Hope it works out for both. I can only go off what was being communicated in the emails. It seemed positive to me because of the equipment that the AD were buying for the team. As a club member we were using weights made of paint cans and metal pipes, our rowing machines were ancient concept 2 model b's and my freshman year boat that I learned on was made of wood. Think the type you see at a TGI Friday's hanging on the walls.
The rowing team in the club Era had many many ups and downs. So not surprised some UA alumni would be hesitant to help with the start of the D1 Era. Sorry if this sounds like a Taylor Swift tour.
For those unaware the D3 Era ended appox 1994. Here is what the team looked like back then.
https://www.row2k.com/video/-quot-Albany-39-s-Rowing-Revival-quot--original-airdate-July-1988-on-WMHT-Channel-17-Albany-NY/29306/
Then the club Era was after we got dropped from the AD. We got our funding from the Student Association and dues that the rowers would pay. During this time the team was student run with a coach being hired but all the choices were made by the eboard which was made up of members of the rowing team. Recruiting was only on campus and we often had large Novic or beginning rower teams. The major problem was students would lose interest when after the first year with a 430pm practice time they would have to switch to the Varsity team which had 530am practices. This made it hard to grow the team, coaches often wouldn't stay for more than a year, and we didn't have the money to upgrade equipment.
There was also a time when SA dropped the club and they were competing under the Friends of Albany Crew. Not sure what happened during this time period (appox late 2010's to Covid) or what ultimately sank the Friends of Albany Crew, but that is the very short history of the Rowing Team at UA.
I am sure I am leaving a lot of historical details out. If anyone knows anything more please feel free to add. I know I said this before, glad to see UA back on the water. Hope we are back to stay. Rowing and Pep Band were the two activities that made a large University seem smaller and made it feel like home for 4 years.