It's Time to Get Excited for Iowa Women's Team

It’s the most obvious headline of all-time, but let’s really digest what is happening in the Yankee Stadium of Wrestling (Carver-Hawkeye). Iowa will be starting their Women’s Wrestling program in 2023, and of course everyone is excited about the news with Clarissa Chun at the head. However, have we really wrapped our heads around it?

Since the announcement, Coach Chun has wasted no time landing top tier recruits headlined with the prized Kylie Welker. As expected, Iowa has a recruiting advantage over the smaller schools that pioneered women’s collegiate wrestling over the last couple decades. That sets up a once in a lifetime opportunity in sports. Established teams in the emerging sport get to battle the behemoth they wanted for validity. The storylines and the drama write itself.

Now I understand the complaint, people should care about women’s duals before Iowa has a team. I get it, but am I also supposed to care about Jackson State before before Deion Sanders takes over and starts winning? No one cares if he goes 6-6. This is sports. Headlines are great, and then we want to see wins and losses with the sprinkle of drama. It’s okay to be human. King, McKendree, Life, Campbellsville and others won’t be there to curtsy and fall to their scapulas. That’s what makes this unfolding drama great.

It’s always been a struggle for USA Wrestling. They have done a better job in the last decade with event venues for trials and events to capitalize on their market. Alumni fanbase is the trump card that keeps them trailing NCAA attendance. Iowa’s Women will capitalize on both, and I can’t wait to see the scoreboard light up in either direction.