Last weekend, the USC Men’s Crew had the incredible opportunity to practice with the Cal Bears rowing team in the Oakland Estuary. The purpose of the trip was to gain exposure to a national-caliber team in their home environment and to get a feel for the steps we need to take with our own program. This was the first step in what we hope will become a mutually beneficial relationship that will allow both programs to continue traditions of success. We organized the trip to coincide with the USC vs. Cal football game, commonly referred to as “The Weekender.” USC students, alumni, and supporters flooded San Francisco, turning Union Square into a sea of cardinal and gold on Friday night. We, as a team, carried that pride and enthusiasm with us the next morning as we entered the Cal boathouse in full race attire. Mike Teti, former gold-medal Olympic coach and current Cal coach, welcomed us and sent our Varsity and JV boats out on the water to join their 5 full eights. It was extremely eye-opening to compare Cal’s multi-million dollar boathouse, erg room, locker room, and training facility with “The Dirt”—our patch of dirt next to the USC Women’s boathouse. Read more »
