NCAA Adds Women’s Wrestling as Championship Sport

Women’s wrestling will be an official NCAA championship sport after the governing body approved its addition on the Division I, II and III levels at its annual convention this week in Nashville.

The NCAA’s first women’s wrestling championship will be in 2026. More than 1,200 women wrestlers are competing at NCAA schools today with 76 programs active in 2023–2024 with a projected 17 programs to be added during the 2024–2025 season.

USA Wrestling and organizations such as Wrestle Like a Girl have supported efforts for an NCAA championship in the sport. The work done to make women’s wrestling an official NCAA championship sport was profiled during the 2024 TEAMS Conference & Expo in Anaheim.

“USA Wrestling salutes the NCAA leadership for its historic decision to make women’s wrestling its 91st NCAA championships,” said Rich Bender, executive director of USA Wrestling. “Women’s wrestling has been an Olympic sport since 2004 and is the fastest-growing sport for young women in our nation. We celebrate today with all of those within wrestling and college athletics who have worked so hard to make this dream a reality.”

Women’s wrestling is the sixth emerging sport to earn NCAA championship status. Since the emerging sports program was established in 1994, five women’s sports have earned NCAA championship status: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).

Five sports are working to reach championship status: acrobatics and tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt and triathlon. Additionally, the NCAA received an application this summer requesting that women’s flag football join the program.

“I am filled with immense pride and gratitude as we celebrate the landmark decision to recognize women’s wrestling as the 91st NCAA championship sport,” said Sally Roberts, chief executive officer and founder of Wrestle Like a Girl. “This moment is a testament to the relentless determination, passion and perseverance of countless athletes, coaches and advocates who believed in the transformative power of wrestling for women — our next generation of leaders.”

Before the Committee on Women’s Athletics made its recommendation to move women’s wrestling to championship status, 40 schools had to sponsor the sport at varsity level and meet other competition and participant requirements. A women’s wrestling committee will now be established to work with NCAA staff on the development of the first championship for winter 2026.

“This means so much to women’s wrestling and to women’s sports in general,” said University of Iowa wrestler and 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades. “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.”