Lehigh To Add Women’s Wrestling Next Season

Lehigh University is proud to announce the addition of women’s wrestling as its 26th varsity sport, with official competition beginning in the 2025–26 academic year.

Women’s wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. This trend is especially evident in Pennsylvania, where more than 100 girls’ high school wrestling programs are now sanctioned. In a major milestone, the NCAA announced in January the inclusion of women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport. The inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championship is set to take place during the 2025–26 season.

“Lehigh has a proud and storied tradition in wrestling, with our men’s program nationally recognized for both its competitive success and its commitment to developing scholar-athletes,” said Murray H. Goodman Dean of Athletics Jeremy Gibson. “Elevating women’s wrestling to varsity status is a natural and exciting next step for Lehigh University and our athletics department. This decision reflects our deep commitment to equitable opportunities for all student-athletes and to sustaining excellence – both on the mat and in the classroom. We are thrilled to welcome women’s wrestling to our varsity family and look forward to building a program that upholds the high standards that have long defined Lehigh wrestling.”

Lehigh becomes the sixth Division I institution to add women’s wrestling and is the first Division I program in Pennsylvania to do so. Nationally, over 100 NCAA member institutions either sponsor or have announced plans to sponsor women’s wrestling. Pennsylvania alone is home to 24 collegiate women’s wrestling programs—21 at the NCAA Division II or III level and three in the NJCAA.