Xavier University of Louisiana adds rowing—sport's first co-ed HBCU team

After several years as a club sport, rowing will soon be the next varsity athletics program at Xavier University of Louisiana, the nation’s Catholic HBCU. It is expected to be the nation’s first such co-ed program at any historically Black college or university.

The school announced the news in January, following its third season of club rowing in partnership with the New Orleans Rowing Club (NORC) since 2023.

“This is an exciting time for Xavier Athletics in welcoming the rowing team to our family,” said XULA Athletic Director Pat Kendrick. 

“We are so proud of each and every one of these athletes and look forward to seeing them excel in their sport and bring the spirit of Xavier to the water and beyond.”

XULA is one of only two HBCUs to offer rowing at any level in the 21st century, with St. Augustine’s University in North Carolina founding a women’s club team in 2022. That ended a fifty-year absence of Black college rowing, dating back to the Howard University men’s team that competed for twelve years beginning in 1960.

XULA collaborated with St. Augustine’s in the early stages of the club team in New Orleans, as well as with a history professor, Dr. Elizabeth Manley, who is also a member of NORC. Another member (and former development specialist at the university), Chloé Jobin, has served as the club’s head of community outreach and diversity initiatives.

"We could not be prouder to work with the Xavier Rowing team as we launch this historic debut as an official varsity university sport,” Manley and Jobin said in a joint statement. 

“Launching this team of athletes onto the competitive national stage is not just about rowing—It’s about building a community, inspiring our students, and creating opportunities for growth both on and off the water."

XULA officials say the club team, which trains on Bayou St. John and at the NORC indoor facility, has received various endorsements since its launch and has the support of USRowing, the national governing body for the sport.

It has also attracted students from a variety of backgrounds, including some who had no prior experience with rowing. The nascent varsity team will include athletes from around the country.

"The Xavier Rowing Club has offered me the opportunity to find a family outside of my Xavier family and get involved in a sport that allows me to be part of a team and also work on my own individual goals," said junior political science major Kamryn Days.

“[And] it allows us to shatter negative stereotypes and false perceptions.”

Rowing is just one of several sports inaugurated or revived at XULA in recent years, including baseball, softball, soccer, co-ed competitive cheerleading, and indoor track and field.

The co-ed varsity rowing program will compete for its inaugural season during the 2025-26 academic year, and prospective athletes can submit a questionnaire through the school’s athletics website. The team is also hiring its first head coach and an application is available online.

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

Want to donate to BCM? You have options.

b.) click to give (fee-free) on Zeffy

b.) click to give on Facebook