Fairmont State to Add Women's Wrestling to Athletic Offering
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on April 04, 2026
FAIRMONT – Fairmont State University and the Athletic Department is proud to announce the addition of women's wrestling as its 20th varsity sport.
"We are excited to get on board with this rapidly growing sport, and our expectation is to build a roster for a full competitive schedule in 2027-28. Depending on roster size we may participate in a limited number of contests in 2026-27.", states Director of Athletics, Greg Bamberger. "Our women's wrestling program will work closely with the men's wrestling program, to establish themselves competitively in the region."
Women's wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the nation. This trend is especially on display in West Virginia, where the WVSSAC announced that girls wrestling is a preliminary sanctioned sport beginning in 2026-27 with more than 300 statewide student-athletes representing 86 schools.
"Fairmont State University is proud to expand opportunities for our students and our community through the addition of women's wrestling," said Mike Davis, president of Fairmont State University. "Women's wrestling is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, and this program reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of women's athletics while providing talented student-athletes the chance to compete, earn a degree, and represent the Falcon family with pride."
Women's wrestling became the NCAA's 91st championship sport in January 2025 after progressing through the Emerging Sports for Women program. More than 100 schools across Division I, II and III are currently sponsoring the sport. The inaugural NCAA Women's Wrestling Championship took place March 6-7, 2026, at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa, featuring 180 athletes across 10 weight classes competing for the first official NCAA titles. Approximately a third of schools currently sponsor women's wrestling reside in NCAA Division II with Mountain East Conference members Concord, Frostburg State and West Liberty adding the sport within the last three years.
"This sport addition continues our dedication and belief in women's participation opportunities in collegiate athletics," added Bamberger.
Regionally, Bluefield State and Emory & Henry (Emory, Virginia) both sponsor the sport with several schools in both the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) and South Atlantic Conference (SAC)—two of the closest geographic conferences for the MEC—adding the sport in recent times.
Fairmont State will begin a nationwide search for its first women's wrestling head coach.
