GPAC to Sponsor Women's Wrestling Starting in 2024-25

(Sioux City, Iowa) - The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has announced women's wrestling will be added as an official conference sport starting in 2024-25.

There are currently six member schools that sponsor the women's wrestling in the league.  This includes Hastings College, Doane University, Midland University, Morningside University, Dakota Wesleyan University and Waldorf University.  

With the addition of the sport in the conference the GPAC will receive automatic qualification to the NAIA National Championships.

GPAC Women's Wrestling programs had been competing as affilliate members of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC).  With the league total rising to six schools offering the sport, the conference has taken over sponsorship as an affiliated conference of the NAIA.

"With the growth of high school girls wrestling in the Midwest and in other parts of the country we feel the GPAC is well positioned to be a place for those wrestlers to compete in college," said GPAC Commissioner Corey Westra.  "We have a solid core group right now that will only continue to grow as the sport does."

The addition of the sport will keep the league sport sponsorship number at 22.  Earlier this week the GPAC announced that men's volleyball will be discontinued as a conference sport.  Remaining league members will move to the Heart of America Conference as affiliate members.

The inaugural GPAC Women's Wrestling Championships will be hosted by Doane University on March 1, 2025.  At this time, there will not be regular season duals and members will compete in open events for their regular season competitions.