Dedicated in 2016, the McPhail Boathouse stands as the permanent home for the RMU Women's Rowing program. Situated along the banks of the Ohio River at the RMU Island Sports Center, the facility provides the Colonials with direct access to a premier training environment on one of the most storied waterways in the country. The boathouse is named in honor of former head coach Midge McPhail, who served as RMU's head rowing coach from 2006 to 2015. Coach McPhail passed away in September of 2015 after a battle with lung disease caused by complications of Sjögren's Syndrome, and the facility stands as a lasting tribute to her legacy and dedication to the program.
The facility is also the proud site of the annual Yinzer Cup, a premier regional regatta that began in 2019. The event brings together collegiate programs from across the region to compete on the Ohio River, showcasing the boathouse as a hub for competitive rowing excellence in Western Pennsylvania. The Yinzer Cup has quickly become a tradition for the program, highlighting both the technical skill of the athletes and the prime racing conditions provided by the venue.
The facility was designed specifically to meet the high-performance needs of collegiate rowing. It features expansive storage bays for the program’s fleet of eights, fours, and small boats, as well as dedicated maintenance space to ensure equipment remains in championship condition. The location of the McPhail Boathouse offers a significant competitive advantage, as the stretch of the Ohio River surrounding Neville Island provides miles of relatively calm water, ideal for technical drills and long-distance endurance pieces.
In addition to serving as a varsity training hub, the boathouse acts as a symbol of the university’s commitment to the sport of rowing. It serves as a focal point for alumni gatherings, recruiting visits, and community outreach, further cementing RMU's presence in the regional rowing community. The facility's modern architecture and prime riverfront location make it one of the most recognizable landmarks within the Island Sports Center complex.
