NCAA field to expand from 180 to 210
The NCAA governance structure has approved a plan to increase the size of the NCAA Championships field from 180 to 210 for the 2024-2025 season. To accomplish this, a seventh region will be added. Wrestlers must still place in the top three of the region to qualify for the championships.
The Division III Wrestling Committee will finalize a proposal for regional alignment by May 31st. The Championships Committee, Management Council, and Presidents Council will vote on the proposal later in the summer. Coaches should receive a draft of the proposal by the end of June.
Good move. Glad to see some expansion happening. Now the governing body needs to do the next & even better step of adding the 4th place finisher to the NCAA field.
It’ll be interesting to see if the NCAA would assign 5 pigtail matches randomly or give byes to the top 5 seeds in the opening rounds and award advancement points. Bonus points in the early rounds are critical for team races.