It depends on the college. NCAA Div I permits 20 full ride scholarships for rowing (can be split up as partial scholarships to more than 20), which is more than basketball or any other women’s sport I am aware of. Some colleges do give the maximum allowed scholarships. For example, Ohio State has 16 full rides and splits the remaining 4 across multiple students. An old NYT article mentioned that women’s crew is the only sport where the total number of scholarships is a large percentage of the number of HS students participating, implying the chance of a large scholarship for a rower is much greater than in basketball. For example, women’s basketball had a ~1% scholarship/participation ratio with an average value of 80% full scholarship, while crew had a 41% scholarship/participation ratio with an average value of 42% full scholarship.</p>
<p>Yes, but on average D1 women’s crew team has 64 members vs. 20 scholarships. It is rare for a college to offer a full-scholarship to anyone since it is in their best interest to spread the money around. On the other hand D1 basketball teams only have 12.</p>
<p>D1 basketball teams have more than 12, unless you are only counting those that play in a particular game. I believe NCAA rowing competes in two varsity eights and a varsity four. If you use the basketball count method, only counting those that row at an event, then 8+8+4 is 20 varsity rowers (not including coxswain). I doubt that it’s a coincidence that this total matches the max number of NCAA full scholarships per team.</p>
<p>Well, yes. Basketball has a total of 15, I think (???). However, most colleges have more than three boats. And they row in multiple events by skill (novice, Varsity A, B, C), weight (lightweight, openweight). But generally speaking, I understand your point.</p>
<p>D applied to D3 or the D1’s who do not offer scholarships so…</p>
<p>NCAA does not have a lightweight event. I believe the NCAA championship scoring is based on just the 3 boats I listed – up to 48 points for the varsity eight I, up to 32 points for the varsity eight II, and up to 16 points for the varsity four. Yes, most teams have extra depth beyond the minimum number for competition and novice rowers (defined as less than 1 year experience) that practice separately from varsity. The college I attended defines women’s lightweight rowing as a separate sport from standard rowing with different coaches, roster, and scheduled meets.</p>
<p>There are usually at least two novice eights and a novice four, and recruits often row with the novice team, not varsity, so there are more scholarships right there. Most women’s rowing teams do have 40-60 people and very few of them are on a full scholarship. And coxswains can get scholarships, too.</p>
<p>It’s true that it’s easier to get a rowing scholarship than a basketball scholarship, but if you are recruited for D1 basketball, you are going to have a full scholarship. If you are recruited for D1 rowing, you could have anywhere between nothing and a full scholarship.</p>
<p>Division 1 colleges have added womens rowing teams like crazy over the past 20 years because it is an excellent way to help title ix legal compliance. It’s the only NCAA-recognized female sport that can make a dent counter-balancing a 100-man football roster.</p>
<p>Because rowing is infinitessimally small at the high school level, the number of college roster spots and scholarships far exceeds the supply of experienced rowing athletes. So many college rowers don’t start in the sport until they get to college. </p>
<p>That isn’t true of any other Division 1 varsity sport. Not one.</p>