Join the team
You don’t need to have rowed before.
Almost nobody on this team had. If you’re an enrolled Marquette student, there’s a seat with your name on it — here’s how to claim it.
What we’re looking for
Any enrolled student
Undergrad or grad, any year, any major. Men’s and women’s squads, plus coxswains who race with either.
Zero experience
No tryouts, no cuts. Novices learn the stroke from scratch — most of our varsity rowers started exactly there.
Willingness to show up
Rowing rewards consistency more than talent. Early mornings are real; so is what they build.
Step one — and honestly, the only step
Fill out the interest form
Name, email, and whether you’ve rowed before (it’s fine if the answer is no). We’ll reach out with everything you need for Learn to Row and the team meeting.
Open the interest formOpens a short Google Form · takes about two minutes
Welcome events · Fall 2026
Get started this fall
Come to any one of these — no signup needed for O-Fest, and Learn to Row is exactly what it sounds like.
Sept 5, 6 & 12
Learn to Row
Get in a boat with varsity rowers and take your first strokes. Three sessions — come to whichever fits.
Sept 10
O-Fest
Find our table, meet the team, and put your name down. Two minutes, no commitment.
Sept 13
Team Meeting
The season kickoff — schedules, squads, and what your first weeks will look like.
Straight answer
What the commitment looks like
Varsity crews are at the boathouse at 5:15 AM and on the water until 7:00 AM, four weekdays a week, plus a two-hour Saturday slot. Novice schedules are flexible in the first season while you learn — the team works around your classes.
In winter, practice moves to the ergs in Humphrey Hall, with each squad training five times a week in alternating morning and evening sessions. It’s a real commitment. It’s also the reason the friendships on this team run as deep as they do.
Varsity, fall & spring
4 weekdays, 5:15–7:00 AM · Sat 2-hr slot
Novice, first season
Flexible — built around classes
Winter, all squads
Ergs, 5×/week · AM or PM sessions
Race weekends
3 fall · 2 spring regattas
Questions everyone asks
No — and you’d be in the majority. Most of the team had never rowed before college. Novices learn everything from scratch in their first season: the stroke, the boat, the language, all of it.
You should be comfortable in the water. Rowing safety standards require every athlete to be able to stay afloat if a boat flips, and coaches will go over water-safety procedures before anyone launches.
⚠ PLACEHOLDER — this is a safety/USRowing policy matter. Needs the team’s real answer before launch.
Varsity crews arrive at the Menomonee River boathouse at 5:15 AM and row until 7:00 AM, four weekdays a week. Saturdays, the men’s and women’s teams trade two-hour slots (7:00–9:00 and 9:00–11:00 AM). Novice schedules are more flexible while you’re learning.
Training moves indoors to the ergs in Humphrey Hall. Squads alternate morning (5:15–7:00 AM) and evening (6:00–7:45 PM) sessions, five practices a week each — intervals, steady state, and partner competitions. Winter is where spring races are won.
Still have questions?
Email us at [email protected] — a real rower answers, usually within a day or two.