Northern Michigan University has extended the closing date of its residential USA Wrestling National Training Site Greco-Roman wrestling program by one year, through the end of the winter 2028 semester, the school announced.

The extension gives current NTS wrestlers the opportunity to continue training at Northern through the Olympic Trials for the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games without disruption. NMU will use one-time institutional funding to cover the extension, and all current student-athlete scholarships will be fully honored.

Greco-Roman wrestling began at NMU in 1999 as part of what was then the U.S. Olympic Education Center. The program was originally jointly funded by the state of Michigan, the federal government and USA Wrestling. State funding was eliminated in 2011, and the USOC restructured its funding model that same year, ending federal support for several Olympic training centers nationwide, including the NMU USOEC. Northern subsequently became a National Training Site, receiving partial operational support from USA Wrestling until 2020, when USA Wrestling eliminated all direct financial support to NMU. Since then, NMU has assumed full financial responsibility for the program.

Amid significant budget challenges, the university determined it can no longer sustain the full financial load of the program long term. NMU engaged in discussions with USA Wrestling about restoring funding, but the national governing body indicated it is unable to provide financial support at this time. The decision to close the program will also allow NMU to reallocate facility space and expand rosters more efficiently for its NCAA athletics teams.