Smith Acknowledges that Women's Wrestling Could Come to Oklahoma State

STILLWATER – The question came up on my radio show on Triple Play Sports Radio on Wednesday and a listener asked me to ask Oklahoma State University and World wrestling legend and the Cowboys all-time winningest wrestling coach if he could ever see women’s wrestling coming to Oklahoma State? Just over a month ago the University of Iowa, the second most successful college wrestling program in Division I history announced they would bring on women’s wrestling in the 2023-24 school year. The Hawkeyes are the first Division I power conference school to bring on women’s wrestling, but the sports in growing by the day.

“It is definitely something that we have visited with and continued to have conversations about it,” Smith answered. “I kind of leave that to our administration when that decision needs to be made or if it needs to be made. I feel good about it. You need some things in place. There are certain things that need to be in place before that exists and we are working toward that. I’d be out of place saying any more than that, but I feel good about it. I feel good about it.”

Smith was asked in his long tenured role in USA Wrestling and as an experienced free style coach including the both Team USA at the Olympics Game and World Championships to work with some of the talented young women in the sport.

“I spent a little bit of time with some age group kids that were 15-and-16-years old, and the one thing I learned from being around them is they are very serious. They love their sport,” Smith explained. “They love wrestling as much as the men love wrestling and they take it very serious. A lot of them have backgrounds with family members that wrestled, which is very similar (to the male wrestlers).”

Smith pointed to Iowa, which announced officially on Sept. 23 that they were bringing on the sport in 2023-24.

“This is an exciting day for the university, our department and the sport of women’s wrestling,” said Gary Barta, the University of Iowa athletics director. “Our wrestling history and success makes this a perfect fit. We are confident that at Iowa, our women’s wrestling student-athletes will have the opportunity to compete at the highest level athletically and academically.”

USA TODAY Sports

Trinity Berry (in green) from Tiffin University wrestles Caleeann Blarr from Gammon College.

The NCAA recognized women’s wrestling as an emerging sport in 2020 for all three divisions. When Iowa made their announcement on Sept. 23 there were 45 intercollegiate women’s wrestling programs. There are more when you count the NAIA schools and women’s programs in the junior college ranks. There are 32 states that have a sanctioned high school girl’s wrestling state championships.

“A lot of states have official women’s high school wrestling. I think it is up to 30 plus,” Smith added. “As of last week we were at 104 college institutions that (women) wrestle, that is NCAA, NAIA, and junior college. You know when Iowa announced not three weeks ago they were the 100th team and now there is 104. So, you see how fast this is happening.”

It will be interesting to see how this progresses, especially in a time where there is still an air of realignment in college football and athletic departments are coming out of pandemic cutbacks and revenue shortfalls in athletics.

Progress never stops and many see the addition of women’s wrestling programs as progress.

“It’s exciting and it’s a good thing,” Smith said. “It’s good to hear things like women’s wrestling in high school is the fastest growing sport. That’s a good thing to hear. I can tell you there is definitely a place for women wrestlers in college. I can tell you that.”