Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative

The Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative

The Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative

Improving varsity competitiveness, enhancing club sports and upholding a commitment to provide equal opportunities in athletics for women and men.

Grounded in Brown’s values and based on nearly a century and a half of history and tradition, the Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative announced in May 2020 outlines a bold plan to reshape athletics for all of the University’s student-athletes.

The initiative has the following three objectives:

  • Improve the competitiveness of the University’s varsity athletics teams.
  • Enhance the strength of club sports.
  • Uphold Brown’s commitment to provide equal opportunities in athletics for women and men.

In the decade from 2009 to 2018, Brown earned only 2.8% of Ivy League titles, the lowest in the league, despite the league’s focus on competitive balance across its eight participating schools. And club sports have not always had as many resources as would benefit their participants.

A series of core action steps and new investments will enhance Brown’s ability to compete at the highest levels and complement the University’s exceptional track record in ensuring that student-athletes achieve academic excellence in classrooms and laboratories across campus.

The Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative outlines a bold plan to reshape athletics for all of the University’s student-athletes.

Core Actions for Sustained Athletics Excellence

At the start of the 2019-20 academic year, Brown had 38 varsity teams. Almost 900 students competed across these teams, including non-recruited athletes invited to “walk on” to complete team rosters. Consultants who conducted an external review of Brown Athletics in 2018-19 found that the large number of varsity teams — the third highest in the nation at that time — has hindered Brown’s ability to achieve its competitive aspirations.

To address those barriers, the Excellence in Brown Athletics Initiative will:

  1. Revise the roster of varsity sports through a net reduction in teams from 38 to 34* (transitioning six varsity teams to club sports and two club sports to varsity), while enhancing existing club team offerings.
     
  2. Continue to focus on admission and recruitment of outstanding student-athletes, as well maintaining roster sizes that build competitiveness.
     
  3. Enhance the University’s focus on coaching, training and conditioning, including professional development for athletics staff.
     
  4. Advance facilities improvements that will make a difference in recruiting talented coaches and student-athletes, and improve competitiveness in varsity athletics.

(*Upon announcement of the athletics initiative in May 2020, 11 varsity teams were to be transitioned to club status. On June 9, the University chose to reinstate the varsity status of men's indoor track and field, men's outdoor track and field, and men's cross country; and on Sept. 17, to end a legal dispute, the varsity status of women's equestrian and women's fencing was reinstated. The updated number of varsity teams transitioning to club status became six.)