Rowing Association of American Colleges

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The Rowing Association of American Colleges (1870 to 1894) is considered to be the very first collegiate athletic organization in the country. Upon organization by the captains of the leading crews of the day, they devised a primary rule of eligibility: that only undergraduate students should be eligible to represent their college in the regatta. To this day, despite numerous amendments and additions, this rule remains the very foundation of the NCAA rules of eligibility.