Feb. 13, 2007

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Oklahoma City University announced plans Tuesday to add a women's wrestling program next year, joining only a handful of other U.S. schools that compete in the Olympic sport.

"If we're going to begin a sport, it's not bad in my opinion to be at the forefront of it," athletic director Jim Abbott said.

Oklahoma City joins only four other varsity women's college wrestling programs in the country, said Gary Abbott of USA Wrestling. There are also two club teams and one group of wrestlers that train at the U.S. Olympic Education Center at Northern Michigan University.

Officials estimate about 5,000 girls wrestle at high schools across the country, and the sport has been growing rapidly in recent years. Women's wrestling was added to the Olympics in 2004.

"Will we create Olympians at OCU? Maybe. Will we have 5,000 people come to a wrestling match? Maybe," Abbott said. "But will we educate young people that go do cool stuff? Absolutely."

Stars coach Archie Randall, who will add the women's program to his duties as the school's men's wrestling coach, said Oklahoma City's schedule would be split evenly between meets against other collegiate programs and international competitions.

The other women's varsity programs are at Menlo College in Atherton, Calif.; Missouri Valley College in Marshall, Mo.; Pacific University in Forest Grove, Ore.; and the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. Canada has about 16 women's college wrestling programs.

"We'll be traveling just about everywhere," Randall said.

He anticipates some Olympic hopefuls will be drawn to Oklahoma City instead of to national training facilities because they will be able to get a college education while continuing their training.

Since there are few other colleges that offer the sport, university officials believe they can capitalize on an untapped market.

"Archie made the comment that there are 180 high school women's wrestling programs in Texas. We're now the closest university to them. From a strategic standpoint, we think we're in a pretty good position," Abbott said.

To move back into the NCAA, Oklahoma City would have to wait through a seven-year transitional period during which it would not be able to compete for championships at either level. The school has already made improvements to its athletic facilities.

"Today is another step in that direction," university President Tom McDaniel said.

Oklahoma City would still need to add at least one more sport to reach the Division I minimum of 14, and possibly two since women's wrestling is not sanctioned by the NCAA. Randall held out hope that women's wrestling could become an NCAA sport in the next decade or so.

Oklahoma City added men's wrestling and volleyball last year, and in 2004 it became the first NAIA school to add rowing as a varsity sport.