<span>Media Center</span> <time pubdate="" datetime="3/1/2025 8:00:00 AM">3/1/2025 8:00:00 AM</time> <span>Corbin McGuire</span> <br>As Women's History Month is celebrated this March, the NCAA proudly acknowledges the remarkable contributions and advancements of women in college sports. With record-breaking participation numbers, increased leadership representation and rising graduation rates, women continue to shape the landscape of collegiate athletics. <br>Here are key highlights from the 2023-24 academic year that showcase these positive trends. <br>The 2023-24 academic year saw an all-time high of 235,735 student-athletes competing in NCAA women's sports across all NCAA divisions. This includes student-athletes competing in NCAA championship sports (230,077) and Emerging Sports for Women (5,658). How the numbers break down by division:<br>Several women's sports continue to see strong participation, particularly:<br>Several women's sports have experienced significant growth recently and over the past 10 years. The common thread among them: They all started or are currently in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program.<br>The Emerging Sports for Women program — overseen by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics — was established in 1994 based on a recommendation from the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force. Since then, six sports have become championship sports (beach volleyball, rowing, ice hockey, water polo, bowling and women's wrestling).<br>In 2023-24, emerging sports accounted for over 5,000 participation opportunities, an increase of over 30% from 2022-23, based on NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates data. Below are a few highlights from those sports.<br><strong>One-year increases:</strong><br><strong>10-year increases:</strong><br>Women's sports participants continue to excel academically, with graduation rates reaching historic highs:<br>Representation among women in administrative and coaching roles has also reached new milestones:<br><time pubdate="" datetime="02.28.25">02.28.25</time><br><time pubdate="" datetime="02.28.25">02.28.25</time><br><time pubdate="" datetime="02.26.25">02.26.25</time><br><time pubdate="" datetime="02.25.25">02.25.25</time><br><time pubdate="" datetime="02.24.25">02.24.25</time><br>Thanks for visiting <a class="biw3fpsvs-modal__text-host"></a>!<br>The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy.<br>We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here.<br>Thank you for your support!<br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixgFBVV95cUxPZU92M2JTZlU1dDA1SVRlUkJrVER0NHAyY3BTNXdQUTZEbUFTcFpGUnNkN05GS1FxTmtYS2FXbGxSN1BGOTRacVJObC1hNWw3NVBXRjNRWktwT0ZsaFlpZ0VIV1FnNzlQZTJSM0lzY1NOY054Wk5JQmlNeC1zQVVWZTBBdG1ZVHFobkRyWFAybFhDaWhQMW5FdkNxVkc3dTNBLWpZVHVVelJ6elp0NlpyQnJLSjVaenltc2Z2TkJwX3lQVlhBNEE?oc=5">source</a>
