Rowing Association of American Colleges


The Rowing Association of American Colleges the first collegiate athletic organization in the United States, was a body governing college rowing. Upon organization by the captains of the leading crews of the day, they devised a primary rule of eligibility: that only undergraduate students should be eligible to represent their college in the regatta. To this day, despite numerous amendments and additions, this rule remains the very foundation of the NCAA rules of eligibility.

Collegiate regatta

This table lists the winners of the marquee events of the championship regattas conducted by the RAAC from its founding through 1894.
YearChampionEventYearChampionEventYearChampionEventYearChampionEvent
1871Massachusetts Agricultural College6s18771883Cornell University4s1889Cornell8s
1872Amherst College6s18781884University of Pennsylvania4s1890Cornell University8s
1873Yale College6s1879Columbia College4s1885Cornell University4s1891Cornell University8s
1874Columbia College6s1880Cornell University4s1886Bowdoin College4s1892Cornell University8s
1875Cornell University6s18811887Cornell University4s1893Cornell University8s
1876Cornell University6s1882University of Pennsylvania4s1888Yale University8s1894Cornell University8s

On June 30, 1876, Harvard and Yale raced eight-oared boats with coxswains over a 4-mile course on the Connecticut River.Afterward "the Harvard six left for Saratoga. Yale does not row there, and Harvard will not after this year, but the eight-oared bout between Yale and Harvard, so successfully inaugurated to-day, will undoubtedly become an annual and permanent institution."
From 1871 to 1875 Harvard and Yale did not race head-on. Both participated in the RAAC university race from 1872 to 1875, and the Harvard–Yale Regatta recognizes Harvard–Yale varsity races to be incorporated in those RAAC championships.