East Michigan News

The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced on Thursday, July 18, that it will add women's rowing to its sports lineup beginning with the 2025-26 academic year. This addition increases the MAC's sponsored championships to 23, comprising 13 for women and 10 for men. With this move, the MAC will sponsor the third most sports of any FBS Conference, trailing only the ACC and Big Ten.

The MAC will start the 2025-26 academic year with six programs competing in women's rowing: Eastern Michigan, Toledo, and UMass will be joined by new affiliate members Delaware, High Point, and Temple.

"The member institutions of the Mid-American Conference take great pride in offering a broad array of sports offerings for our students," said MAC Commissioner Dr. Jon A. Steinbrecher. "Women's rowing is a great addition to our sports sponsorship line-up. This is a sport that continues to grow in popularity, and I am already looking forward to awarding our first championship in May 2026."

The addition of women's rowing as a spring sport enhances the MAC's stature as one of the leading Division I Conferences in the nation. The first MAC Championship will be held in spring 2026 at Lakeside Park on Ford Lake and hosted by Eastern Michigan for at least three seasons.

Eastern Michigan Head Rowing Coach Kemp Savage commented on this development: "The Mid-American Conference taking a leading role in the expansion of Women's Rowing represents a significant investment in women's athletics and the future of NCAA Rowing. All the future MAC coaches are enthusiastic about crowning the first conference champion at the new course in Ypsilanti, and we are honored to be the inaugural hosts at Eastern Michigan University."

Delaware Head Rowing Coach Asiya Mahmud expressed excitement about joining: "We are excited to join the MAC. The decision to sponsor women's rowing in the MAC is one that shows support for not only Delaware athletics but also the sport of women's rowing."

High Point Head Rowing Coach Jessica Deitrick stated: "I am thrilled to have our new women's rowing program join the Mid-American Conference. I believe this addition is great for both rowing and involved programs."

UMass Head Rowing Coach Eric Carcich added: "We're extremely excited about creating the MAC Rowing Championships starting Spring 2026. Competing at Eastern Michigan's state-of-the-art course will attract top crews nationwide."

Temple Head Rowing Coach Rebecca Grzybowski remarked: "We are thrilled to finally share that we will be part of the MAC's brand-new women's rowing championship! Providing competitive opportunities is vital for growth."

Toledo Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair said: "We are very excited that women's rowing will be added as a Mid-American Conference sport in 2025-26. A conference home is important for our program's growth."

The Mid-American Conference office serves twelve full-time members and offers championships in twenty-two sports from its base in Cleveland, Ohio.

Eastern Michigan University has been part of the MAC since 1971 and boasts numerous achievements including fifteen team national championships since its founding.

Founded in 1849, Eastern Michigan University currently serves over fourteen thousand students across various disciplines.