INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The NCAA has announced bracket expansion for the women's rowing championship effective for the 2013 championships. The expansion will give the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference winner an automatic bid to the national championship. The Drake rowing team is an auxiliary member of the MAAC.

"This is exciting for the sport of rowing because this a direct line to make the championship," Drake head coach Charlie DiSilvestro said. "We are now a sanctioned conference that has great programs that are always striving to win conference and now this is an added bonus that we can work towards and have the opportunity to go compete against the best teams in the country."

Pending approval by the NCAA Division I Championships/Sports Management Cabinet, the MAAC will be one of 13 conferences with an automatic bid to the championship. The Drake Bulldogs captured the MAAC title over Marist in thrilling fashion at Lake Windsor, N.J in 2012.

The NCAA Division I Women's Rowing Championship will expand from its current size of 16 to 22. This will be the MAAC's first automatic bid in women's rowing. The 2013 NCAA Division One Rowing Championship will be May 31-June 2 in Gainesville, Ga.