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Xavier University of Louisiana will make history in fall 2025 by becoming the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to offer a varsity-level co-ed rowing program. The announcement marks a significant milestone in collegiate sports diversity and follows three successful seasons as a club sport at the New Orleans institution.
The program, which began in September 2023 as a partnership between Xavier and the New Orleans Rowing Club (NORC), has already garnered national attention and support from prominent figures in the rowing community. Olympic rower David Banks and rowing pioneer Arshay Cooper are among those who have visited campus to mentor and inspire student athletes. Former Division I Coach Kevin Harris has also lent his expertise to the developing program.
The transition from club to varsity status represents a breakthrough moment for diversity in collegiate rowing, a sport that has historically seen limited representation from the Black community at the competitive level.
“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,” Cooper said, highlighting the program’s transformative potential.
“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,” Banks added. “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 program has secured substantial support from major organizations including USRowing, the sport’s national governing body, and equipment manufacturers Vespoli USA and Concept2. Additional backing has come from Cooper’s A Most Beautiful Thing Inclusion Fund and JL Athletics, demonstrating the rowing community’s commitment to expanding access to the sport.
For Xavier students like Kamryn Days, a junior political science major, the rowing program offers more than just athletic opportunities.
“The Xavier Rowing Club has offered me 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,” Days said, adding that the program helps “shatter negative stereotypes and false perceptions.”
The program is led by Dr. Elizabeth Manley, a Xavier history professor and department chair, and Chloé Jobin from NORC’s community outreach team. Their leadership has helped establish rowing as Xavier’s newest addition to its athletic program, which already includes sports such as basketball, baseball, softball, competitive cheer, cross country, soccer, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.
“We could not be prouder to work with the Xavier Rowing team as we launch this historic debut as an official varsity university sport,” Manley and Jobin said in a joint statement. They emphasized that the program’s mission extends beyond athletic achievement to “building a community, inspiring our students, and creating opportunities for growth both on and off the water.”
“This is an exciting time for Xavier Athletics,” said Athletic Director Pat Kendrick. “We are so proud of each and every one of these athletes and look forward to seeing them excel in their sport and bring the spirit of Xavier to the water and beyond.”
The move to varsity status is expected to open new opportunities for students interested in both attending an HBCU and pursuing collegiate rowing, a combination that hasn’t been possible until now. As Brannon Johnson, founder of the sport’s first Black-owned and operated club, noted, “Rowing can be a vehicle to a better life… 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.”