The NCAA approved the addition of women’s wrestling at the Division I, II and III levels as a championship sport, it announced Friday. The sport’s first NCAA women’s championship will take place in 2026.
“It was a moment for applause in the room,” said council chairperson Josh Whitman, the athletic director at Illinois. “Excited to provide that opportunity to our women’s student-athletes.”
The NCAA’s Division I council approved the measure with a vote Wednesday. Divisions II and III followed later this week.
There were 76 women’s wrestling programs at NCAA institutions during the 2023-24 school year. The NCAA reports that more than 1,200 women wrestlers currently compete at NCAA programs. The expectation is that 17 more programs will be added. It’s unclear what schools and at what levels will be adding programs. It’s an interesting time for any school to try and add a sport as athletic directors across the country are already trying to navigate NIL and figure out revenue sharing. But the growth of women’s wrestling should help open doors for more athletes, many of whom are already growing up competing in the sport through youth and high school programs.
Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling, said in a statement that women’s wrestling is the…
