Four Big Ten Programs to Compete in 2026 NCAA Rowing Championships
Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers and Washington to represent the conference
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten had four teams selected to participate in the 2026 NCAA Rowing Championships, the organization announced Tuesday. For the second time in as many years, Washington earned the conference’s automatic qualification after winning the 2026 Big Ten Rowing Championships presented by Allstate, while Michigan, Ohio State and Rutgers were at-large selections for the 22-team regatta. The championships will be held May 29-31 at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainesville, Ga., and will be covered live on NCAA.com.
For the fourth year in a row, the Big Ten captured four bids, the most since five teams competed in the 2019 NCAA Championships.
Teams participating in the NCAA Championships are required to field two boats of eight rowers (I Eights and II Eights) and one boat of four rowers (Fours), with all 22 boats being seeded into four heats.
Washington continues its streak with its 29th straight appearance, having competed in every championship regatta in the NCAA’s history of the event. The Huskies, who last won a national championship in 2019, are seeking their sixth title and have earned the No. 9 seed in the I Eights, No. 5 seed in the II Eights and No. 3 seed in the Fours.
Michigan is set to embark on its 25th overall and 18th consecutive postseason trip. The Wolverines are seeded 17th in the I Eights, 13th in the II Eights and 15th in the Fours. Michigan’s best NCAA finish as a program was a second-place showing in 2012.
Ohio State will make its 25th showing in the NCAA Championships. The Buckeyes have competed in all but one NCAA regatta held since 2000 and own seven individual boat titles. The three-time national champions (2013, 2014, 2015) are the No. 15 seed in the I Eights, No. 16 seed in the II Eights and No. 14 seed in the Fours.
Rutgers is back in the NCAA Championships for the seventh year in a row. The Scarlet Knights, who came in second at the Big Ten Championships, are seeded 12th in both the I Eights and II Eights and are fourth in the Fours for the NCAA competition.