University of Oklahoma Athletics

NCAA Championship Appearances

OU Rowing History & Tradition | Updated May 2020

ROW NCAA Appearances

Founded in 2008-09, it took just five seasons for OU to make its first NCAA Rowing Championship appearance. Under the direction of head coach Leeanne Crain, the Sooners wasted no time in rising up the ranks to becoming an elite program. With a conference crown in 2013, the Sooners earned Conference USA's first-ever automatic bid to the national championship and became the first Big 12 team to race for an NCAA title.

2014 | Sooners Return to NCAA Championships

The Sooners went back-to-back for both the Conference USA and Big 12 conference crowns in 2014 and returned to the NCAA Rowing Championships once again. 

At the Championships in Indianapolis, the Sooners strung together a few days of solid outings to earn a 19th-place finish. Oklahoma's 2V8 and 1V4 boats each claimed 18th place overall, while the 1V8 took 19th. 

Championship Recaps: May 30 | May 31 | June 1

2013 | Sooners Make NCAA Debut

Oklahoma won Big 12 and Conference USA titles in 2013 to advance to the program's first NCAA Championship. The Sooners battled weather and the nation's elite teams in Indianapolis to place 17th in the 22-team field. OU's finish was the highest among the five teams making their NCAA Championship debut.

Thunderstorms and wind forced race schedules to be adjusted, but OU responded with a 17th-place national finish in the varsity eight and varsity four and an 18th-place finish in the second varsity eight. Along the way, the Sooners remained competitive and upset several higher-ranked teams.

Championship Recaps: May 31 | June 1 | June 2