ITHACA, N.Y. – The Ithaca College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is excited to announce that the women's wrestling program will join the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference as an affiliate member for the upcoming 2026-27 season.

Ithaca concluded its inaugural season as a varsity program in 2025-26 as an independent institution and produced immediate success. The Bombers won three of four dual meets and finished 12th at the NCAA Region I Championship.

"Ithaca College has been incredibly supportive of launching and growing this program. Joining the AMCC is another important step that reflects the College's investment in providing an outstanding experience for our student-athletes both on and off the mat," said head coach Ryan Ciotoli.

The AMCC is now a seven-team women's wrestling conference as the Bombers join Alfred State, Buffalo State, Elmira, Hiram, John Carrol and Penn State Altoona. The AMCC sponsored its first women's wrestling championship in 2025-26, which was held on the campus of Alfred State on February 7, and the conference also holds a regular season dual round robin in December.

"Women's wrestling continues to experience tremendous growth across the country, and we're excited to be part of that momentum,' stated Ciotoli. "The AMCC has shown a strong commitment to supporting the sport, and we're proud to join a conference that shares our vision for the future of women's wrestling."

The Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference was initially formed by a group of six colleges and universities, under the leadership of the founding president, Dr. Richard McDowell, President of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The conference incorporated as a 501(C)3 organization in 1997 and play began in the 1997-98 academic year for men's and women's sports. The conference is comprised of nine full-time members located in Western Pennsylvania and Western New York, and include both private and public institutions. All are required to be active or provisional members of NCAA Division III.

"We're excited to begin this next chapter," Ciotoli said. "Our student-athletes have embraced the challenge of building a new program from the ground up, and joining the AMCC gives them another goal to pursue. We look forward to competing for conference championships while continuing to represent Ithaca College with pride."