While the top division one programmes race in the championship division, collegiate eight offers an opportunity for the remainder of the field. The event is open to those who did not race the grand or petite finals at the IRA regatta and encompasses the second-tier IRA programmes, plus from division three and club programmes. A remarkably equitable field, the event has been won by crews belonging to all three groups in recent years.
La Salle University
Since head coach Ivo Kracic joined the programme in 2022, La Salle have been the form programme in IRA rowing as the crew build to fight for the title of best of the rest. Last season, they reached an all-time best ranking of 16th in a mid-season coaches’ poll after winning the Knecht and Kerr cups against their local rivals. However, they faded towards the end of the season, dropping behind rivals Drexel at the Dad Vail and IRA championships, finishing 17th nationally before making the trip across the Atlantic to race at Henley Royal Regatta. Starting second after a strong performance last year, they will have their eyes focused on gold this year.
Drexel University
Their cross-town rivals Drexel are the more established of the boathouse row programmes in this event, but also had a new head coach of their own last season. Matt Weaver joined the dragons in September 2023, with the Head of the Charles coming just a few weeks into his tenure. A disappointing result left them outside the top ten in the autumn, and they started slowly in the spring, however, by the end of the season, they had it working again, claiming the top spot at the Dad Vail Championships and making it to 16th overall at the IRA Championship, their joint-best ever performance at the event. With more knowledge of the athletes he’ll be working with, Weaver will be eyeing up a stronger finish this year on the Charles.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Twice winners of this event in the past, the MIT Engineers has not had the best results here in recent years. Since their last victory in 2021, they were docked a large penalty in 2022 for failing to yield and could only finish ninth in 2023. However, with a better run of the course, they will be hoping to get back towards the top of the time sheets on home water. Holding them back has been poor results in the spring as well. This year, they finished 21st at the IRA Championships, an improvement on the last place they earned the year before. These movements in the right direction are promising, and they will be hoping they can continue that trend in 2025
Tufts University
The defending champions in this event, Tufts University became the first Division Three programme to win this category since the IRA made the division between the Varsity eights. Based on one of the other rivers in the Boston metropolitan area, this is a race on almost home water. Last weekend, they raced over the same course at the private Head of the Kevin series, where the first eight lost to the second crew. As the defending Division Three national champions in the second eight, this depth is not surprising, but they will hope to have things straightened out before they defend their title.
Wesleyan University
Another division three programme, Wesleyan University make the trip up to Boston from Connecticut where the liberal arts college is based. Undefeated in 2024, the Cardinals completed a perfect spring season in the eight, with the only blemish on their record coming on the Charles where they finished third. From the crew that won the national championship by 0.2 seconds, they return all but one of the lineup, so they will have every intention of closing that gap. They opened the season with a private scrimmage against the Dartmouth lightweights, so they will have an idea of their speed heading into this race. Don’t count them out against the more prominent names this weekend.
University of Notre Dame
The best club rowing has to offer, the University of Notre Dame won their first ever ACRA national championship in the blue-ribband event this May. Travelling around the country, the midwestern club faced off against top competition and got the better of some Varsity programmes but highlighted the autumn with a seventh-placed finish here on the Charles. They opened their season against regional competition in Rockford, Illinois, where they finished second to Purdue, so they may not have the speed to challenge the Varsity programmes, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them comfortably in the top ten again this weekend.
University of Virginia
One of the bigger-name collegiate club programmes, the University of Virginia are well established in these circles. Winners of this event in 2012 and 2017, they may be known to British readers from their 2023 trip to Henley Royal Regatta where they defeated an Oxford Brookes crew in the first round of The Temple Challenge Cup. This spring, they won gold at the SIRA championships ahead of IRA-qualifying Varsity programmes but were overturned by Notre Dame to finish second in the Varsity eight at the ACRA championships. With reinforcements from the champion second Varsity eight, they will be looking to reload for this season and taking some big-name scalps on the Charles would be a good sign they are on the right track.
Prediction
While there is much talent away from the Division One ranks, the crews from the Philadelphia boathouses are only getting faster year on year. For that reason, I will pick La Salle to take home the win for the first time.
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