Tennessee Earns 10th NCAA Championship Appearance in Program History

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off a program-best, second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships under first-year head coach Kim Cupini, the fifth-ranked Tennessee rowing team earned an at-large bid in the 2024 NCAA Rowing Championships as announced by the NCAA Tuesday evening.

After having historic success to this point in the season, the Lady Vols earned three top-seven seeds, as Tennessee was tabbed the No. 4 overall seed in the First Eight, the No. 2 seed in the Second Eight and the No. 7 seed in the Four. The Championships for all three NCAA divisions take place May 31-June 2 at East Fork/Harsha Lake in Bethel, Ohio.

It marks the program’s 10th NCAA Championship appearance all-time and just the second since 2010. The 2024 running of the postseason event marks the Lady Vols’ first NCAA appearance since 2021, when the team finished 17th.

Tennessee’s program-best finish at the NCAA Championships came in 2007, when UT placed ninth at Melton Hill Lake in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Tennessee first varsity eight, second varsity eight and first varsity four combine for a remarkable 96-4 record this season.

The 1V8 Lady Vol crew posted a 32-1 record this season and placed second at the Big 12 Championships. Tennessee’s 2V8 recorded a 33-1 record on the year and brought home a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships. An impressive 31-2 record was logged by UT’s 1V4 crew, which recorded a second-place finish at the Big 12 Championships.

The team championship is comprised of 22 teams. Eleven conferences were granted automatic qualifying bids, while 11 other teams filled out the championship field by way of at-large selections. Teams qualifying for the championship are required to field two boats of eight rowers and one boat of four rowers. For the I Eights, II Eights and Fours, all 22 boats will be seeded into four heats.

Following Sunday’s Big 12 Championships, five Lady Vols were selected to the All-Big 12 Team, as Sarah Abrams, Alice Fahey, Meg Flanagan, Sasha Radovanovic and Emma Seawright earned the recognition. For Seawright, it is her fourth consecutive season earning the honor.

Automatic Qualifiers:

• SMU
• Rhode Island
• Syracuse
• Texas
• Michigan
• Northeastern
• Princeton
• Jacksonville
• Stanford
• Boston University
• Gonzaga

At-Large Selections:

• Brown
• California
• Duke
• Indiana
• Ohio State
• Pennsylvania
• Rutgers
• Virginia
• Washington
• Yale