On the 25th anniversary of Eastern Michigan University adding women’s rowing to its sports catalog, the university has announced the addition of its 20th varsity sport for student-athletes.
Eastern Michigan will debut its own women’s lightweight rowing team during the 2026-27 academic year, following in the footsteps of other prominent United States universities, such as Harvard, Princeton and Stanford.
"Adding women's lightweight rowing reflects our continued investment in student-athletes and in providing new pathways for competitive excellence and personal development," said Eastern Michigan Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Wetherbee in a statement to EMU Athletics.
Lightweight rowing differs from the traditional rowing division in its weight restrictions – women’s lightweight rowers are restricted to weighing less than 130 pounds (59 kg) in order to be cleared for competition.
This distinction allows smaller rowers to have a greater chance of competing and to make a bigger impact on the races, with several rowers describing it as a “completely different sport” from heavyweight rowing due to the competition being more evenly matched. That leads to tighter finishing margins, according to the Harvard Crimson.
The addition of lightweight rowing marks the first women’s sport to be introduced to Eastern Michigan’s athletics department since lacrosse was added during the 2022-23 academic year and the 13th women’s sporting discipline overall.
Ypsilanti’s Ford Lake hosts U.S. Rowing's RowFest 2025 | July 12-20
EMU, Ypsilanti and the greater Ann Arbor area will also play host to the U.S. Rowing’s annual RowFest beginning this Saturday, July 12, 2025, and lasting through July 20.
According to U.S. Rowing’s Director of Competition Sarah McAuliffe, the Rowing Course on Ford Lake will host all the action as one of the Midwest’s premier rowing venues, with the 2,000-meter course serving as the stage for over 350 RowFest races during the festivities.
National championships following traditional racing formats will be held for the youth, under 17, under 23, and open divisions, as well as for the masters age group. Cash prizes, sprints, and relay races will also be featured.
