On Monday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced it has officially added women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport. The sport advances from the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program to intercollegiate competition, leading to a national championship. The decision applies to Divisions I, II, and III.
“This is not only a game-changer for so many women [who] are on club wrestling teams at NCAA institutions, but also for the more than 65,000 girls competing in high school and so many more at the youth level, who aspire to be NCAA wrestlers,” said Brendan Buckley, executive director of Beat the Streets, a nonprofit organization that works to develop the full human and athletic potential of New York City urban youth through wrestling, shared his enthusiasm. “This decision provides them with more pathways to pursue their dreams.”
Some colleges and universities currently have women’s wrestling as a club sport and others, such as Sacred Heart University in Connecticut and Grand Valley State University in Michigan, already compete on the intercollegiate level albeit without a championship to conclude their season — until now. Adding a path to a national championship enhances the student-athlete experience.
The first national championships will be in 2026. Nationally ranked in Division II, junior Katie Lange of Grand Valley said she feels inspired by the thought of competing for the NCAA title.
“Having to grow up in the sport not being something that was really recognized, even at the high school level — to see women finally get the recognition they deserve for being in such a tough sport, it’s a big deal,” said Lange, 21, who comes from a wrestling family and started the sport at age 4. “I’m super-thrilled that I’ll have the opportunity to wrestle for an NCAA championship. Overall, women deserve the recognition.”
Lange and her teammates currently compete as an officially recognized intercollegiate sport. She can understand how eager women wrestlers currently competing as a club sport are to make the transition.
“There is so much support that comes with it being an intercollegiate sport,” said Lange, who previously competed two years at the Division III level and won a National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship (a separate organization). “I have more than just my wrestling coaches — I have lift coaches. I have access to physical therapists. Being an intercollegiate sport says something about the women in the sport and it being a serious thing.”