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. 

A national search is underway for a head women's wrestling coach. The plan is to hire a coach in 2025, give them a year to recruit with the intention of beginning competition during the 2026-27 academic year. 

"We are extremely excited to announce the addition of women's wrestling to our athletic programs at The Mount" said MSJ Vice President of Athletics Melanee Wagener. "The Mount is a place that is steeped in the tradition of providing opportunity for women to compete in collegiate sport. The addition of women's wrestling will allow us to continue to provide that opportunity to women in this emerging sport."