Our History

By The Numbers

The Journey begins

Founded in Fall 1956 as “Michigan State University Rowing Crew.” The team initially lacked equipment, coaches, and only had 9 members. They obtained their first 2 rowing shells through donations from Cornell University and Detroit Boat Club. Their original practice site was on Lake Lansing before it was later moved to Grand River Park.
During the year 1993, the team faced a major setback from a boathouse fire. This resulted in $100,000 in damages and started the rebuild process. Support from the community led to the construction of a new boathouse. This helped the team get back on track and began a new chapter for the team.


In 2015 several former Crew Club presidents and other alumni founded the Red Cedar Rowing Foundation, a 501(c)3 corporation to support the MSU Crew Club. Expansion efforts began as we purchased 4 new shells and a wakeless launch. Performance improvement followed on national level with the men racing at Head of the Charles for the 1st time in 2016.
Covid-19 led to the cancellation of the 2020-2021 season as the whole world went into lock down for many months. Rebuilding of the program began in 2021 as board members, teammates, and alumni worked to reinstate the club. The first woman rower joined the team in the Fall of 2021 and since then the women’s program grew tremendously. The women got a bid and raced at the Head of the Charles for the first time in 2023.

As the years go on, our history continues…

A Visual History of the MSU Crew Club
Thank you, Jim Perkins, for compiling a visual history of our team! Look back on our legacy here!







