College sports fans primarily follow sports such as football, basketball, volleyball, and soccer closely. Many of these games are regularly televised and playoffs are widely watched. College football playoffs and basketball's March Madness are extremely popular amongst sports fans. What many people don't know is that the NCAA is home to many other sports that viewers may not even know exist. Here are 5 NCAA sports that are under-represented in the media.
Rugby
Women's Rugby is currently classified by the NCAA as an emerging sport. Rugby, while not as popular in the US as in other countries, is predominantly thought of as a men's sport. Because of the stamina and level of physical contact required, Rugby athletes must be in great shape – fast, and tough – making Rugby athletes some of the most competitive. Today there are currently only 7 DI teams, including Harvard and Dartmouth; 7 DII teams, including Notre Dame College and Queen's University; and 5 DIII teams, including Bowdoin College and Castleton University.
Related: Emerging NCAA Sports
Fencing
Both Men's and Women's Fencing have been recognized by the NCAA since 1941. Fencing is prominent in Ivy league schools and is one of the oldest NCAA sports. But, between both men and women combined, there are only 48 DI teams, 4 DII teams, and 26 DIII teams. Notre Dame has had great success in their Fencing program; they are the reigning champions in both Men's and Women's Fencing for 2021.
Skiing
As a winter and snow sport, skiing isn't feasible at every university. Because of this, there are only 21 DI teams, 13 DII teams, and 30 DIII teams across both mens and womens programs. Despite little representation in the NCAA, many collegiate skiers go on to compete in the Winter Olympics. The University of Utah is the most recent DI champion, and has had great success as a team in the last decade.
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Rowing
Women's rowing has been an official NCAA sport since 1997. The NCAA only offers women's rowing, and there are 88 DI teams. The University of Texas is currently the defending Champion. Rowing requires a huge amount of teamwork and upper body strength, making it a very difficult sport. They have 16 DII teams and 46 DIII teams. While men's collegiate rowing does exist, it is not affiliated with the NCAA. There is an Intercollegiate Rowing Association that is considered DI and has a national championship that offers men's rowing.
Bowling
Like rowing, bowling is only offered as a women's sport. They have 34 DI and 34 DII teams and 19 DIII teams. Bowling is one of the newest NCAA sports, with its first year being in 2004. Nebraska is the current defending champion and has a history of winning titles. Other notable Women's Bowling teams are Vanderbilt and Stephen F. Austin.
* Originally published on March 29, 2022, by Daley Craft
