HBCU Launches Historic Varsity Co-Ed Rowing Program for Fall 2025

Xavier University of Louisiana is poised to make history as it introduces co-ed rowing as an official varsity sport beginning in fall 2025, setting a precedent as the first-ever varsity-level rowing program at a Historically Black College or University. This pivotal announcement follows the successful development of the rowing program, which has spent the last three seasons as a club sport in partnership with the New Orleans Rowing Club.

XULA Rowing
Courtesy of Xavier University of Louisiana

Since its inception in September 2023, the Xavier Rowing Club has gained significant momentum, thanks to the collaborative efforts of NORC members, including Elizabeth Manley, Ph.D., a professor of history and chair of the History Department at Xavier, and Chloé Jobin, the club’s head of community outreach and diversity initiatives. Both leaders expressed their pride in launching the program.

“The passion and dedication of our athletes, combined with the support from esteemed national figures including Olympic Rower David Banks, former Division I Coach Kevin Harris, rowing luminary Arshay Cooper, and Brannon Johnson of BLJ Rowing, who have all visited to inspire and coach our students, truly exemplifies the spirit of Xavier,” Manley and Jobin stated in a joint statement. “Launching this team of athletes onto the competitive national stage is not just about rowing—it’s about building a community, inspiring our students, and creating opportunities for growth both on and off the water.”

The club’s popularity has reached national heights, attracting attention and support from key organizations in the rowing community. Recent endorsements include sponsorships from USRowing and A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund, along with notable contributions from Vespoli USA, JL Athletics, and Concept2.

Charting New Waters

Olympic Rower David Banks commended the tenacity of the Xavier community in pushing to establish this program, noting, “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.”

The personal impact of the rowing community at Xavier was echoed by junior political science major Kamryn Days. “The Xavier Rowing Club has offered me the opportunity to find a family outside of my Xavier family,” she shared. “It allows us to shatter negative stereotypes and false perceptions.”

As the Xavier Rowing program prepares for its inaugural season as an official varsity sport, efforts are underway to secure a head coach and recruit prospective athletes.