The NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics is working on ways to expand sponsorship in equestrian as the sport recently passed its 10th year on the list of emerging sports for women.

Despite surpassing the 10-year window for emerging sports to show promise for championship status, committee members during a recent conference call reiterated support for equestrian being on the list for the foreseeable future.

They say they are committed to help the sport develop strategies to expand sponsorship, including an action plan to generate enough sponsors for an NCAA championship.

A total of 23 Division I and Division II schools currently sponsor equestrian at the varsity level. The most recent Equestrian Coaches Poll listed Georgia, Auburn, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and South Carolina in its top five.

About 50 additional Division I institutions compete within the International Horse Show Association, but those institutions haven't declared the sport as an NCAA varsity program.
Committee members support educational outreach by Varsity Equestrian to other institutions that offer club programs but haven't transitioned to varsity status.

Emerging sports must gain championship status (minimum 40 varsity NCAA programs for individual sports and 28 Division III varsity programs for team sports) within 10 years or show steady progress toward that goal to remain on the list. Institutions are allowed to use emerging sports to help meet the membership minimum sports-sponsorship requirements and, in Divisions I and II, minimum financial aid requirements.

The Committee on Women's Athletics conducts its next in-person meeting May 23-25 in Cambridge, Massachusetts.


(This article first appeared in the NCAA News).