2021 Season

[str8four]

It is now Sep 10th. Some universities are back and finding a way to make it work. College football played 9 games in Week 1 and has another 20 scheduled for Week 2. New confirmed COVID cases are down to around 25,000 a day from the mid-July peak of 75,000 a day. So what is going on in the college rowing world?
- Are any teams formally practicing on the water?
- Is informal practice in singles and/or the erg the norm at universities that are back in person?
- Are rowers (and other athletes) back at a lot of schools that are supposedly online only?
- What chance do you give to there being a spring season of some sort? (Maybe just dual races or a regional race but no national regattas)
- What chance do you give for bigger regattas like Vails or IRA?
- How have different programs been effected by graduating seniors, internationals not coming back in person, or students deciding to take a gap year?

[flat drive]

The big gun Australian recruits all seem to be making their way to the states... Marcus Emmett who was in the Scotch 8 for 3 years just landed at Yale.

[lt.wolf]

Here in Boston area some universities are out in singles while others have passed on the fall altogether.


While I am hopeful for a full spring schedule in 2021, it will be interesting to see who actually fields crews


I expect Yale to be the favored for 2021 , and Texas women


College football is ramping up for a return.

[bloomp]

ACRA moving to Oak Ridge. How many clubs will be on the water this spring?

[JT and Ben]

I was on the Schuylkill on Saturday morning.
-Saint Joes University Women were out in pairs, fours, and eights.
-Saint Joes Prep guys were out in eights
-Temple was just launching team boats as I was leaving (eights I think).

I think I saw masks on the rowers for the SJU women while they were out on the water. SJP rowers weren't masked up on the water, but the coxswains had a mask and a face shield, which seems like a good call.

No Drexel, no Penn, no La Salle, no other high schools other than the Prep as far as I can tell. It's hard to know how much of that is because of the dredging and lack of docks and how much of that is due to COVID.

In regards to ACRA, does Oak Ridge have eight raceable lanes? If not, I guess that means new progressions for this years ACRA.

[sul]

I was on the Schuylkill on Saturday morning.
-Saint Joes University Women were out in pairs, fours, and eights.
-Saint Joes Prep guys were out in eights
-Temple was just launching team boats as I was leaving (eights I think).

I think I saw masks on the rowers for the SJU women while they were out on the water. SJP rowers weren't masked up on the water, but the coxswains had a mask and a face shield, which seems like a good call.

No Drexel, no Penn, no La Salle, no other high schools other than the Prep as far as I can tell. It's hard to know how much of that is because of the dredging and lack of docks and how much of that is due to COVID.

In regards to ACRA, does Oak Ridge have eight raceable lanes? If not, I guess that means new progressions for this years ACRA.

Seven lanes with option for eight with some planning according to a note distributed to ACRA last day or so.

\

[fullmetal]

Haha, I'm guessing that eighth lane is going to be the northeast-side travel lane then...okay. That's a highly unfavored lane if the current is substantial that day.

[sandor]

I was on the Schuylkill on Saturday morning.
-Saint Joes University Women were out in pairs, fours, and eights.
-Saint Joes Prep guys were out in eights
-Temple was just launching team boats as I was leaving (eights I think).

I think I saw masks on the rowers for the SJU women while they were out on the water. SJP rowers weren't masked up on the water, but the coxswains had a mask and a face shield, which seems like a good call.

No Drexel, no Penn, no La Salle, no other high schools other than the Prep as far as I can tell. It's hard to know how much of that is because of the dredging and lack of docks and how much of that is due to COVID.

In regards to ACRA, does Oak Ridge have eight raceable lanes? If not, I guess that means new progressions for this years ACRA.

Penn Drexel & La Salle are all *allowed* to be on campus & practicing (by the institution/league per postings on their websites)
I'm guessing the lack of docks is the reason the boats are staying in the house (or, at least, making it an easier call for the coaches)

Being stuck inside on mornings like this is simply awful.

The expanded daily dredging hours are visible now - saw the pump on the barge running when i biked past after work yesterday, that was a first (prior they closed up shop around 3, i believe.
Hopefully the threat of loss of $$ lights a fire under the contractor to get the silt out before the turtles burrow in for the winter.

[Slim]

Are any club teams on the water? I’m not bullish on ACRA happening this year.

[JD]

Haha, I'm guessing that eighth lane is going to be the northeast-side travel lane then...okay. That's a highly unfavored lane if the current is substantial that day.

Eighth lane is the "travel lane". It's a 7-lane course.

[lt.wolf]

There are “Club “teams are out in small boats in different parts of the country

[bow1]

ACRA Teams might not be the first back on the water, but you have to admire their growth as a conference over the last 6 months.
While IRA and NCAA conferences have struggled with their response to Covid and shrunk, the ACRA conference has successfully added top men's and women's teams from across the country, including Stanford, George Washington, Connecticut, Nova Southeastern, and potentially also Dartmouth.

[sul]

Haha, I'm guessing that eighth lane is going to be the northeast-side travel lane then...okay. That's a highly unfavored lane if the current is substantial that day.

Eighth lane is the "travel lane". It's a 7-lane course.

That's what I remembered, but just quoted the ACRA note.

My guess is that ACRA won't be dogmatic about eight lanes, they'll be happy with seven and no power boats running roughshod over the finals races.

[sul]

There are “Club “teams are out in small boats in different parts of the country

two of the UC sports clubs admins at Davis and Irvine recently announced no club sports team practices for the Fall.

Sculling is well within Ca state and the local guidelines, coaches trying to figure out how to accomplish this within their sports club administrations. They each have access to a fleet of singles. School doesn't start for couple weeks. both are allowing on-campus single occupancy housing so limited space available. Transportation to/from boathouse seems to be one of the larger hurdles, possible solutions are being pushed.

[lt.wolf]

NCAA voted to extend dead period till Jan 1. This cuts off all unofficial and official campus visits for prospects (unless arranged independently from athletics through campus admissions department)

Only effects D1

This is a game changer for some

Better have a good online presence and social media....