Tag: Rich Bender

Serbia World Wrestling Championships
Ali Cengiz and David Losonczi compete in the final of the men's 87 kg category during the Wrestling World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, in 2023 (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Las Vegas to Host 2027 World Wrestling Championships

The 2027 World Wrestling Championships will be held at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas from September 11—19. It will be the first time that the event has been held in the United States for 12 years, and it will serve as the first Olympic qualifier for the 2028 LA Olympic Games. The Championships […]

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WickPhotography_TEAMSCONFERENCE2025_10-15-2025_6603
A panel of industry experts examined the new normal in collegiate athletics during the TEAMS Conference in Columbus, Ohio.(Photo by Jared Wickerham)

Navigating the Changing Landscape of College Sports

Between the House settlement and evolving funding models, collegiate athletics are realizing a drastic change. As a result, the pathways that traditionally developed future Olympians and Paralympians are also shifting. At the TEAMS Conference & Expo, held October 13–16 in Columbus, Ohio, a panel of experts delved into this new narrative and how organizations can […]

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USA Wrestling Final X

USA Wrestling, Beat the Streets Wrestling to Host Final X Event in Newark

USA Wrestling and Beat the Streets Wrestling have announced that the 2025 Final X event will take place June 14 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Final X will determine the 2025 U.S. Senior World Championships Teams in men’s and women’s freestyle. There will be 20 weight classes contested, 10 in each men’s and […]

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NCAA Womens Wrestling

NCAA Adds Women’s Wrestling as Championship Sport

Women’s wrestling will be an official NCAA championship sport after the governing body approved its addition on the Division I, II and III levels at its annual convention this week in Nashville. The NCAA’s first women’s wrestling championship will be in 2026. More than 1,200 women wrestlers are competing at NCAA schools today with 76 […]

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USA Wrestling

USA Wrestling’s Rich Bender Receives Stephen D. Ducoff Leadership Award

USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender has received the Stephen D. Ducoff Leadership Award as presented by ACES, the Association of Chief Executives of Sport, at its recent annual meeting in Huntsville, Alabama. Bender has been executive director of USA Wrestling since 2000. He is one of the longest serving chief executive officers of a […]

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Kyle Dake, Sachin Giri
United State's Kyle Dake, left, takes India's Sachin Giri to the mat during their 79 kg match in the Freestyle Wrestling World Cup in Iowa City, Iowa, in 2018. Dake is one of the wrestlers to watch during the U.S. Olympic Trials starting this week in State College, Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

USA Wrestling Heads to State College Spotlight

There are wrestling hotbeds throughout the United States and while most know of the tradition of Iowa and Oklahoma State collegiately, there’s always been one place where the sport’s heartbeat pumps faster and louder than others – Pennsylvania. It’s the region that develops as many elite wrestlers as there are trees throughout the commonwealth. Perhaps […]

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Aerial view of Paris with Eiffel tower and Seine river
Aerial view of Paris with Eiffel tower and Seine river

Countdown to Paris: Storylines for the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics

Paris’ place in the world has been romanticized through generations of travelers, journalists and novelists. Paris is always a good idea, goes the saying, and this summer that is the case for sports. While one visiting Paris in the summer typically takes time to enjoy the food, the sights and the landmarks, this summer will […]

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Pan American Games Wrestling
Forrest Molinari of the United States, front, and Venezuela's Soleymi Caraballo, compete in the women's wrestling freestyle 68kg gold medal match at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile on November 2, 2023. Women's wrestling is on track to become a NCAA championship sport in the winter of 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Women’s Wrestling Moves Toward NCAA Championship Status

The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics has recommended Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add a national collegiate women’s wrestling championship, with the projected first NCAA championship occurring in winter 2026. Before the committee can make a recommendation to add a championship for an emerging sport, 40 schools must sponsor it at a […]

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Beat the Streets

USA Wrestling to Host Final X on June 10 in New York

USA Wrestling and Beat the Streets New York will present the Final X tournament on June 10 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Final X, presented by Tezos, will determine the 2023 U.S. Senior World Teams in men’s and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman. There will be 30 weight classes contested, 10 in each discipline. […]

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NCAA Womens Wrestling

Women’s Wrestling Meets NCAA Championship Requirements

The National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championship Executive Committee has announced that NCAA women’s wrestling has successfully met the requirements established for consideration of an NCAA sponsored championship. More than forty teams across all three divisions report meeting their respective divisional NCAA rules required to be considered for NCAA championship sponsorship. “With the help of our […]

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