Xavier University Announces Rowing as Official Varsity Sport for Men and Women, Fall 2025

Written by: Elizabeth Manley

Xavier now becomes the first and only HBCU in the nation to offer Varsity rowing for both men and women.

If you ask Xavier University of Louisiana student Victoria Duffey about her experience as a member of the school’s rowing club, she will tell you that it is an honor to be a part of the first coed program at an Historically Black College and University (HBCU). But as she told Row2K reporter John FX Flynn, she also hopes that the decision to elevate the program to varsity status will “open the door for HBCUs” and “help a lot of other people of color come out and do the sport because we don't really see [rowing] much in our culture.”

The pioneering Xavier University of Louisiana Rowing Club, launched in September 2023 and led by New Orleans Rowing Club (NORC) members Elizabeth Manley, Ph.D and Chloé Jobin, has expanded over the past sixteen months, driven by the student-athletes’ enthusiastic participation in practices, travel training sessions, indoor and intramural regattas, and advocacy for the club and sport in their community. As JL Racing noted last year in this blog, the team grew quickly from its launch date, expanding from a small cohort of dedicated students who all came to the sport with no experience.

Now, with the support of the university, rowing will become an official varsity sport in fall 2025. This marks a major step in equality and access in the long history of the sport. The nearly two dozen current members of the rowing club are supported by NORC which has provided access to the necessary equipment and water time; however, encouragement from the wider community has also been critical in making the program successful.

This support has come in a number of different forms, including grants and donations from U.S. Rowing’s United We Row initiative, Arshay Cooper’s A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund, Nike’s Community Impact Fund, the Payne Family Foundation, Vespoli USA, JL Racing, and Concept 2’s Pulling Together grant program. It has also included the time and talents of leaders in the sport like Cooper, Olympian David Banks, BLJ founder Brannon Johnson, former US Rowing Trustee Kevin Harris, Head of Rowing at Waco Community Rowing Marqus Brown, and former national team member Kaydee Sylla.

Transitioning the sport to varsity is a testament to the work of the students as well as the community they have fostered around their club. According to junior captain Kamryn Days, “The Xavier Rowing Club has offered the opportunity to find a family outside of my Xavier family and get involved in a sport that allows me to be part of a team and also work on my own individual goals. . . [and] it allows us to shatter negative stereotypes and false perceptions.” Banks echoed these thoughts in his reflection on the program’s growth. “It’s truly impressive that the push to start the first coed HBCU varsity program was initiated internally by the Xavier students, staff, and faculty. It’s another testament to the outstanding students at Xavier, in that they seek out new challenges and opportunities and strive for excellence in whatever they do. It’s not easy being the first few to do something that may seem so very different and even daunting. But I’m confident and hopeful that these students will realize that this sport is theirs to make their own and that they will be an inspiration to many people to take their own new steps. I can’t wait.”

For Xavier’s Vice President of Student Affairs Curtis Wright, the move to varsity makes sense for Xavier on multiple levels. “We believe that by sponsoring rowing at the varsity level, we not only elevate the sport within our institution but also expand athletic opportunities for African American youth in our community. This initiative aligns perfectly with our mission to provide a well-rounded co-curricular experience that challenges our students to create opportunities in spaces where they see gaps in representation.” As Wright continued, “Overall, integrating rowing into XULA's athletics program will not only benefit our students by providing new opportunities but will also elevate the university's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in sports. This initiative will ultimately contribute to building a stronger, more vibrant community that reflects the values of our institution.”

For Cooper, this endorsement of rowing at an HBCU goes far beyond the Xavier community. “For so many young people in our rowing community, Xavier has the potential to enhance their lives both academically and athletically and to provide an opportunity that has not existed before now. Excitement for the program has been building around the country as young men and women are realizing that they may soon be able to fulfill their dreams of attending an HBCU and rowing in college,” said Cooper. Added Wright, “Introducing rowing to Black boys and girls in areas where such opportunities have been historically limited addresses systemic inequities in sports access. By creating pathways for young people to engage in rowing, we empower them to pursue their athletic and academic aspirations at the collegiate level.”

According to Johnson, founder of the sport’s first Black owned and operated club, these pathways are critical avenues for transformation. “Rowing can be a vehicle to a better life. It certainly was for me. But rowing can also be a vehicle for change. Xavier, like so many other HBCUs, is steeped in the rich tradition of creating change for its students. Xavier's Rowing team is a wonderful example of what that looks like now and it's vital that we lean in and support this program and the students at its center.”

To their coaches and all those who have had the honor of getting to work with them, these student athletes represent the true spirit of Xavier. Their passion and dedication to a sport that is new to them, their excitement to be pioneers in its growth and change, and their support for one another as they everyday become more confident rowers is nothing short of inspirational. Launching this team of athletes onto the competitive national stage is not just about rowing—it's about building community, inspiring others, and creating opportunities for growth on and off the water.