The NCAA is adding women’s wrestling as a championship sport.
Division I voted in favor on Wednesday, followed by Divisions II and III on Friday. Women’s wrestling, which has been on the Olympic program since 2004, is set to become the NCAA’s 91st championship sport.
The first National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship are slated for winter 2026.
A total of 93 NCAA schools signaled intent to sponsor women’s wrestling in 2024-25, an increase of 41 schools from 2022-23.
Three of the four U.S. women to win Olympic wrestling gold competed collegiately through the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association: Helen Maroulis at Missouri Baptist and then Simon Fraser in Canada; Tamyra Mensah-Stock at Wayland Baptist in Texas and Sarah Hildebrandt at King University in Tennessee.
Longtime men’s college wrestling power Iowa added women’s wrestling in 2021 (starting with the 2023-24 season). It became the first power conference school to offer the sport.
Paris Olympic 76kg silver medalist Kennedy Blades is currently an Iowa junior.
“It gives women’s wrestling recognition and shows that it is important, not just around the world, but also in our country,” Blades said in reaction to the news, according to a press release. “College sports are huge in the United States. This shows how much women’s wrestling is growing. Since I was a little girl, I dreamed about being an NCAA national wrestling champion. It will fulfill so many little girls’ dreams, including mine.”