At their regularly scheduled meeting, held Tuesday, March 9, in front of a large crowd comprised of the Executive Cabinet, news media, and community guests, the Carl Albert State College Board of Regents unanimously approved the implementation of the men’s and women’s Viking Wrestling Program. The men’s wrestling program will launch in the fall of 2021, and the women’s program will launch in the fall of 2022 as a NCJAA-sanctioned event.
The Board of Regents expressed vehement excitement and support for the program. Board Chairwoman Jahni Bachman expressed gratitude to the Cabinet leadership of Carl Albert State College, but also the community members present at the meeting, and to those who had drummed up support for the program.
Carl Albert joins NEO A&M as one of only two community colleges in Oklahoma to offer collegiate men’s wrestling.
“We are passionate about the possibilities this new program will provide to our institution and service communities,” said President Jay Falkner. “It has been a long-term leadership goal to create new programs that can boost and enhance student life. We’re excited about the new and revived energy this program will bring to our student body.”
The CASC Wrestling Program will compete with colleges of CASC’s size and NJCAA classification. “These athletes will compete with several colleges in Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and the upper midwest,” said Randy Graves, Vice President of Student Affairs. “We feel good about this addition to our campus.”
The Carl Albert community experienced wide-spread support for the program, with a grass-roots campaign taking hold in late 2020. “We are very grateful for the support of our community for ALL of our programs,” said Falkner. “We work very hard to serve the students in our community and surrounding area, and are hopeful that the addition of these new programs for female and male athletes will create great opportunities for academic and personal growth.”
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