Women’s wrestling is the sixth emerging sport to earn NCAA championship status. Since the emerging sports program was established in 1994, five women’s sports have earned NCAA championship status: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and beach volleyball (2015).

The NCAA approved the addition of women’s wrestling at the Division I, II and III levels as a championship sport, it announced Friday. The sport’s first NCAA women’s championship will take place in 2026.

The addition of women's wrestling as the NCAA's 91st championship sport was approved at the NCAA convention this week.

NCAA Convention, women's wrestling was voted to become an official NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III championship sport. The vote comes after several seasons of participation in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.

Women’s wrestling took another big step on Wednesday, officially being approved as an NCAA championship sport by the Division I Council.

The NCAA said in a press release that Divisions I, II and III approved the addition at the Association's annual convention this week in Nashville.

Wrestlers at a central Iowa club said the NCAA's decision to incorporate women's wrestling as a championship sport changes the potential for their wrestling careers.

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.