University of Toledo adding women's rowing in 2025-26

The University of Toledo is adding a 17th sport.

In the fall of 2025, women’s rowing will join the Division I varsity ranks, UT athletic director Bryan Blair announced on Tuesday.

The Rockets will practice and compete on the Maumee River and utilize the Philip LeBoutillier, Jr., Memorial Boathouse in International Park. The boathouse is owned by Metroparks Toledo and is operated by the Toledo Rowing Foundation.

“Today is an exciting day for the University of Toledo, Toledo athletics, and the northwest Ohio community,” Blair said. “Women’s rowing will create new opportunities for female student-athletes, will bring a significant number of high achieving students from Ohio and around the country to our campus, and will be financially beneficial for the university. Moreover, women’s rowing will help grow and nurture new relationships within the Toledo community by enhancing the footprint of Toledo athletics in downtown Toledo.”

No resources will be reallocated from any other UT sport and infrastructure and start-up costs will be “relatively low,” according to Blair. Funding will come from self-generated revenue streams, partnerships, and philanthropy.

The program expects to hire a head coach in 2024. Women’s rowing will be the first new sport at UT since the addition of women’s soccer in 1995.

Toledo joins Eastern Michigan and Massachusetts as Mid-American Conference schools that have women’s rowing. Eastern is an associate member of the Coastal Athletic Association, and UMass competes in the Atlantic-10. UT’s conference affiliation is to be determined.

There are currently 92 Division I women’s rowing programs, including Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and Dayton.

“We are excited about the many opportunities that adding women’s rowing brings to the University of Toledo, including attracting new students to our campus, supporting the growth of our excellent Rocket athletics program with a 17th varsity sport, partnering more closely with Metroparks Toledo, and strengthening our presence in downtown Toledo,” interim UT president Matt Schroeder said.

“I appreciate the thoughtfulness of Bryan Blair and his team in thinking creatively for ways that varsity athletics can positively impact our university and our community. We have found that in the addition of women’s rowing.”

The university believes women’s rowing will attract academically high-achieving female students, provide additional opportunities for high school student to experience a Division I sport, strengthen the relationship between UT, Metroparks Toledo, and the Toledo Rowing Foundation, and allow UT to have a bigger presence downtown.

The roster size is expected to between 50 and 60 athletes, although Blair didn’t provide a number of committed scholarships. NCAA rules allow a maximum of 20 scholarships.

The Philip LeBoutillier, Jr., Memorial Boathouse is part of a $200 million project that includes the Glass City Metropark and Riverwalk. It will feature 300 acres of greenspace and a five-mile trail that connects downtown and East Toledo.

The entire project is projected to be completed in the spring of 2026.

“This morning, our Board of Park Commissioners voted unanimously to enter into a memorandum of understanding with Toledo athletics and the Toledo Rowing Foundation to continue and grow the sport of rowing on the Toledo riverfront,” Metroparks executive director Dave Zenk said. “The partners will work together to facilitate boathouse renovations that benefit the university, the organizations served by the [Toledo] Rowing Foundation, and visitors to the developing Glass City Riverwalk.”