Here’s what the first NCAA women’s wrestling championship format will look like

For the first time in 2026, the NCAA will officially host a national postseason tournament and championship for women’s wrestling.

The emerging sport was added as the NCAA’s 91st championship back in January, and earlier this week the governing body for college athletics finalized its format for the inaugural championship.

Hosting the championship will be Xtreme Arena in Coralville, Iowa, nestled just outside of Iowa City. The arena is home to the University of Iowa’s volleyball team as well as a minor league hockey franchise and indoor football squad. The University of Iowa and the Iowa City Area Sports Commission will serve as co-hosts for the inaugural tournament.

Iowa is one of just six Division I women’s wrestling programs. The tournament will combine all varsity programs from Divisions I, II and III.

In notes from the NCAA meeting approving the format for the tournament, it says that the championship will be held during the first full weekend in March, Thursday through Saturday. So, fans can mark their calendars for March 5 through March 7 of 2026. Regional play in the tournament will take place two weeks prior.

The championships will include 180 participants in 10 weight classes — that’s 18 per weight class — with a maximum of one qualifier per weight, per school. Overall, each team can send a maximum of 10 wrestlers per region. There will be six regions in all and three qualifiers from each region.

Prior to approving this format, the NCAA Women’s Wrestling Committee recommended having 210 qualifiers and seven regionals, but the NCAA pushed back on that, saying 180 qualifiers and six regionals “is more in line with the (Sports Oversight Committee’s) principle for championship access.”

In the future, it seems likely that there will be a change in the number of qualifiers, or that there will be a split amongst divisions instead of one combined tournament for all three. For starters, the sport could grow at the Division I and II levels, and second, those teams offer scholarships and Division III does not, putting it at a disadvantage. For now though, the Division III ranks make up the majority of programs competing in women’s wrestling with 70, where there are only 42 combined in Division I and Division II.

Aside from Iowa — currently the only Power 4 program with a varsity women’s wrestling team — Presbyterian, Lehigh, Delaware State, Lindenwood and Sacred Heart are the other Division I schools with teams.