UC San Diego Joins The CAA As An Associate Member In Women's Rowing
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (March 26, 2021) - The Colonial Athletic Association has added UC San Diego as an associate member in women's rowing beginning with the 2021 season.
“We’re very pleased to welcome UC San Diego to the CAA as an associate member in rowing,” CAA Commissioner Joe D’Antonio said. “Coach Truex has built an extremely competitive and successful program that will add to the quality of rowing in the conference. We look forward to having the Tritons competing in the CAA championship in May.”
UC San Diego joins UConn, Delaware, Drexel, Eastern Michigan, Northeastern and Villanova to give the CAA seven conference members in rowing for the first time since 2012. The CAA has conducted a championship in women's rowing since 2009.
UC San Diego is transitioning to Division I after having great success in rowing at the Division II level. The Tritons made four NCAA Championship appearances (2013, 2017, 2018, 2019) under Coach Colin Truex and were ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in the CRCA/US Rowing Coaches Poll in 2018 and 2019. UC San Diego’s Varsity 8 posted a runner-up finish in the grand final at the 2018 NCAA Division II Championship.
“We are incredibly excited to be a part of the CAA as we move into the Division I level of NCAA women’s rowing,” Truex said. “The programs of the CAA reflect that perfect balance of excellence on the water and high academic achievement that we strive for at UC San Diego every day. We will certainly be challenged by the speed and depth of the programs we will line up against, but we look forward to that challenge and closing the gap in this year and the years to come! See you on the race course, CAA!”
The 2021 CAA Rowing Championship will be held May 16 on the Cooper River in Pennsauken, N.J. The CAA champion will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Championship.
Northeastern has captured the past six CAA rowing championships. Last year’s event was cancelled due to CoVID.