Multiple sources confirmed that a proposal is in the works to establish a Division III women’s wrestling championship for the 2027-28 season. This was an expected move since D3 programs are at a competitive disadvantage since they cannot offer athletic scholarships, while D1 and D2 programs can. 

Currently, 112 NCAA programs offer or will offer women’s college wrestling.

Division I: 6
Division II: 36
Division III: 70

There are not enough Division I programs to host a championship, leading to a combined D1-D2 championship if a split happens. Division III teams will host a national tournament at a different location and possibly on a separate weekend if the proposal is accepted.

For now, Division I, II, and III teams will compete together at the 2026 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships. 

Below is a breakdown of the number of programs represented at the 2025 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships by division.

D1: 4
D2: 26
D3: 33

Below is a breakdown of champions, finalists, and All-Americans (top eight) from the 2025 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships by division.

Champions
D1: 3 (30 percent)
D2: 3 (30 percent)
D3: 4 (40 percent)

Finalists
D1: 4 (20 percent)
D2: 10 (50 percent)
D3: 6 (30 percent)

All-Americans
D1: 26 (32.5 percent)
D2: 31 (38.75 percent)
D3: 23 (28.75 percent)

Only four D1 schools were represented at nationals, and Iowa was the only Power Four program. The Hawkeyes had 15 All-Americans, four finalists, and three champions. 

Below is Iowa’s breakdown by percentages. 

Champions: 3 (30 percent)
Finalists: 4 (40 percent)
All-Americans: 15 (18.75 percent)

Iowa had 15 of the 26 All-Americans earned by the four D1 programs (57.7 percent).

North Central skewed the data on the D3 side. The Cardinals had 12 All-Americans, four finalists, and two champions. 

Champions: 2 (20 percent)
Finalists: 4 (40 percent)
All-Americans: 12 (15 percent)

North Central had 12 of 23 All-Americans out of 33 D3 programs represented at the tournament (52.2 percent). 

Unsurprisingly, the top five schools dominated the national finals. Iowa, North Central, McKendree, Grand Valley State, and King earned 18 of 20 finals spots (90 percent) and 48 of 80 All-American honors (60 percent).