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The University of Iowa, which is participating in the Big Ten Conference, will be the first Power 5 school to introduce a wrestling program for women announced last week.
The team is slated to start competing in the 2023-24 season; a search for a head coach will begin in the fall.
Iowa has long been a powerhouse in men’s wrestling, winning its 24th national title last season. The school is breaking ground for a new 37,000-square-foot wrestling facility – valued at an estimated $ 17 million to $ 20 million – in 2022.
Sports director Gary Barta said Iowa had discussed adding women’s rings for years, but the talks have been put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the university also had to add a new women’s sport as part of the settlement for the Women’s Swimmer Title IX lawsuit after its team was initially cut during the pandemic. Along with women’s swimming and diving, the school eliminated men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis, and men’s swimming and diving – the women’s team was the only one reinstated.
“In general, it was about Title IX, and specifically adding women’s sports, counting women’s sports,” said Barta. according to the Associated Press. “We had already agreed to reintroduce women’s swimming permanently. Part of the deal was to add a women’s sport and we chose women’s wrestling for all the obvious reasons. “
The new women’s wrestling team will be able to offer 10 scholarships and will include a total of 30 to 35 athletes, the AP reported. The addition will bring Iowa to 22 sports teams: eight men and 14 women.
There are currently 45 women’s wrestling teams in the NCAA, and 32 states have state championships for high school girl wrestling. The association added women’s wrestling (as well as tumbling and acrobatics) to its list of emerging sports for women in all three divisions in 2020.
Sports on this list can eventually seek championship status. Previous sports that made this jump include water polo, ice hockey, rowing, bowling, and beach volleyball.
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