The Northampton Community College (NCC) Department of Athletics announced Monday that it will be offering men’s and women’s intercollegiate wrestling for the 2024-25 season.
The move will make it the third men’s and second women’s program offered by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), and put the college in a position to compete on a national level.
“We are extremely excited to launch men’s and women’s wrestling at NCC,” stated Director of Athletics Troy Tucker. “I believe it is a natural fit for the college given the strength of high school wrestling in the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas. I think we can be competitive on a national level very quickly.”
The NJCAA currently has 58 men’s wrestling programs and 23 women’s programs. The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) sanctioned girls wrestling in 2023, and there are now more than 180 girls teams statewide.
The NCC men’s team will compete in Region 19 and the NJCAA Gulf Atlantic District, while the women’s team will compete in dual meets and invitational tournaments with an independent schedule. Both squads will have the opportunity to qualify for the NJCAA National Championships.
NCC will begin searching for a head coach for the men’s and women’s teams soon, with a goal of having a candidate in place by April. Recruiting is expected to begin in the fall.
With the addition of the two wrestling programs, NCC will sponsor nine intercollegiate sports, including softball, baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, women’s and men’s volleyball, and men’s soccer.
This local news story was reported with generative AI assistance.
