A little more than a year after announcing it would cut its women’s rowing team, the University of Connecticut has moved to reinstate the program through at least the summer of 2023 while it studies and evaluates associated costs.
“We continue, as we must, to assess our compliance with Title IX and we have determined that additional participation opportunities for female student athletes are necessary at this time,” the school said in a statement released Thursday, referring to the federal statute barring sex-based discrimination in education. “Accordingly, we have agreed to reinstate the women’s rowing team for two years and to stay the pending litigation initiated by members of the rowing team. During this time, we will conduct a more detailed assessment of the costs associated with possible program upgrades and work to secure the potential long-term reinstatement of the rowing program.”
Twelve members of the women’s rowing team filed a federal Title IX lawsuit against UConn in April to stop the university from eliminating the sport. The plaintiffs won a temporary victory one month later, when a judge ruled that the rowers would likely prevail in their complaint and blocked the school from doing away with the program until at least August.
Both sides have now asked that the case be temporarily postponed.
UConn first announced plans to ax the women’s rowing team in June 2020, along with three men’s teams. A major factor in that decision was the state of the team’s facilities on Coventry Lake, which are not owned by UConn and “are in need of potentially significant and costly upgrades,” university officials said.
“We appreciate the impact the decision last year to eliminate athletics programs had on affected student athletes, including members of the rowing team,” the school’s statement added. “UConn takes pride in being a destination school for female athletes and as we continually review our responsibilities under Title IX, we will work to support the rowing team in its upcoming seasons, including, among other steps, by identifying immediate facilities improvements that would be achievable in the near term.”
