Iowa Prepared For Historic NCAA Challenge After Leading The Path For Women’s Wrestling

The future looks bright! At least for Iowa. The Hawkeyes added women’s wrestling to its D1 program in 2021, and have since become one of the most dominant forces in the country. With almost no resistance from its foes, Iowa has risen to become a juggernaut that is almost impossible to topple from its high seat. However, that all could change, and soon!

The Hawkeyes women finished the 2024-25 regular wrestling season with a perfect 15-0 record, ensuring last season’s pristine 16-0 record maintained its momentum this time as well. While the back-to-back successful campaigns were exhilarating to witness, the lack of competition from other programs was like a dull ache in the back of everyone’s mind. But rejoice, now, for the country’s apex body has started the ball rolling to make women’s wrestling gain more exposure with its latest move.

NCAA move looks to usher a new era for women’s wrestling

A post by the official NCAA X account on the platform from January 17 shared titular news. “The 91st championship is HERE!” emphatically reads the post’s caption, as it goes on to reveal that women’s wrestling will become the 91st NCAA championship sport and will begin its maiden run in 2026. As per the article that accompanies the social media update, the move will give “another athletics opportunity for female athletes to compete,” against their colleagues from all around the country.

From being an NCAA Emerging Sports for Women to becoming a national championship where student female athletes from all three divisions will compete against each other, it’s been quite the journey, Noting its monumental significance, NCAA President Charlie Baker said, “We are thrilled that women’s wrestling will be an NCAA sport…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.”

Ever since the University of Minnesota-Morris became the first school to have a women’s wrestling program in 1993, fans have waited for the sport to become more widespread across the USA. Today, there are more than 80 NCAA schools that proudly offer women’s wrestling programs, while over 1,200 female wrestlers put their lives on the line to show the fans that their support doesn’t go unnoticed. NCAA’s decision to give the sport a bump-up is a hail to all the women athletes who have wooed fans with their skills on the mat that couldn’t have come sooner. But how will that make life miserable for the folks over in Iowa?

Iowa’s dominance to end soon?

While the Hawkeyes announced its D1 women’s wrestling program in 2021, the squad had to wait for a few more years before getting started on the action. And its maiden campaign in the 2023-24 season was an enormous success, to say the least. Among the many laurels that the Iowa team bagged last year were the 2024 NWCA National Duals title and the NCWWC National Championship. On top of that, six individual national champions and 12 All-American honorees once again cemented the Hawkeyes’ elite status in the country’s women’s wrestling scene. And it didn’t end there! USA Wrestling, NCWWC, and The Open Mat named Hawkeyes head coach Clarissa Chun the 2024 Coach of the Year. Chun also secured the 2024 NCWC Trailblazer Award and USA Today’s Iowa Woman of the Year. A brilliant start, no two ways about it!

Naturally, the program’s stars are also eager to see how the NCAA decision helps Iowa to become an even better wrestling force in the coming days. “This means so much to women’s wrestling and to women’s sports in general…Since I was a little girl, I dreamed about being an NCAA national wrestling champion. It will fulfill so many little girls’ dreams, including mine,” said Hawkeyes sensation and Paris Olympic medalist Kennedy Blades.

However, becoming a D1 NCAA competition would also prompt many of Iowa’s opponents to bulk up on their existing programs to boast full-fledged teams instead of a club-like status. Among them, Oklahoma and Lehigh will need to get the get their games up ASAP, if they have any hopes of giving the Hawkeyes a tough battle in the coming years. How do you think the NCAA will help to make women’s wrestling gain more traction in the country with its big announcement? And how do you see Iowa’s future panning out in the national championship? Share your thoughts with us below!