Takedown Report

New College Wrestling programs

TDR Editor’s Notes; The following programs are just some of the new college teams that will be starting up. So far over 50 new teams have been announced for next season while about 10 teams will be dropped mostly due to schools’ closures. So far over 10 new teams in the following year while 2 teams will be dropped due to a school closure. While most of these schools are far away they are exaamples of the growth in collegiate and scholastic wrestling.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Wrestling Returns To Wittenberg
Wittenberg to Sponsor Donor-Supported Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Programs Starting in 2026-27 School Year
SPRINGFIELD, OH – The last time wrestling singlets were adorned with the iconic Wittenberg logo, the year was 1990, and the majority of Wittenberg’s intercollegiate athletics teams had just started competition in a new league.
Fast forward to 2025 and Wittenberg, which discontinued its wrestling program at the conclusion of the 1989-90 school year, has won more than 130 team championships across a variety of sports as a member of the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). While the league has never sponsored competition in the sport, calls from Wittenberg alumni to bring wrestling back have never ceased.
Those calls have grown louder in recent years until they reached a crescendo this year. A group of wrestling alumni stepped forward to support the University by providing financial backing to not only re-start Wittenberg’s men’s wrestling program but also offer a new women’s wrestling program as well.
“We are deeply grateful to our supportive alumni and friends who, as donors, are allowing us to expand our athletics offerings without requiring additional investments from the University,” said Wittenberg President Christian M.M. Brady, DPhil (Oxon.). “This model preserves our financial future and positions us to offer a program of great interest and an overall excellent academic and educational experience to our current and prospective students.”
Both teams will start competition in the 2026-27 school year, following a year that will be dedicated to recruiting. A search for a new coach is already underway. “We are extremely excited about the reinstatement of our wrestling program, which will include a women’s team,” … more at … https://www.wittenberg.edu/news/07-31-25/wrestling-returns-wittenberg

Women’s Wrestling Coming to St. Ambrose in 2026-27
St. Ambrose University is announcing the addition of a varsity women’s wrestling program, building on its legacy of athletic excellence and opportunities for student-athletes. The team will begin official competition in the 2026–27 academic year, with a head coach to be hired during this academic year to lead recruiting, scheduling, and program development.
“As early as four years ago, we saw the tremendous momentum behind girls’ wrestling at the high school level, especially in Iowa and Illinois,” said Mike Holmes, Director of Athletics at St. Ambrose. “We’ve had our eye on this opportunity ever since, and we’re excited to bring that vision to life for our Ambrosian student-athletes.”
The launch of the women’s program builds upon the university’s strategic facilities plan, which included future expansion when the men’s wrestling program was launched in 2021. The current wrestling facility was constructed with dedicated space for a women’s team, including locker rooms and office space.
The university is applying for the women’s wrestling team to compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference, the same conference where the men’s wrestling team competes as an affiliate. Adding a women’s team expands opportunities for Ambrosian student-athletes and allows St. Ambrose to further engage in conference-level competition and contribute to the rapid national and regional growth of the sport. “We designed our wrestling facility with this expansion in mind,” … more at … https://www.saubees.com/sports/wwrest/2025-26/releases/20250804g72d65
And …

Mount St. Joseph to Add Women’s Wrestling as 22nd Athletic Team
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Mount St. Joseph University is announcing the addition of women’s wrestling to the Universities athletic programs. The team is slated to begin competition in the fall of 2026 and will increase the total number of athletic teams to 22 at The Mount. 
Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports among high schools across the country and specifically in the state of Ohio. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) sponsored their first state championship in 2024. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, the number of female high school wrestlers nationally has exploded 804 in 1994 to more than 50,000 in 2024.
At the collegiate level, women’s wrestling was listed as an “emerging sport” by the NCAA in 2020-21. Since that time the sport has seen tremendous growth at the collegiate level and became the NCAA’s 91st championship level sport in January of 2025. 
The MSJ women’s wrestling program will become the NCAA’s 58th Division III team. It will be the seventh D-III program in the state of Ohio and the first south of Westerville.  … more at … https://msjlions.com/news/2025/8/5/general-mount-st-joseph-to-add-womens-wrestling-as-22nd-athletic-team.aspx

August 12, 2025 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | athletics, ncaa, sports