Presented to the Intercollegiate Rowing Association by Dr. Louis L. Seaman of Cornell University in 1898, the silver cup is awarded annually to the Varsity Heavyweight Eight Champions.

Winners of the Varsity Challenge Cup Varsity Eight

1895 Columbia

1896 Cornell

1897 Cornell

1898 Pennsylvania
(Varsity Challenge Cup First Awarded)

1899 Pennsylvania

1900 Pennsylvania

1901 Cornell

1902 Cornell

1903 Cornell

1904 Syracuse

1905 Cornell

1906 Cornell

1907 Cornell

1908 Syracuse

1909 Cornell

1910 Cornell

1911 Cornell

1912 Cornell

1913 Syracuse

1914 Columbia

1915 Cornell

1916 Syracuse

1917 N/A

1918 N/A

1919 N/A

1920 Syracuse

1921 Navy

1922 Navy

1923 Washington

1924 Washington

1925 Navy

1926 Washington

1927 Columbia

1928 California

1929 Columbia

1930 Cornell

1931 Navy

1932 California

1933 N/A

1934 California

1935 California

1936 Washington

1937 Washington

1938 Navy

1939 California

 

1940 Washington

1941 Washington

1942 N/A

1943 N/A

1944 N/A

1945 N/A

1946 N/A

1947 Navy

1948 Washington

1949 California

1950 Washington

1951 Wisconsin

1952 Navy

1953 Navy

1954 Winner Disqualified

1955 Cornell

1956 Cornell

1957 Cornell

1958 Cornell

1959 Wisconsin

1960 California

1961 California

1962 Cornell

1963 Cornell

1964 California

1965 Navy

1966 Wisconsin

1967 Pennsylvania

1968 Pennsylvania

1969 Pennsylvania

1970 Washington

1971 Cornell

1972 Pennsylvania

1973 Wisconsin

1974 Wisconsin

1975 Wisconsin

1976 California

1977 Cornell

1978 Syracuse

1979 Brown

1980 Navy

1981 Cornell

1982 Cornell

1983 Brown

1984 Navy

1985 Princeton

1986 Brown

1987 Brown

1988 Northeastern

1989 Pennsylvania

1990 Wisconsin

1991 Northeastern

1992 Dartmouth, Navy and Pennsylvania

1993 Brown

1994 Brown

1995 Brown

1996 Princeton

1997 Washington

1998 Princeton

1999 California

2000 California

2001 California

2002 California

2003 Harvard

2004 Harvard

2005 Harvard

2006 California

2007 Washington

2008 Wisconsin

2009 Washington

2010 California

2011 Washington

2012 Washington

2013 Washington

2014 Washington

2015 Washington

2016 California

2017 Yale

2018 Yale

2019 Yale

2020 N/A

2021 Washington

2022 California

2023 California

All-Time Wins By Institution

 

25 - Cornell

19 - Washington

19 - California

12 - Navy

9 - Pennsylvania

8 - Wisconsin

7 - Brown

6 - Syracuse

4 - Columbia

3 - Harvard

3 - Princeton

3 - Yale

2 - Northeastern

1 - Dartmouth

 

Sharing the Varsity Challenge Cup

In 1992, there was a three-way tie between Dartmouth, Navy and Pennsylvania. Dartmouth and Navy finished in a dead heat but Pennsylvania filed a protest that was upheld. It was dark by the time the officials made their decision and it was impossible to re-row the race, so the three shared the Cup.