National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship coming to Cedar Rapids

Alliant Energy PowerHouse to host tournaments from 2023 to 2025

Women’s Wrestling Championship coming to Cedar Rapids
CREDIT AMERICAN WOMEN'S WRESTLING

Cedar Rapids and the Alliant Energy PowerHouse will host the 2023-2025 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships (NCWWC), Cedar Rapids tourism officials announced Tuesday.

The NCWWC serves as the annual national championships for NCAA-affiliated varsity wrestling programs. Women’s wrestling is currently an NCAA Emerging Sport in Division I, Division II and Division III. The NCWWC is being hosted by a coalition of national wrestling organizations on behalf of the NCAA programs and will be held until women’s wrestling achieves official championship status within the NCAA.

The first NCWWC in Cedar Rapids will be held March 3-4, 2023. The estimated annual economic impact to the Cedar Rapids community is $642,450, with a 3-year total nearing $2 million.

The NCWWC was previously hosted by Adrian College in Michigan in 2020 and 2022 and by Tiffin University in Ohio in 2021. Division III McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois has won the last three NCWWC team titles.

“Cedar Rapids is excited to welcome the top collegiate women’s wrestlers from across the country for the National Championships in 2023, 2024 and 2025,” said Jay Fanta, Director of Sports Tourism with the Cedar Rapids Tourism Office, in a release. “The Alliant Energy Powerhouse has hosted several national championship wrestling events in the past and will undoubtedly provide a top-tier experience for the athletes and visitors. We are excited to welcome athletes and share our vibrant community.”

The NCWWC currently includes NCAA programs from the Division I, II and III levels. Athletes must qualify for the NCWWC through regional qualifiers. In 2022, there were 32 qualifying colleges represented, and many more programs are expected to qualify for the 2023 championship.

“Moving the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships off campus, to be hosted in a spectacular facility with a strong local wrestling community in Cedar Rapids, is a big step forward for NCAA women’s wrestling,” said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. “We look forward to working with the Cedar Rapids Tourism Office and the local community as together we will advance women’s wrestling.”

“We did an informal look for a great city to host the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships,” added Michael Duffy, Adrian College Athletic Director and chair of the NCWWC Committee. “There is no better place than Iowa for wrestling, both for men and women. Cedar Rapids has hosted many NCAA Championships in men’s wrestling. This is a great venue and a great host community. Dick Simmons is one of the greatest promoters of wrestling anywhere. The championships got too big to host on campus, and we want to take it to a higher level. We have an Emerging Sport Status and are on the cusp of an official championship. We want to show that women’s wrestling is ready to take it to an NCAA Championships. We take it to the next level with Cedar Rapids.”