BOSTON – The Northeastern men's rowing team kicks off regular season competition this weekend when the Huskies travel to Cherry Hill, N.J. to take on Penn.
Racing kicks off at 12 p.m. with the fourth varsity, followed by the third varsity (12:20 p.m.), second varsity (12:40 p.m.) and first varsity at 1 p.m. for the Burk Cup. The races will not be streamed.
THREE THINGS TO KNOW
1. BURK CUP HISTORY
Saturday's matchup will mark the 53rd installment of the Burk Cup between Northeastern and Penn. The Cup was placed into competition in 1970 by "Friends of Pennsylvania Rowing" to honor Joseph Burk, a member of Penn crew from 1931 to 1934 and coach of the Quakers from 1950 to 1969. Northeastern holds a 30-22 advantage in the all-time series, including victories in six of the last seven meetings. The Huskies are also 2-1 against the Quakers on the Cooper River as the race returns to Cherry Hill for the second straight year.
2. LOPAS AND LEONHARDT NAMED 2025-26 CAPTAINS
Head coach
Alex Perkins announced this fall that
Edward Lopas and
Julian Leonhardt will serve as co-captains for the 2025-26 season.
"Ed has been a proven leader on our team since the first day he arrived at Northeastern," said Perkins. "He is a top-level athlete at the collegiate and U23 level and will be an excellent captain. Julian came to Northeastern as a transfer student last season, and in that short time he has earned the respect of his peers and been elected captain. To me, that speaks about the way he leads by example and brings out the best in people. He has been a consistent top performer by all metrics, and we look forward to his leadership this season. Ed and Julian will lead the team through this season, and I know I speak for the squad and coaches when I say that the team is in good hands."
3. THE 2026 SCHEDULE
Northeastern will be tested throughout the spring, going up against five teams that finished in the top ten of the team standings at last year's IRA Championships: Washington (1st), Harvard (2nd), Brown (4th), Yale (8th), Brown (10th).
In addition to Saturday's race at Penn, the regular season slate include cup races against Boston University, Brown and Harvard as well as trips to Sarasota, Fla. for the IRA Invitational and Seattle, Wash. for the Windemere Cup.
