Wrestling

Thank you so much for taking action to support our Wrestling Program!

The Albion College Wrestling program appreciates your support and it means a lot to our future students-athletes and coaches.

Your gift will help to ensure our players receive the ultimate student-athlete experience.

Albion College President Mathew Johnson has announced the Albion College Athletic Department will bring back men's wrestling after a more than 40-year absence as well as add women's wrestling.

Both are expected to begin competition for the 2021-2022 academic year.

"Albion College is always striving to provide a great educational experience, and athletics is part of that experience," said Dr. Johnson, who was a high school and college athlete. "With men's and women's wrestling as well as the rapidly growing esports, Albion will provide more opportunities for all those students who wish to participate."

Albion last added a varsity sport in 2017 when the Western-style discipline was added in equestrian. In 2014, Albion added men's and women's indoor track and field.

"We are fortunate to have a rich athletic tradition that serves as a foundation in this next chapter as we bring back men's wrestling and welcome women's wrestling and esports," said Erik Braun, Albion's assistant athletic director.

Mike Moyer, president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association, was also thrilled with Albion's return to collegiate wrestling

"It's a real big deal," he said. "And it's an even bigger deal to do something bold like this during COVID-19. At the end of the day, we've seen this trend before COVID as many schools are experiencing declines in enrollment. What better way to turn it around than to offer activities that are important to students."

Men's wrestling, which was disbanded at Albion in the late 1970s, will compete in the NCAA Division III Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association along with Adrian, Alma, Olivet and Trine.

Women's wrestling, one of the fastest-growing intercollegiate sports in the country (there are now 39 NCAA programs and 82 overall at the intercollegiate level) will compete in NCAA Division III, but since it is not currently a sponsored MIAA sport with only two other women's programs in the conference (Adrian and Trine), competition will be more regional, according to Athletic Director Matt Arend.

"The MIAA is the oldest Division III conference in the country and wrestling is the oldest sport in the world," Moyer said. "It belongs in the MIAA."

We are all experiencing difficult challenges throughout this pandemic, so thank you again for your support to the program during these challenging times.

Go Brits!