NCAA certifies women’s wrestling as 91st championship sport
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The National Collegiate Athletic Association added women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport on Friday.
The NCAA said in a press release that Divisions I, II and III approved the addition at the Association’s annual convention this week in Nashville.
The 91st championship is HERE! ♀️
The first women’s #NCAAWrestling championship is coming in 2026!
https://t.co/x3qjULGfCA pic.twitter.com/D7Zb9UWvzy
— NCAA (@NCAA) January 17, 2025
“We are thrilled that women’s wrestling will be an NCAA sport, making it the 91st championship that we host,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said. “We extend a big thank you to everyone who supported this effort and the athletes, coaches and fans for their passion for a fast-growing and exciting sport that brings even more opportunities for women to participate in athletics.”
There are already 76 women’s wrestling programs as part of the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program. That number is expected to jump to 93 in 2024-25.
According to the NCAA, more than 1,200 women are competing in wrestling at NCAA schools today.
Women’s wrestling is the sixth emerging sport to earn NCAA championship status. Those sports include rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003), and beach volleyball (2015).
Acrobatics and tumbling, equestrian, rugby, stunt and triathlon are currently working through the program to become NCAA certified.
The NCAA said it received an application for women’s flag football to join the program this summer.
“This means so much to women’s wrestling and to women’s sports in general,” said University of Iowa student-athlete wrestler and 2024 Olympic silver medalist Kennedy Blades. “It gives women’s wrestling recognition and shows that it is important, not just around the world, but also in our country. 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.”
The NCAA’s first women’s wrestling championship will be in 2026.
