Women’s wrestling officially advanced from an NCAA emerging sport for women to a national collegiate championship. Athletes from divisions I, II, and III can compete in the sport, which was approved at the NCAA’s national convention.
Women’s wrestling began gaining traction in the United States in 1972, following the signing of Title IX legislation, which mandated gender equity in education and athletics. Although men dominated wrestling, the United World Wrestling began hosting competitions for women’s wrestling in the late 1980s.
Despite its slow start, women’s wrestling steadily gained momentum. In 1990, only 112 girls participated in high school wrestling. Since then, the numbers have increased by approximately 10 percent annually.
There were 76 women’s wrestling programs at NCAA schools in 2023-2024, with more than 1,200 women wrestlers with diverse backgrounds. 93 NCAA schools signaled intent to sponsor women’s wrestling in 2024-25. USA Wrestling and organizations such as Wrestle Like a Girl have been long-time supporters of making women’s wrestling an NCAA championship.
The rise of women wrestlers and efforts to make the sport more recognized marks another way women enter male-dominated fields. As more schools start to offer women’s wrestling, the sport’s future looks brighter than ever.
The excitement for women’s wrestling as NCAA’s 91st championship sport is about more than just athletic entertainment; it’s about representation, equality, and opportunity. Women’s wrestling fans will eagerly await the first National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship in winter 2026.
