April 26, 2026
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Women's Wrestling
On April 16, Iowa State announced the addition of an NCAA Division I women's wrestling program, with two-time world silver medalist Alli St. John serving as the Cyclones' first women's wrestling coach. The ISU women's wrestling team will begin competition in the 2027-28 season, making Iowa State the ninth NCAA Division I school to sponsor women's wrestling as a varsity sport — joining Iowa, Sacred Heart, Lehigh, Presbyterian, Lindenwood, Delaware State, Kent State, and Mercyhurst.
The announcement could trigger a domino effect across Division I athletics. St. John, speaking with Kyle Klingman of FloWrestling on the day she was hired, made clear she's watching closely.
"The more schools that buy in, the better," St. John said. "I have heard a couple other schools are close. So now I hope that news today really gets in those athletic directors' minds that this is a real thing and this is something you should be a part of."
So which programs are next? Here are five NCAA Division I schools to watch.
No college has won more national championships in wrestling than Oklahoma State. The Cowboys have claimed 34 team national titles and 148 individual national championships in men's wrestling. Coach David Taylor — an Olympic champion and three-time world champion — has reenergized an already-passionate fanbase since arriving in 2024, and the program is coming off a runner-up finish at the NCAAs after crowning three freshman national champions.
Adding a women's varsity program at Oklahoma State feels like a no-brainer. Stillwater is a wrestling hotbed and home of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame — and the Cowgirls Wrestling Club is arguably the most successful women's collegiate wrestling club in the country. Two-time NCAA All-American Izzak Olejnik leads the program as head coach, with legendary wrestler and coach John Smith serving as a volunteer assistant. The club won the first-ever USA Wrestling Women's Collegiate Club Nationals in March, with a roster that could legitimately compete with the top NCAA women's wrestling teams today.
Tarleton State, located in Stephenville, Texas, appears to be on the verge of making it official. Former King University women's wrestling coach Jason Moorman was hired to lead the Tarleton State women's wrestling program, which currently competes at the club level. Moorman guided King to four WCWA national championships and coached numerous world and Olympic medalists, including Olympic champion Sarah Hildebrandt and two-time world silver medalist Alli St. John. Several of King's top wrestlers followed Moorman to Tarleton State.
This past season, Tarleton State repeated as national champions at the NCWA Women's National Championships — five wrestlers won individual titles and 13 earned All-America honors. With Moorman at the helm and a loaded roster already in place, an NCAA Division I upgrade feels inevitable.
Arizona State has long prided itself on developing athletes who compete for world and Olympic medals. Zeke Jones served as the U.S. Olympic freestyle coach before returning to his alma mater to lead the Sun Devils. The state has also produced several elite women's wrestlers in recent years, including Audrey Jimenez — an NCAA champion and five-time age group world medalist — and 2026 U.S. Open champion Everest Leydecker, a University of Iowa signee.
Like Oklahoma State, Arizona State already has a strong women's wrestling club. The Lady Devils Women's Wrestling Club placed third at the inaugural USA Wrestling Women's Collegiate Club Nationals, with Trinity Bouchal winning the national title at 160 pounds. The infrastructure and talent pipeline are there.
Columbia University is home to the oldest wrestling program in the country and has a chance to become the first Ivy League school with a varsity women's wrestling program. Former USA Wrestling national women's team assistant coach Emma Randall was hired in 2021 to lead the Columbia women's wrestling team, while also serving as head coach of the NYC RTC women's wrestling program. The Columbia women finished runner-up to Oklahoma State at the inaugural USA Wrestling Women's Collegiate Club Nationals, with Mia Collins (138) and Kaylie Musard (207) winning national titles.
The path to varsity status isn't without obstacles. "Emma is currently in the process of trying to transition to varsity," Columbia Wrestling Club president Danielle Rapsas told the Columbia Spectator. "There's not a clear timeline on that. It's kind of complicated, you know, with funding. Also, Columbia has gone through some administrative changes and funding changes over the past few years, which have definitely been obstacles."
Another Ivy League program trending in the right direction is Brown University. The Brown women's wrestling club recently received a $1 million gift as a step toward earning varsity status, a development that club coach Nick Lattanze described as a turning point.
"(This gift) turned the heads of our athletic department and trustees," Lattanze told FloWrestling's Kyle Klingman. "I think it's very possible here. I truly think it's going to happen because of Brown's history behind it. Essentially, we need to be fully funded. This also unlocks a significant amount of institutional support, which is the most important aspect. We have a history of elevating women's sports at the club level."
Brown's club has made a point of recruiting nationally ranked high school wrestlers, including Calli Gilchrist — a five-time Fargo All-American who was a runner-up at the Collegiate Club Nationals in March, falling to Oklahoma State's Molly Allen in the finals at 124 pounds. Brown finished seventh in the team standings.
