By Cliff Brunt / Associated Press
(Source: Florida Courier)
Delaware State announced Thursday, Nov. 7 that it will become the first historically Black institution to offer Division I women’s wrestling.
Jahi Jones, the executive director of the HBCU Wrestling Initiative, said his organization has contributed $1.25 million to help launch the program.
The decision is timely for two reasons. The plan is to start competing during the 2025-26 school year — which coincides with the first season women’s wrestling is expected to make the move from an emerging sport to an NCAA championship sport. Add the fact that girls wrestling is America’s fastest-growing high school sport, and Jones is ecstatic.
“I don’t think the timing could have been any better than what it is right now, having a full year to be able to get a coach in place and recruiting girls and being able to go in running—the timing is is perfect,” Jones said. “And then just being able to be a part of that inaugural championship— it’s huge. I can’t even put into words like how big that is.”
Delaware State Athletic Director Alecia Shields-Gadson said her school, which dropped men’s wrestling in 2009, likes the opportunities provided by adding women’s wrestling to the athletic program.
“The partnership with HBCU Wrestling gives our women student-athletes a platform to compete, grow, and inspire others,” she said. “We are excited for this new chapter and the impact it will have for years to come.”
Morgan State added men’s wrestling in 2023-24, becoming the only HBCU to offer the sport at the Division I level. The HBCU Wrestling Initiative also played a key role in getting that program started, helping with a $2.7 million donation.
Pride in program
Jones hopes the moves at Morgan State and Delaware State will lead to more HBCUs adding the sport. He said he has been in contact with others about starting programs for both men and women, but he declined to say which ones.
In 2023, HBCU Wrestling hosted a wrestling clinic at DSU, led by Olympic medalist Toccara Montgomery, which sparked enthusiasm among participants and the university’s athletic community. Seeing the excitement around that clinic, Montgomery, the first Black woman to win a World Championship for the U.S. in wrestling, expressed pride in DSU’s new program.
“Seeing DSU launch the first-ever Division I women’s wrestling team at an HBCU is monumental,” Montgomery said. “This program will inspire young women of color to chase their dreams and know they belong.”
The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics recommended in February that Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add a women’s wrestling championship, a key step in a potential advancement from emerging sport status to an official NCAA championship sport. The vote is scheduled for January.
Delaware State’s move is another step in an American women’s wrestling boom that has gone all the way to the top. At the Summer Olympics in Paris, Sarah Hildebrandt and Amit Elor won gold, making it the first time any nation other than Japan won more than two golds in women’s wrestling since it was added to the Games in 2004. Kennedy Blades earned silver and Helen Maroulis took bronze, meaning Team USA medaled in four of the six weight classes.
