As the new year looms, programmes across the country are beginning to read the tea leaves on their 2026 seasons. For coaches, the winter break presents a clear opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their squad for the upcoming year. However, for the rest of us, we are limited to fall racing and examining rosters to pick at until the season begins in late March. For now, here are some of the best narratives to watch for the 2026 season.
Texas
With three of the last five national championships coming back to Austin, it may seem too obvious to mention the University of Texas in a piece like this one. However, the level of talent on the Longhorns’ roster is difficult to overstate. With seven of the rowers from last year’s bronze medal-winning varsity eight returning to the Lone Star State, the legendary Dave O’Neil has an excellent opportunity to build a dominant force this year with his young and talented group. However, there is no lack of experience in this group as graduate transfer and Olympic silver medallist Maya Meschkuleit joins Texas after rowing in the six seat for Yale’s national championship-winning varsity eight. This blend of talented young athletes alongside world-class additions at the top of the programme will make Texas very difficult to beat this year as they aim to lift their fourth national title in Gainesville, Georgia, this summer.
Virginia
After a busy schedule this Fall, the standout programme of the head racing season is undoubtedly the University of Virginia. Winning in the coxed four at the Head of the Charles, before finishing second and third in a strong eights field at the Princeton Chase, there is a strong momentum building in Charlottesville. What’s additionally remarkable about this rise is that it has not been powered by an influx of external talent nor a large group of returning stars. In fact, the opposite is true as five of the rowers in last year’s top crew have graduated, and there were no freshmen or transfers in the top eight in Princeton. Instead, the credit falls at the feet of second-year head coach Wesley Ng. In his previous role, Ng transformed the Penn women’s programme from Ivy League backmarkers into grand finalists at the NCAA championships. Now in his second year at Virginia, the Cavaliers could be benefiting from their change in leadership, as the second season is often where the most significant performance improvement can be seen under a new head coach.
Harvard-Radcliffe
One team that experienced a second-season bump last year was Harvard-Radcliffe, as the women from Cambridge qualified for their first NCAA Championships in six years. However, this rise under Claire Ochal does not appear to be slowing down. At this October’s Head of the Charles Regatta, they finished seventh overall in the championship eights, ranking third among US collegiate programmes. Adding a 13th-place finish for the second eight, this represents their best showing at the event since 2011 and is a strong sign of growth as they look to move up in the competitive Ivy League. This year’s team looks to strike a balance between experience and youth. The programme will benefit from seven returners from last year’s varsity eight, plus a strong recruiting class headlined by double U19 world medallist Sophie Haisman. While it is too early to anoint them as title contenders based on a head race on their home water, the women in black and white will be ones to watch this spring.
Williams
Historically dominant in Division three, the Williams Ephs were synonymous with victory for many years, winning nine of the first 12 NCAA Championships at this level. However, since 2013, times have been leaner in Western Massachusetts as they continue to search for their tenth title. After nine years without a title, former Cornell Associate Head Coach Paula Thoms was appointed as Head Coach in Berkshire County and has since led the women in purple back towards the top of the timesheets. Returning six of their second-placed varsity eight from last year, they had a solid racing season across the heads, finishing second in the collegiate eights at the Head of the Charles behind only defending champions Tufts University. This battle will be one to watch all year, with four meetings expected between the two programmes. Will Tufts make it three in a row, or can Williams finally win their tenth title?
