NCAA Wrestling is about to enter a brand new age, and it’s going to be a historic one! On January 18th, the NCAA approved women’s wrestling as a championship sport for Division I, II, and III. Cue the applause! The very first NCAA women’s championship is officially slated for 2026, a big step for the game. In the 2023-24 academic year, 76 NCAA members already had women’s wrestling teams in action, with more than 1200 competitive athletes in action. And the expansion continues—17 more programs are planned to be added to the list shortly, although the names of schools and divisions are still unknown.

With youth and high school programs already laying the foundation, this growth is set to create even more opportunities for future wrestling stars. Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing. Athletic directors nationwide are juggling the complexities of NIL deals and revenue-sharing models, but the rise of women’s wrestling is opening new doors in a big way. This has been no ordinary roller coaster ride, there have been so many people, coaches, athletes, and fans that have given their all to make this dream possible. And now, one NCAA wrestling coach even mentioned that it took them nine long years to get to this point.

In a report shared by The Mat on January 25, Travis Mercado, the mastermind behind launching CMU’s women’s wrestling program in 2018 with just ten ambitious athletes, found himself at the forefront of the action. As a member of the sport’s leadership committee, he played a pivotal role in rallying support and laying the foundation for this historic leap.

Reflecting on the journey, Mercado shared, “I was trying to go back through old messages and emails and different press releases, and it was in 2016 when all these (Division I) schools, I remember Arizona State, Iowa and their athletic directors were like, we’re in support of adding women’s wrestling as an emerging sport. We’re not adding, but we’re in support of women’s wrestling as an emerging sport. So just a little under nine years ago we were trying to figure things out and make this rapid push.”

His determination was palpable as he described the sense of triumph that came with the announcement. “A sense of accomplishment for sure. Seeing D-I announce on Wednesday, it was kind of like, well, D-II and D-III are going to follow suit. There was no maybe about it.” It’s been a long, passionate grind, but the rewards are finally pouring in for women’s wrestling, and the future looks brighter than ever!

When Travis Mercado was announced as the first-ever women’s wrestling coach for Colorado Mesa on May 8, 2018, he got a lot of attention. Since then, he has moved the program from a very small start to a nationally recognized program. He led the team to three consecutive top-five finishes at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships, with two fourth-place finishes in 2020 and 2021.

In addition, Mercado steered the team to 16 All-American awards, making him one of the most successful coaches of the franchise. Prior to Colorado Mesa, Mercado assisted in the development of King University in Tennessee into a women’s wrestling powerhouse. But it does not end there–another NCAA wrestling coach has also taken his voice to this massive stride for women wrestlers, adding his voice to the voices that are changing the face of NCAA wrestling.

Another NCAA Wrestling coach opens up on the update!

College sports are in full swing, and the NCAA wrestling for women is finally stepping into the spotlight. This historic move is making waves, even catching the attention of David Taylor. It’s time for women wrestlers to suit up and take the stage! Taylor says, “We’re practically wrestling every morning we wake up, working on penetration steps. And I think women’s wrestling is growing very fast, one of the fastest-growing sports in the world.” He is correct—women’s wrestling has seen exponential growth since the 2022-23 season, and the talent is only rising.

Taylor’s also excited for the Cowgirls to step up as well. “It’ll be good opportunity to showcase the cowgirls this weekend and Izzak Olejnik has been doing a really good job with them,” he said. The program’s on fire, and Taylor’s all in for supporting women’s wrestling. “I think women wrestling is continuing to grow and however we can support that’s important.” It has taken a while, but with women’s wrestling now fully approved at the collegiate level the future looks bright!