The UCLA Men's Rowing team is gearing up for its opening regatta of the 2025 season at the California Challenge Cup in Newport Beach on March 1, 2025 from 7:00 AM to 11:00 AM. This event, hosted by UC Irvine Rowing at the South Lido Channel / Marina Park, features a 1400-meter Henley-style duel format, where crews will compete head-to-head in short, high-intensity races against top collegiate teams.

This year's field includes teams from both the American Collegiate Rowing Association (ACRA) and the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA), two governing bodies that represent different levels of collegiate rowing. ACRA programs, such as UCLA and UC Irvine, are club teams, meaning they are student-run and do not receive the same level of funding, recruitment, or university support as varsity programs. In contrast, IRA teams, such as Cal Berkeley, compete at the highest varsity level, with fully funded programs, professional coaching staffs, and top-tier recruited athletes.

At the California Challenge Cup, Cal Berkeley will be sending its fourth varsity (4V) and second novice (2N) boats, while its top varsity crews will compete against other IRA programs at the Redwood Shores Invitational. Even though UCLA will not be facing Cal's top boats, the opportunity to race against their deep roster remains a daunting challenge and an important benchmark for the Bruins.

Head coach Marcel Stiffey emphasized the value of facing Cal's developing IRA boats, stating, "The Newport Challenge Cup is a great early-season opportunity for the crew. I am a fan of the regatta because it offers our squad three high-pressure races in a day, and we get a lot of feedback about where the team currently stands and where we need to go. I'm particularly excited for the varsity 8 getting to race Cal. The weather is looking good, and I'm anticipating a great day of racing!"

In addition to the varsity 8's key matchup against Cal, the Bruins will face the top boat from Long Beach State. UCLA's second varsity (2V) will take on the 2V from UCSB and the 2V from Orange Coast College (OCC), providing another test against strong regional competition.

The Bruins have been training hard since the fall and will enter the regatta with high expectations. Team co-captain Zach Cowger emphasized the squad's readiness, saying, "It's been a focused and productive winter of training, but no racing yet. We're excited for the opportunity to test ourselves and kick off the racing season."

Co-Captain Toby Gajar echoed the sentiment, adding, "The training has been looking promising the last few months, and I am excited to race and find out how our top-end speed is looking."

In addition to the varsity and junior varsity competition, UCLA's novice crews will also be in action, scrimmaging against the novice crews from UC Santa Barbara in Newport Beach. This matchup will provide an important development opportunity for the younger rowers as they gain racing experience early in the season.

With a mix of experienced oarsmen and promising new talent, UCLA aims to build on last season's strong performances, which featured a bronze medal finish for the V8 in the ACRA National Championships. This race will serve as an early-season test ahead of key upcoming regattas, including the Newport Regatta March 16 and the San Diego Crew Classic later in March.

Watch the action live with the UCLA Rowing family, friends, and fans from Marina Park, one of the best viewing spots along the course, watch online, or follow results online as UCLA seeks to make a statement in its 2025 debut.