and test scores, and a specific reason you're interested in that program. Our guide to how to email a college coach covers the full approach for making initial contact.
The bottom line: is rowing a realistic path for your athlete?
For women: yes, and more realistic than most families imagine. Women's rowing is one of the few D1 sports where an athlete with no prior experience, strong physical attributes, and a willingness to learn can earn a full scholarship. The combination of large roster sizes, 20 head-count scholarships per D1 program, and a recruiting pool that doesn't come close to filling the demand creates genuine opportunity. If your daughter is tall, athletic, and open to a new challenge, rowing should be on your list — even if she has never heard of a 2K erg test.
For men: the opportunity is real but different. Most men's college rowing is club-level, meaning the competitive experience is strong but athletic scholarship money is scarce. A handful of varsity programs offer scholarships, and the Ivy League offers the combination of elite rowing and strong need-based financial aid. Men who want to row in college should plan for the sport to be a meaningful part of their college experience, but not necessarily a source of tuition funding.
For both: the timeline is forgiving. Rowing recruits later than almost every other sport, walk-on opportunities are genuine, and coaches are trained to evaluate potential rather than polish. A family discovering rowing as a college option in junior or even senior year still has time to act.
If you're building the overall picture of how college recruiting works, our college recruiting timeline maps the general framework across all sports. For the financial side — how head-count and equivalency scholarships work, what a full ride actually covers, and how to compare offers — the college athletic scholarships guide covers the full breakdown. And when your athlete is ready to reach out to coaches, the guide to how to email a college coach explains what to send, when to send it, and how to stand out in a coach's inbox.