Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design are partners in the classroom, the gallery, the greens, the library and on College Hill. This partnership extends to classes, programs and a sharing of recreational facilities and clubs.Our proximity makes these connections feel like a natural part of student life. However, club sports and athletics in general are one of the few places where these connections break down. RISD students are not allowed to participate in club sports at Brown and due to an “increase in ineligible club sports participants,” Brown Athletics will now place club teams in violation of the rule on probation after a warning, The Herald recently reported.Rather than punishing club teams for welcoming our neighbors, Brown should embrace RISD athletes as a way to strengthen its teams and deepen an already invaluable partnership.
Brown Athletics already shares recreational resources with RISD, making club sports a strange exception. Within the Division of Athletics, RISD students can currently use Brown Recreational facilities, including the pool, ice rink, Penner Field House and Nelson Fitness Center. Additionally, RISD students can participate in Brown’s Intramural sports, which are not offered at RISD, by paying only $5.
RISD has no varsity sports, and its athletics website lists only six “competitive” and four “recreational” sports clubs, many of which have not posted events for multiple years, or have had none at all on the athletics website, in the case of the RISD volleyball club. This raises the question about the availability of organized competitive sporting opportunities available at RISD. Students shouldn’t have to abandon competitive athletics simply because they choose to attend RISD, which lacks the infrastructure — like sports fields and badminton courts — to offer its students the same facilities and opportunities we have access to at Brown. Participating in organized sports, beyond fun, has benefits for physical, mental, and emotional health. RISD students should not be denied these advantages because their school lacks the infrastructure to host organized sports.
But opening Brown club sports to RISD students won’t just benefit RISD — it could benefit Brown just as much. The current policy is forcing club teams to turn away athletes who could strengthen their teams. Before the policy, RISD student Yang Yi, was the only member of Brown’s club ski team to qualify for the 2025 U.S. Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association Eastern Regionals. He skied on the team for two years until he was removed from the team last December. This should not be complicated: RISD students bring additional talent to Brown’s teams. More participants can help fill out and field smaller club teams, improve practices and keep teams competitive.
While not possible in every league — such as club cycling, soccer and volleyball — many club sports governing bodies allow for participation across institutions, which Brown should echo in its own policy, rather than shut these students out completely. For example, the United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association, the body governing Brown’s skiing team, has a more general policy, requiring competitors to be enrolled and in good standing with their academic institution. The ACHA, the governing body for club ice hockey, in which Brown recently won the Ivy League Championship, has a specific provision that welcomes players from other institutions if their institution does not offer ice hockey, which is true for RISD, at least for the last 2 years.
Several other universities and club leagues also allow students to participate in club sports across institutions. MIT specifically permits cross-registered students (who attend other institutions) to participate in its club sports teams. At Syracuse and Columbia, students at partner institutions, the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry and Barnard, respectively, can freely participate in club athletics. These examples show that an inclusive policy can be effective when league restrictions permit, rather than total exclusion.
But the policy change would come with potential funding, facility capacity and league eligibility concerns. Mitigating these concerns means codifying clearer rules, not a blanket policy of exclusion. A formal agreement should allow RISD students to participate where regulations permit, establish a formalized dues or funding arrangement and give clubs more flexibility to accommodate RISD student-athletes according to team capacities. The existing intramural arrangement should provide evidence that Brown can establish structured athletic agreements for RISD students.
Brown and RISD’s relationship shows that our institutions are stronger when they share opportunities and resources. This partnership is highlighted by the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program and Cross-Registration agreement. RISD students are welcomed into many of Brown’s student organizations, especially artistic clubs and publications, like the College Hill Independent.Collaborative spirit is a central element of Brown’s ethos. However, the club sports crackdown is a tackle for loss, creating barriers where collaboration would benefit both schools. Brown shouldn’t be turning away talented student-athletes simply because they attend College Hill’s other premier institution. If RISD students are already part of our classrooms, clubs and campus community, they should have the opportunity to be a part of our teams too.
Clay Edelson ’29 can be reached at clayton_edelson@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com
Clay Edelson is an Opinions Columnist. He is from St. Louis, Missouri and plans on concentrating in Political Science. In his free time, Clay loves playing with his band, attending Brown Athletics events, and hiking.
