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.