Re: USC at Grand Challenge

Mike Sullivan wrote:
It's an interesting postscript to a discussion some of us here in the US
had over the make up of University of Southern California's rowing team
this year.

USC showed up at the San Diego Crew Classic with a boatload of
Estonian national teamers who did not make qualifications to go to Oly
games. Apparently there were eligibility issues, to put it mildly, I don't
think the Estonians were registered full time students, but were taking
extension classes, no 'admissions' necessary.

They ended up no longer racing in any college races I know of,
raced in the Open category I think at the Classic.

Rules within an institution for joining a competitive 'club' often will
allow faculty, staff, other affiliates to participate, but regatta rules in the
US will generally prohibit anybody but full time undergrad students
following a normal program of study.

There was nothing about the Grand Challenge entry by USC that
was cheating or untoward, indeed it's a great opportunity to race
for the Estonian rowers, and a couple USC students. I have no doubt
that some wealthy USC alum funded the athletes to come to the US
and row, and funded their trip to Henley. USC Rowing got royally
screwed by Title IX enforcement at that institution, kicked out of the
boathouse they built, and boats sold in the mid 1990s.

However honest it may be to race these athletes in the Grand
Challenge Cup, I find it dishonest to be promoted the way they
do in their website:
http://www.trojannavy.com/latest_news/08henleytrojans.html

What's annoying was this passage:

Only two American universities have succeeded in winning the Grand Challenge Cup in the last half-century. Harvard University did it in 1959 and 1985 whilst the University of Washington won in 1977.
"The Grand Challenge Cup at Henley Royal Regatta is really the America's Cup of rowing," said USC Head Coach Gene Kininmonth. "A successful syndicate requires a lot of funding but a win brings with it a certain cachet. We are delighted to be in a position to put forth a serious challenge."

The Harvard and Washington crews that won the Grands were
remarkable crews that occupy a special place in rowing history
because of this accomplishment. The top American college crews
typically entered the Grands years ago, but the strength of the
national programs that came in plus the fall off in numbers of entries
had them choose to go to the Ladies in the last dozen years.


USC is not a collegiate crew. They don't go to school there, and
shouldn't be competing as USC.

They could well have competed as Trojan Navy, or some other
locally identifying entity, but to pretend to be a collegiate crew is wrong.


I'm torn. I agree with you on 99% of what you say. I found it really annoying that the USC mens crew claimed victory at the SDCC (even in the club/open event), and over UCLA (which while also a club team, is more of a proper university team) this year.

However, when it comes to the Henley, how is the Trojan Navy's association with USC any different than the Oxbridge Blue Boats' association with those universities? I've stated here before what I think of Oxford and Cambridge Blue crews calling themselves anything even close to a University team - it's a joke. But if they can do it, why can't an American university do it on British soil? No harm, no foul. I'm pretty sure that one of the recent (last 15 years) times OCC took a boat to Henley they boated one or more guys who had been ineligible to finish the season and who did not race in the boat at WIRA. Is that any different?

I do think the Trojan Navy's web site is misleading though.

-KC
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Relevant Pages

  • USC at Grand Challenge
    ... USC showed up at the San Diego Crew Classic with a boatload of ... USC Rowing got royally ... However honest it may be to race these athletes in the Grand ... but to pretend to be a collegiate crew is wrong. ...
    (rec.sport.rowing)
  • Re: University of Washington Disgracing themselves?
    ... You went on a rant about how the USC crew at Henley should have raced ... as Trojan Rowing Club or SoCal crew or some such name and not ... Our summer club was open to anybody, ...
    (rec.sport.rowing)
  • Re: University of Washington Disgracing themselves?
    ... except USC represented itself at home ... This crew was never eligible for any collegiate event this year. ... collegiate eligiblity to race in it. ...
    (rec.sport.rowing)
  • Re: USC at Grand Challenge
    ... USC is not a collegiate crew. ... USC offers this full-time certificate course. ... a 'full-time student' is defined as a student who is gone ...
    (rec.sport.rowing)
  • Re: USC at Grand Challenge
    ... The USC men's program is a club program that is not supported by ... USC's athletic department and is not fully representative of that ... would any other club crew, be it Leander, PennAC or California RC. ... They represent themselves as the USC college crew. ...
    (rec.sport.rowing)