Iowa athletic director Gary Barta speaks during a news conference announcing a NCAA college women’s wrestling program for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
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The University of Iowa athletic department will be adding women’s wrestling to its program, the school announced Thursday morning. The sport will be a part of the athletic department in time for the 2023-24 season.
The Hawkeyes are no strangers to wrestling success after the men's team won the national title in March.
They will be the first NCAA Division I, Power Five conference institution to offer the sport.
"This is an exciting day for the university, our department and the sport of women’s wrestling," said Gary Barta, director of athletics chair.
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"Our wrestling history and success makes this a perfect fit. We are confident that at Iowa, our women’s wrestling student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete at the highest level athletically and academically."
Iowa will join North Dakota State, Presbyterian, Sacred Heart and Lock Haven as the fifth NCAA Division I school to offer women's wrestling as a collegiate sport.
The search will begin this fall to fill the slot for Iowa’s women’s wrestling head coach.
