The NCAA Board of Governors on Thursday approved funding for women’s wrestling. The board approved $1.7 million in Association funding with $200,000 in 2025 and $1.5 million in 2026 to establish a National Collegiate women’s wrestling championship.
The first championship will be in the 2025-26 season.
In February the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics approved to recommend legislation for Division I, II, and II sponsorship. The divisions are expected to vote on the proposals during the 2025 NCAA Convention planned for Jan. 15-18 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The growth of women’s wrestling has been amazing across the country. 45 states now have sanctioned high school girls wrestling and women’s wrestling is one of the fastest growing sport in American.
The University of Iowa Women’s Wrestling team has brought a lot of great attention to women’s wrestling. Iowa shattered the attendance record with 8,207 fans in Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the Trailblazer Duals on November 12, 2023. This was the home debut for the new women’s program.
Iowa won the 2024 NCWWC national title and NCWA Duals in the first year for the program.
I look for more Division I programs to add women’s wrestling in the next two years as the sport continues to grow.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Go Hawks!
