When the NAIA introduced women’s wrestling as an invitational sport in 2018, there were approximately 21,000 high school participants nationwide. Today, that number has nearly tripled.
The NAIA’s early investment in the athletic and academic success of women’s wrestlers has fueled a cascade of opportunities for both NAIA member institutions and student-athletes.
Since the 2018-19 academic year, the NAIA has seen a 315 percent growth in women’s wrestling participation. The current stats are:
Women’s wrestling net return worth it
Despite averaging only 24 wrestlers per participating institution, women’s wrestling ranks among the top 12 most profitable sports in the NAIA. With an average net return of $296K per participating institution (the overall contribution women’s wrestling returns to the institution after expenses are applied), women’s wrestling has quickly become a financial driver for many athletics departments.
“The growth of women’s wrestling at both the individual participation level and at the institution level speaks for itself,” said NAIA Vice President of Technology, Data, and Analytics Alan Grosbach. “Sponsoring women’s wrestling has been a no-brainer for many NAIA campuses. The early investment in the sport has not only provided significant financial returns for member institutions but also created a destination for competition.”
Student-athletes find success in new sports programs
As the first intercollegiate athletics association to officially recognize women’s wrestling, the NAIA has quickly become the place for women’s wrestlers to achieve success.
Since 2018, the NAIA has hosted three women’s wrestling invitationals and two national championships, crowning both a team champion and 10 weight class winners at each event. In addition to achieving athletic success within the NAIA, many of these women wrestlers have risen in national and international rankings. Notably, at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the United States Women’s Wrestling Team featured three athletes with NAIA connections: Kayla Miracle of Campbellsville University (Ky.), Tamyra Mensah-Stock of Wayland Baptist University (Texas), and Jacarra Winchester of Missouri Valley College.
Above all, participating institutions have also provided opportunities for women’s wrestlers to excel academically. During the 2024-25 season, more than 150 women’s wrestlers were honored as Daktronics Scholar-Athletes for meeting rigorous academic standards.
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