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.

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 NCAA Division I has voted in favor of adding women’s wrestling as a championship sport, according to USA Wrestling. Divisions II and III will vote Friday. Women’s wrestling, which has been on the Olympic program since 2004, would become the NCAA’s 91st championship sport.

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.

The NCAA’s addition of women’s wrestling as a championship sport at the Division I, III and III levels will impact all corners of the United States, and Southwestern Pennsylvania is no exception, as the sport has grown immensely the past decade.

The NCAA added women’s wrestling as a sport Friday, bringing its total number of championships to 91. The sanctioning body approved the addition at the annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Women’s wrestling had been under the “emerging sports for women” banner.

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.