CORALVILLE, Iowa — Presbyterian College, out of Clinton, South Carolina, has the distinction of being both the oldest and smallest of the Division I teams in the 2026 NCAA women’s wrestling championships.
The Blue Hose officially became the first Division I school to field a women’s wrestling program on Dec. 17, 2017. Ever since, they have been a top contender every season in the National Women’s Wrestling Championship tournament.
But what makes the Blue Hose story so unique is that they are also the smallest Division I school in the country…by a long shot.
“Our current enrollment is 980,” Presbyterian head coach Brian Vutianitis told The IX Sports.
Now think about that a moment.
The Blue Hose have well over 100 players on their football roster. Let’s say that there are about 150 players on the football team; subtract that from 980 and you get 730 students. Just going off of glances at team pictures of 18 other varsity sports, it would be safe to say that the Blue Hose probably average between 35 or 40 athletes on each roster. Splitting the difference, that number is 38.5. Take that by 18 and you get 693, leaving you with 37 students not on a team sport.
“Pretty much everyone on campus is out for something,” Vutianitis said.
There are about 30 women on the Presbyterian roster, and the Blue Hose are one of four teams – along with Iowa, McKendree (Ill.) and North Central (Ill.) – to have all qualified all 10 weights to the first National tournament.
Presbyterian is also one of just six NCAA Division I institutions that currently has a varsity wrestling team, along with Delaware State University, Lehigh (Pa.), Lindenwood (St. Charles, Mo.), Sacred Heart (N.J.) and the host Iowa Hawkeyes. Those six are joined with 40 Division II schools and 70 Division III. But earlier this season, the NCAA announced that following the 2026-27 season, Division III schools would be leaving to go on their own.
The IX Sports asked Iowa head coach Clarissa Chun if she thought finally having a sanctioned NCAA tournament might spur other programs to start their own programs.
“I hope so,” Chun said. “You know, it’s kind of like the chicken or the egg. What comes first? You know, I think each institution deals with things in different ways based off of what makes most sense for their institution, given the climate that we are in in this world. So, I like to think of it as not if they’re going to, but when? That’s the way I look at it. Hopefully, you we’ll get more programs at the DI power for conferences.”
Listen now to The IX Sports Podcast & Women’s Sports Daily
We are excited to announce the launch of TWO new podcasts for all the women’s sports fans out there looking for a daily dose of women’s sports news and analysis.
Stream on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere you listen to your podcasts and make sure to subscribe!
Many colleges have created official club teams as a first step toward a program. Lehigh was a club program this season. The Mountain Hawks qualified five wrestlers to the tournament and are looking at a probable top-10 finish. Chun said that those programs are great building blocks for creating a program.
“Oklahoma State has a club program,” she said. “Northwestern has a club program. Kent State has one.”
And Iowa State recently dropped women’s gymnastics. The Cyclones have a strong club team, a solid men’s wrestling tradition and a need to add another women’s varsity sport.
“Yes,” said Chun. “I was gonna mention that. I was gonna plug that. I mean, it’s in Iowa, why not?”
“But I don’t know, she added. “I don’t know what their institution is working through and dealing with.”
The homestanding Hawkeyes have the luxury of having the tournament in their own backyard, as Xtream Arena is just a couple of miles north of the University of Iowa campus.
Iowa two-time National champion Kylie Welker said that having the tournament in what is called “Wrestle Town, USA” is OK with her, even it is out of the ordinary.
“Yeah, it’s a little a little weird,” Welker told reporters in a press conference Thursday. “I was telling my coaches, this morning that it didn’t even feel like it was Nationals Week for a second there, which could be a good thing. I think, finally once we arrived at the arena, we stepped in, I had that moment of realization, like, it’s almost go-time. And I think it’s awesome [to be home].
“I get to hang out with my cats and be around my friends and my family, but then I get to go out and do what I love, and so to be able to do that right in the backyard in one of my favorite locations is really special. So, definitely going to have to flip the switch. But I also think it’s a cool opportunity to have it right here in Wrestle Town, USA.”
Chun echoed those feelings during the coaches’ press conference Thursday.
“I feel like Wrestle Town, USA, because of what it means to have wrestling here in Coralville, Iowa City,” she said. “I think there’s no better place to have an inaugural event because the way the people show up, the love for wrestling here, and just the love for women in sport in this city. I’m not even talking about women’s wrestling, just the love for women in sport is so prevalent here in Iowa City.”
The moment is monumental for wrestlers of all locations, from Iowa to Illinois to the East Coast.
It’s been quite a year for Lehigh (Bethlehem, Penn.), but for Mountain Hawk redshirt freshman Audrey Jimenez, the top seed at 117 pounds, it’s been a special journey.
“It’s been a blessing,” she said. “I think we have such a great team, so many great people, and I couldn’t be more grateful for them, for the team, for the staff. I think we all helped each other through the biggest times, and also been able to celebrate together all the victories. And I think we’re all going to do very well here.”
“You know whether we win, whether we lose, I think we’re going to make the most of it, and we’re going and we’re going to have fun together, and we’re going to keep on building a legacy and a great foundation,” she added.
For McKendree’s Cam Guerin, the collegiate road is coming to an end this weekend. The top seed at 131 pounds, Guerin is gunning for a fifth national title, winning 2021-24. She’s back after taking some time off last season for an injury.
“Obviously, I came back for a couple different reasons,” she said. “It being NCAA sanctioned is a huge deal, and gratefully, a part of it. I’m also coming back because I did it for me. I took last year off, and I have a couple things that I want to prove, and just be myself and wrestle for the best of my capability. And now I’m physically, mentally as healthy as ever, and so, yeah, I’m looking forward to it, and I just can’t wait to put on a show.”
First-round matches begin Friday morning. The tournament can be watched on ESPN+.
“Becoming Caitlin Clark” is out now!
Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.
