About The Row Informally organized in 1999 by William & Mary, JMU, and UVA, University Row started as a string of three adjacent tents hosting independent events. Within two years, the event grew to host over 900 alumni and friends. Capital Alumni Network greatly increased its active organizational assistance to the effort, and this helped affect rapid growth. A total of seven tents were anchored by the local alumni chapters of the College William and Mary, James Madison University, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Purdue, Wake Forest University, and the University of Texas. This confederation of tents was not only the largest CAN event, it was the biggest single gathering in the history of the Virginia Gold Cup.
Since then, University Row has been officially recognized and assisted by the Virginia Gold Cup Association. The Washington Post recognized the Row as "the primary social area" along the North Rail. We’ve continued to set new records in a number of categories, including sponsorship, alumni group recruitment, press coverage, and sales. Historically, we sell out within weeks of the race.
University Row is still the place to see and be seen. This year, University Row will host 14 tents and alumni from over forty local chapters, totaling 1400 guests.
