Northern Michigan University today announced a modification to its timeline for discontinuing the residential USA Wrestling National Training Site (NTS) Greco-Roman wrestling program, extending its closing date by one year until the end of the winter 2028 semester.
“This extension will enable any current NTS wrestler training at Northern to continue without disruption through the Olympic Trials for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles,” said NMU President Chris Olsen. “We felt it was critical to make this change after talking with the students and several parents.”
Greco-Roman wrestling began at NMU in 1999 as part of what was then the U.S. Olympic Education Center (USOEC). At that time, the program was jointly funded by the state of Michigan, the federal government/U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), and USA Wrestling. In 2011, state funding was eliminated, and the USOC restructured its funding model, ending federal support for several Olympic training centers nationwide, including the NMU USOEC. Northern subsequently became a National Training Site for the USA Wrestling-sponsored program, receiving partial operational support from USA Wrestling until 2020, when USA Wrestling eliminated all direct financial support to NMU.
Since 2020, NMU has assumed full financial responsibility for the program. Amid recent institutional budget challenges—including significant budget cuts for the current fiscal year—the university can no longer sustain the full financial load of the USA Wrestling program. The decision also allows NMU to reallocate facility space and expand rosters more efficiently for the university's NCAA athletics teams.
Northern administrators have engaged in discussions with USA Wrestling officials, the national governing body (NGB) for the sport, but they have indicated, at this time, that they are unable to restore prior or provide partial funding for their program.
NMU will use one-time institutional funding to cover the extension through the winter 2028 semester. All current student-athlete scholarships will be fully honored.
Olsen expressed deep appreciation for the long-standing relationship with USA Wrestling and the athletes, coaches and staff who built the program over the past 25 years.
“Their dedication, achievements and community contributions have meant a great deal to both the university and the Marquette community,” Olsen said. “That is a major reason why we want to support these athletes through the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games. We will be cheering them on every step of the way.”