In the 2025-26 academic year, a new national championship will join the NCAA tree of sports tournaments.
The NCAA will sanction a wrestling tournament for women at the Division I, II and III levels, it announced Friday in the midst of the college sports governing body's annual convention in Nashville.
“We are thrilled that women’s wrestling will be an NCAA sport, making it the 91st championship that we host," president Charlie Baker said in an organization release. "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."
Women's wrestling has featured in the Olympics since 2004, and United World Wrestling has sanctioned a women's world championship since 1987. A patchwork of organizations have held responsibility for women's college wrestling world championships up to this point.
"This means so much to women’s wrestling and to women’s sports in general," Iowa wrestler Kennedy Blades—a heavyweight silver medalist at this past summer's Olympics in Paris—said in the NCAA's release. "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."
The Hawkeyes are the defending winners of the Women's Collegiate Wrestling Coalition's national championship.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NCAA Sets Inaugural Women's Wrestling Championship for 2025-26 Academic Year.
