The Committee on Women’s Athletics recently issued notice letters about the status of emerging sports that haven’t shown steady growth over the last 10 years.

Those sports include archery, badminton, synchronized swimming and team handball, all of which have been on the list of emerging sports for more than 10 years and have fewer than the minimum 10 sponsoring institutions required to be considered an emerging sport. They essentially are on notice until July 2008, at which point the CWA could request their removal from the list if they show no significant prospects for growth. (However, even if those sports are removed from the list, institutions can still sponsor them or attempt to re-enter them into the emerging-sports process at any time.)

But there may be more immediate hope for squash, which with 29 varsity programs is gaining the CWA’s attention.

Columbia announced it will elevate its women’s (and men’s) club programs to varsity status by fall 2011. “Squash is a sport that attracts intelligent young people and is a great fit for Columbia,” said Columbia AD Dianne Murphy. “In general, squash players perform at high academic levels in a variety of disciplines. This is a sport in which we will be successful.”

Squash thrives in the Northeast, which is one of several reasons Columbia is making the transition. All eight institutions in the Ivy Group will sponsor varsity squash.

A development like that is the kind of positive response CWA had as a goal when it began examining ways to spur growth for female student-athletes.

The CWA has asked all institutions and conferences sponsoring varsity squash to collaborate and provide the group with a growth plan by this summer. NCAA championship sports require a minimum of 40 sponsoring institutions.

CWA members hope squash can take after its older sister rowing, which became an NCAA championship sport in 1997 and continues to grow. In September in fact, the Division I Championship/Competition Cabinet listed bracket expansion in women’s rowing among its budget priorities for the 2008-10 biennium. If approved, future Division I rowing finals would host 16 teams.

While expansion creates more postseason opportunities for women, the CWA wants to supplement growth in existing sports with new opportunities as well, which is why members are focusing on emerging sports.

“Growth in emerging sports is another way to accomplish the same goal at a higher rate,” said CWA Chair Geri Knortz, athletics director at St. Michael’s College. “The emerging-sport initiative has produced some success stories, and we want to encourage sports that have been on the list a long time to make the necessary push to reach the next level.

Emerging Sports

The following either are or have been on the Association's emerging-sport list:

Archery*

STATUS: On notice (fewer than 10 sponsors)

Bowling*

STATUS: Became NCAA championship,sport in 2004

Badminton*

STATUS: On notice (fewer than 10 sponsors

Equestrian*

STATUS: Added as an emerging sport in 1999

Ice hockey*

STATUS: Became NCAA championship sport in 2001

Rowing*

STATUS: Became an NCAA championship sport in1997

Rugby

STATUS: Added as an emerging sport in 2002

Squash*

STATUS: Pending (29 current sponsors)

Synchronized swimming*

STATUS: On notice (fewer than 10 sponsors

Team handball*

STATUS: On notice (fewer than 10 sponsors

Water polo*

STATUS: Became NCAA champion sport in 2001

* One of the nine original emerging sports named after the designation was adopted