Before this season, the women's crew practiced and traveled with the Drake men's crew. However, the men's crew no longer competes as a club sport due to a lack of members. Funding for the program comes from a variety of sources, including donations from a booster club, the Friends of Drake Crew, and fund-raisers. The remainder is paid by the crew members themselves. The team competes in several regattas in the fall and spring and travels as far as Boston.
Novice is for first-year rowers, and varsity is for everyone else.
These levels are divided further into divisions of lightweight and openweight. Boats of eight and four rowers compete, and there are sometimes races for singles and doubles boats. No matter what, all 19 members of the crew compete. The crew's home races are held on the Des Moines River at Birdland Park and are attended mostly by parents and alumni. Drake President Michael Ferrari has even been known to attend.