INDIANAPOLIS – Women’s college wrestling will likely become the NCAA’s 91st sport with a championship, according to newly released data showing more than 40 schools nationwide have sponsored women’s wrestling at the varsity level and the minimum competition in 2022 – and have met the participant requirements of the sport. 23rd year of study.
The growth of women’s wrestling, which puts it on track to become the sixth sport to receive NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program, would join rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo ( 2000) and bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).
During the 2022-23 school year, 51 teams sponsored women’s wrestling, a 23% increase from the previous year, when 39 teams reported sponsoring the sport. Of the 51 schools, 30 were in Division III, 19 were in Division II and two were in Division I.
Although there are more than 130 colleges nationwide that offer women’s wrestling, most of them do not meet the sport’s minimum competition and participation requirements to be counted as a sponsored team.
In Indiana, women’s wrestling is offered at Trine University in Angola, which is part of the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (Division III). Manchester University at North Manchester, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (Division III); and Indiana Tech in Fort Wayne, part of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (NAIA).
All three Indiana programs were named to the top 100 women’s wrestling power rankings by Next College Student Athlete, the nation’s largest college athletic recruiting platform, with Trine earning the highest ranking in the state at No. 27.
When will there be a women’s college wrestling championship?
The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics, which oversees the Emerging Sports for Women program, is expected to recommend at its February meeting that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to establish a national collegiate women’s wrestling championship , the NCAA announced Tuesday.
Once the recommendation is made, each department will advance a proposal for the 2024-25 legislative cycle and vote on the proposals before or during the 2025 NCAA Convention. If accepted, the first women’s wrestling championship would take place in the winter of 2026, the NCAA said.
“What women’s wrestling has achieved in a short period of time is extraordinary. They are a model of how to move the needle forward,” Ragean Hill, chair of the Women’s Athletics Committee and associate athletics director/senior woman administrator at Charlotte, said in a statement. “The CWA is excited for young women to be able to participate in another championship sport at the collegiate level. … I can’t wait to witness the sport’s first NCAA championship.”
Other women’s sports compete for an NCAA championship
Women’s wrestling was one of six sports in the Emerging Sports for Women program that met championship requirements, the NCAA announced Tuesday. The other five were acrobatics and tumbling, horse riding, rugby, stunt and triathlon.
Stunt, a game over four quarters between two teams, with quarters divided into partner stunts, pyramids and throws, jumps and tumblings, and team drills, is the latest sport to be added to the emerging sports program. Divisions I and II have agreed to it, and Division III will vote on whether to add the sport at the 2024 NCAA Convention.
Here is a summary of the sports, including the number of schools with sponsorships, as reported to the NCAA.
Acrobatics and tumblingThirty-seven schools reported sponsoring acrobatics and tumbling, including 26 schools in Division II, seven schools in Division III and four schools in Division I. That’s four more schools than last year.
Equestrian sports (Divisions I and II)22 schools reported sponsoring equestrian sports, the same number as in 2021-22.
rugby29 schools reported sponsoring rugby, spread across the three divisions (Division I: 10 schools, Division II: 9 and Division III: 10). The number of sponsorships represents an increase of six schools from 2021 to 2022.
sleight of handDue to the timing of its inclusion in the program, Stunt was not part of the most recent data collection on sports sponsorship and participation. However, in 2022-23, 22 schools self-reported having undertaken sponsorship activities. TriathlonThirty-four schools reported sponsoring triathlons, one fewer than in 2021-22. These include 13 in Division II, 13 in Division III and eight in Division I.
Follow IndyStar sports reporter Dana Benbow on X: @DanaBenbow. Reach her via email: [email protected].
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