Tarleton State hit the transfer portal gold mine during the off-season. 

Former King University stars Aine Drury, Dianna Holmes, Alexa Garcia, and Alyssa Guardiola followed their former college coach, Jason Moorman, to Stephenville, Texas. And more might be on the way. 

Moorman led King to a 1-9 record during its inaugural 2009-10 season before building a national powerhouse. The Tornado won four WCWA Championships (2014-17) and has placed in the top three at the National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships since the tournament began in 2020 (under Moorman).

Here’s the thing: Tarleton State is currently a club program, meaning it can’t compete at the inaugural 2026 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships. Drury, a two-time NCWWC All-American and 2024 NCWWC finalist who reached Final X, won’t compete for a college championship if something doesn’t change. 

The recent transfer haul says everything about Moorman and the loyalty he’s built with his athletes, but it also means NCAA women’s college wrestling could be down a few stars. 

Tarleton State has teased the addition of a Division I women’s program, but making this happen is paramount. 

Lehigh and Delaware State recently announced the addition of a women’s wrestling program, bringing the NCAA Division I total to six. Brazel Marquez will lead the Mountain Hawks, but the Hornets — oddly — haven’t hired a coach despite beginning the program this season. 

NCAA D1 Women's Programs

Tarleton State could be the seventh, but let's hope they act fast. 

The school moved from Division II to Division I on July 1, 2020, after 26 years. The women’s wrestling team could be in trophy contention out of the gate, immediately making it the most successful program in athletics history. 

And that puts Tarleton State on the map. 

In 1999, Texas became the second state to add girls’ high school wrestling. The talent runs deep there. Moorman has a high school recruiting gold mine if leveraged properly. 

Texas deserves to have a D1 women’s wrestling program. 

Every women’s team is chasing Iowa — a tradition-rich program situated in the heart of wrestling country. There are fewer than 10 teams that can win two or more individual matches against the Hawkeyes at full strength (and that’s generous). 

Lehigh adding this season is a game changer, but Tarleton State is an ace in the hole. 

Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky, recently transitioned from D2 to D1. Men’s wrestling coach Ned Shuck said that the school aims to add a women’s program next season, provided it secures funding.

Shuck recognizes the benefits of this change, despite a possible funding gap for his program. Adding a women’s component swings the spotlight on both teams and brings national attention to both programs. 

He also said that other Division I wrestling coaches are constantly questioned about adding women’s teams — a positive sign that doesn’t get publicized. 

We need programs to compete with Iowa. Watching the Hawkeyes crush underfunded and under-resourced D2 and D3 programs isn’t sustainable.

Every team has an uphill battle against Iowa; still, competitive teams are a step in the right direction. 

Tarleton State can be the hero by making an important step for women’s wrestling.