The National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) is a nonprofit association of 162 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organize the wrestling programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It is led by founder and executive director Jim Giunta headquartered in Dallas, Texas and built to help the promotion of collegiate wrestling.
Many teams were formerly NCAA programs displaced by Title IX legislation and/or are preparing to join the NCAA, NAIA, or NJCAA. Teams in transition to a higher division not eligible for the NCAA postseason also compete in the NCWA. Notable wrestling programs to have started or competed in the NCWA and are now in other associations include: Bellarmine, California Baptist, Lindenwood - St. Charles, McKendree, Notre Dame College, Queens, and Southern Illinois Edwardsville.
History A post-secondary athletic association built to help the promotion of collegiate wrestling, the NCWA was founded in 1997 as a 501c3 non-profit by the current executive director, Jim Giunta, after resigning as executive director of the Texas Interscholastic Wrestling Association (TIWA). At its founding the association had 13 member teams, but today the NCWA is composed of over 150 wrestling teams and clubs from across the United States and Canada. Many of these programs are from schools that formerly fielded NCAA scholarship programs. The variety of institutions competing in the NCWA is wide and unrestricted as junior colleges, trade schools and post-secondary prep institutions compete in the same national championship as four-year colleges and universities.
NCWA Growth Source:
Season # of Men's Teams 1997-1998 26 1998-1999 35 1999-2000 44 2000-2001 56 2001-2002 68 2002-2003 80 2003-2004 95 2004-2005 109 2005-2006 122 2006-2007 134 2007-2008 142 2008-2009 154 2009-2010 163 2010-2011 170 2011-2012 156 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017 170 2017-2020 2018-2020 2019-2020 154 2020-2021 No season (COVID-19) 2021-2022 151 2022-2023 155 2023-2024 116
Season # of Women's Teams 2007-2008 7 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 16 2011-2012 18 2012-2013 15 2013-2014 10 2014-2015 15 2015-2016 22 2016-2017 24 2017-2018 35 2018-2019 2019-2020 54 2020-2021 No season (COVID-19) 2021-2022 68 2022-2023 60 2023-2024 62
Season # of GoGreco Teams 2017 8 2018 8 2019 10 2020 No season (COVID-19) 2021 No season (COVID-19)
Notable current teams While the NCWA currently has over 100 schools in competition, a few programs have distinguished themselves as top-tier programs.
Men's folkstyle Institution Year Entered NCWA Conference All-Americans and National Champions Team Championships Notes Apprentice 2000 Mid-Atlantic 148 All-Americans 15 National Champions 3x Northeast Conference champions (1999, 2002, 2003) 8x Mid-Atlantic Conference champions (2004 - 2011) 12 top-8 finishes at National Dual Meet Championship 24 top-10 finishes at Division I National Championships 2009 National Champions Auburn 1997 Southeast 26 All-Americans 1 National Champion 6 top-10 finishes at Division I National Championships 15th at 2013 National Dual Meet Championship One of the original NCWA teams UCF 2003 Southeast 133 All-Americans 14 National Champions 15x Southeast Conference champions (2003 - 2005, 2007, 2008, 2010 - 2013, 2015, 2019, 2020, 2022 - 2024) 3x National Championships titles (2004, 2005, 2010) 10 top-5 finishes at National Dual Meet Championship 2016 National Dual Meet Champions 21 top-10 finishes at Division I National Championships 2016 Collegiate Cup championsTrain out of Southeast Olympic Regional Training Center Grand Valley State 2000 Great Lakes 161 All-Americans 23 National Champions Most individual All-Americans in NCWA history 2x Northern Conference champions (2001, 2002) 8x North Central Conference champions (2003 - 2009, 2011) 2010 North Central Conference Co-Champions 7x Great Lakes Conference champions (2013 - 2018, 2022 - 2023) 11 top-6 finishes at National Dual Meet Championship 2009 National Dual Meet Champions 17 top-5 finishes at National Championships 5x National Championships titles (2001, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008) Wrestling program had competed in NCAA D-I, D-II, D-III, and NAIA until 1992 Added men's and women's wrestling at NCAA Division II level in 2023 NCWA program is Division II as of 2023-2024 season Grays Harbor 2015 Northwest 26 All-Americans 2 National Champions 2023 Northwest Conference champions 6 top-10 finishes at Division I National Championships 2020 Division I National Championship runner-ups Liberty 2011 Mid-Atlantic 122 All-Americans 31 National Champions Most individual champions in NCWA history 12x Mid-Atlantic Conference champions (2012 - 2020, 2022 - 2024) 10 top-3 finishes at National Dual Meet Championship 6x National Dual Meet Champions (2012, 2015, 2018 - 2020, 2022) 12 top-4 finishes at Division I National Championships 5x Division I National Champions (2015, 2018 - 2020, 2022) 5x Collegiate Cup champions (2015, 2018 - 2020, 2022) Competed as an NCAA D-I program prior to joining the NCWA in 2011 Lindenwood 2011-2013, 2023 Southwest 21 All-Americans 3 National Champions 2 top-2 finishes at Great Plains Conference Championships 2012 Great Plains Conference champions 2024 Southwest Conference champions 2 top-2 finishes at National Dual Meet Championship 2013 National Dual Meet Champions 3 top-5 finishes at Division I National Championships 2013 Division I National Championships Runner-up Previously competed in NCWA from 2011 to 2013 when transitioning from NAIA to NCAA Division II Started transition from NCAA Division II to Division I in 2022-2023 school year, full membership expected in 2026 School discontinued NCAA Division I program in 2023 Lyon 2023 Southwest 3rd at 2024 Southwest Conference Championships 17th at 2024 Division I National ChampionshipsStarted transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III in 2022-2023 school year, full membership expected in 2026 Menlo 2024 West Coast 19 All-Americans 9 National ChampionsStarted transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II in 2023-2024 school year, full membership expected in 2026 Middle Tennessee State 1999 Mid-Atlantic 28 All-Americans 5 top-8 National Dual Meet Championship finishes 2015 Division I National Championships Runner-up 4 top-10 National Championship finishesCoached by Steven Smith Puerto Rico - Mayagüez 2022 Puerto Rico 2x Puerto Rico Conference champions (2023-2024) Queens 2022 Puerto Rico 5 All-Americans 2 National Champions 3rd at 2018 Mid-Atlantic Conference championships 5th at 2018 Division I National Championships 3rd at 2023 NWCA National Dual Meet Championship - NCWA Division Transitioning from NCAA Division II to Division I, completing transition in 2026 Was previously in NCWA for 2017-2018 season due to adding wrestling program School discontinued NCAA Division I program in 2024 Thomas More 2023 Great Lakes 9 All-Americans 2 National Champions 2nd at 2024 Great Lakes Conference championships 2nd at 2024 NWCA National Dual Meet Championship - NCWA DivisionStarted transition from NAIA to NCAA Division III in 2022-2023 school year, full membership expected in 2026 Vanguard 2024 West Coast 1 All-American Started transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II in 2023-2024 school year, full membership expected in 2026 Yale 1997 Northeast 20 All-Americans 3 National Champions 1998 National Champions 5 top-20 finishes at National ChampionshipsWon the inaugural NCWA National Championships
Women's folkstyle Institution Year Entered NCWA Conference All-Americans and National Champions Team Championships NotesUtah Tech 2019 West Coast 6 All-Americans 2 National Champions Outstanding Wrestler of National Tournament 2024 4th Place Team 2024 3rd Place Collegiate Cup 2024 4th Place National Duals 2024Head Coach Corey Anderson Formerly Dixie State University Big Bend 2022 Northwest 6 All-Americans 2 National Champions2022 National ChampionsAlso compete in NJCAAFlorida State2010Southeast6 All-Americans3 top-10 finishes at National Championships Grays Harbor 2018 Northwest 16 All-Americans 7 National Champions 2x National Champions (2019, 2024) 2020 National Championship runner-up Also compete in NJCAA North Texas 2014 Southwest 9 All-Americans 2 National Champions 5 top-10 finishes at National Championships Ottawa - Arizona 2018 West Coast 3 All-Americans 1 National Champions Won 2022 NCWA Women's National Dual Meet Championship Springfield Tech 2014 Northeast 11 All-Americans 6 National Champions 5 top-10 finishes at National Championships
Notable former teams While the NCWA currently has over 100 schools in competition, it has also been home to many programs that transitioned from one association to another or that originated as an NCWA program and later changed associations.
Men's folkstyle Institution Year Entered NCWA PreviousAssociation Year Left NCWA NextAssociation CurrentAssociation Notes Air Force Prep 2003 Started in NCWA 2017 No association #16 at 2003 National Championships #15 at 2005 National Championships #7 at 2009 National Championships #12 at 2011 Division I National Championships #13 at 2013 Division I National Championships 2014 Great Plains Conference champions #9 at 2014 Division I National Championships #3 at 2015 Great Plains Conference champions #8 at 2015 Division I National Championships #7 at 2016 Division I National Championships #2 at 2015 Great Plains Conference champions #5 at 2017 Division I National Championships 34 All-Americans 9 National Champions Vast majority of student-athletes transfer to United States Air Force Academy Alfred State 2013 NJCAA 2018 NCAA Division III #12 at 2014 Division I National Championships #18 at 2015 Division I National Championships #10 at 2016 Division I National Championships #6 at 2017 National Dual Meet Championship #2 at 2017 Northeast Conference championships #12 at 2017 Division I National Championships #2 at 2018 Northeast Conference championships #11 at 2018 Division I National Championships 8 All-Americans 1 National Champion Allen 2021 NAIA 2024 NCAA Division II #3 at 2022 Mid-Atlantic Conference championships #18 at 2022 Division I National Championships #3 at 2023 Mid-Atlantic Conference championships #10 at 2023 Division I National Championships #3 at 2024 Mid-Atlantic Conference championships #9 at 2024 Division I National Championships 6 All-Americans Army Prep 2008 Started in NCWA 2014 No association #7 at 2008 National Championships #6 at 2009 National Championships #11 at 2010 National Championships #10 at 2011 Division I National Championships #15 at 2013 Division I National Championships #10 at 2014 Division I National Championships 16 All-Americans 2 National Champions Vast majority of student-athletes transfer to United States Military Academy (Army) Bellarmine 2022 NCAA Division II 2024 NCAA Division I 2023 NWCA National Dual Meet Champions - NCWA Division #2 at 2023 Great Lakes Conference championships 2023 Division I National Champions 2023 Collegiate Cup champions 2024 NWCA National Dual Meet Champions - NCWA Division 2024 Great Lakes Conference champions 2024 Division I National Champions 17 All-Americans 10 National Champions Belmont Abbey 1998 Started in NCWA 2006 NCAA Division II #22 at 1999 National Championships #23 at 2000 National Championships #7 at 2001 National Championships #21 at 2002 National Championships #10 at 2003 National Championships #12 at 2004 National Championships 7 All-Americans California Baptist 2010 NAIA 2013 NCAADivision II NCAA Division I 2011 National Dual Meet Champions 2011 West Coast Conference champions 2011 Division I National Champions 2012 West Coast Conference champions #2 at 2012 Division I National Championships 2013 West Coast Conference champions 2013 Division I National Champions 24 All-Americans