ELMHURST, Ill. -- Elmhurst University has announced the addition of women's wrestling to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics program. The team is slated to start competition in the fall of 2024, and will increase the total number of athletic offerings at Elmhurst to 21 varsity sports.

"This is a historic day for Elmhurst University Athletics. We are very excited to add women's wrestling as a varsity sport. The sport of wrestling has a rich tradition here at Elmhurst University and we look to build a nationally competitive women's wrestling program," Director of Athletics Glen Brittich said. "The student-athlete experience is always at the forefront of our minds and we are excited to offer this opportunity to all the women wrestlers across the country looking to have a rich and competitive Division III collegiate athletic experience."

"Elmhurst University is thrilled to add women's wrestling to our athletic offerings. The program will provide an increased opportunity for women on our campus to participate in varsity sports, and we are excited at the prospect of being on the forefront of the growth of women's wrestling," said Elmhurst University President Troy D. VanAken. "It is great to join the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin as the league's fifth core member school offering the sport, and we are excited to begin competition in the near future."

Women's wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation, with the sport designated an NCAA emerging sport in the 2020-21 academic year. The sport is on track to become the NCAA's 91st NCAA championship and is in the Emerging Sports for Women program sponsored by the NCAA.

According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, the sport has seen an increase from 8,041 participants in 1994 to more than 50,000 participants today. Collegiately, the sport is offered at over 170 schools across the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA).

Elmhurst's women's wrestling program will become the 62nd Division III program, the seventh program in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), and the ninth NCAA program in the state of Illinois.

The team will have a dedicated coaching staff, with the head coach search beginning immediately. If you are interested in joining the program, please direct all inquiries to Glen Brittich (glen.brittich@elmhurst.edu), and stay tuned to the team's official X/Twitter, Instagram, and website for more information.