INDIANAPOLIS — The NCAA Women's Athletics Committee on Wednesday recommended that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add a women's wrestling championship, a key step in a potential jump from emerging sport status to a official NCAA championship.
If sponsored, NCAA members in the divisions are expected to vote on adding the sport during the NCAA Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, next January. The recommendation also includes establishing a committee that would begin work in January 2025 to prepare for a women's wrestling championship they hope will debut in the winter of 2026.
🏆Young Women Champions 🏆@NCCwomenWRMaddie Avila shares her enthusiasm for women's sports @NCAAWrestling reaching a key milestone toward becoming an NCAA championship.#NGWSD2024 | pic.twitter.com/9MX4Isoqg9
-NCAA (@NCAA) February 7, 2024
“We are excited to recommend women's wrestling as the 91st NCAA championship sport,” said Ragean Hill, committee chair and Charlotte associate executive director of athletics/senior administrator. “We are extremely proud of the work USA Wrestling has done to make this a reality in such a short time. Also, a special thank you to the men's wrestling community for believing in our young women and championing this process.”
According to the latest sports sponsorship and participation data, more than 70 schools plan to sponsor sports for the 2023-24 academic year. If approved, it would become the sixth sport to earn NCAA championship status through the Women's Emerging Sports program, following rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015). .
