The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) is an NCAA Division I collegiate wrestling conference. It held its first championship tournament in 1905,[1] making it the oldest wrestling conference in the NCAA. The EIWA's charter members were Columbia, Penn, Princeton, and Yale.[2] Thirty-two different schools have been members of the EIWA during its history,[3] all schools from the Eastern United States. Its current members are schools in the Northeast whose main conferences do not sponsor wrestling, including the Patriot League, America East Conference, Northeast Conference, and Coastal Athletic Association. Franklin & Marshall College is the only Division III school that competes in Division I wrestling.
Current members
The EIWA currently has 11 members:[4]
Recent success and developments
At the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championship, three EIWA teams placed in the top 10: Cornell placed 2nd, American University placed 5th, and Lehigh University placed 8th.[5] In 2012, Cornell finished 4th and Lehigh 8th; Cornell was also 5th in 2013 and 7th in 2014.[6]
In the same period, the EIWA had forty-four All-Americans;[7] also, Kyle Dake of Cornell was awarded the Dan Hodge Trophy as national wrestler of the year[8] and was named most outstanding wrestler of the NCAA tournament[9] after becoming the first NCAA wrestler ever to win four national championships in four different weight classes in consecutive years.[10]
In 2013, the EIWA absorbed Boston University, Hofstra, Drexel, and Binghamton after the Colonial Athletic Association ceased sponsorship of wrestling, making an 18-team conference for the 2013–14 season.[11] The EIWA was reduced to 16 in 2014-15 with the departure of Rutgers to the Big Ten Conference[12] and discontinuation of the BU program.[13]
The most recent change in the EIWA membership was announced in April 2019. Long Island University announced that the wrestling team that had represented its Post campus in Division II would join the EIWA once the merger of the athletic programs of its Brooklyn and Post campuses took effect in July 2019. The renamed LIU Sharks joined NEC rival Sacred Heart, bringing the conference to seventeen members.
For the 2020–21 season, the EIWA had ten schools competing, as the six Ivy League schools and the Centennial Conference (which includes Franklin & Marshall) did not hold winter sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On December 19, 2023, the six Ivy League members announced that they were leaving the EIWA to compete exclusively under the Ivy League banner starting in the 2024–25 season.[14]
Membership timeline
Former EIWA schools
- Pennsylvania State University moved to the Eastern Wrestling League then to the Big Ten Conference
- Temple University*
- Syracuse University*
- Yale University*
- University of Pittsburgh moved to the Eastern Wrestling League and later the Atlantic Coast Conference
- College of William & Mary*
- Dartmouth College*
- Wilkes University moved to Division III
- United States Coast Guard Academy moved to Division III
- University of Virginia moved to the ACC
- United States Merchant Marine Academy moved to Division III
- East Stroudsburg University moved to Division II
- Boston University*
- Rutgers University–New Brunswick moved to the Big Ten Conference
- Brown University†
- Columbia University†
- Cornell University†
- Harvard University†
- University of Pennsylvania (Penn)†
- Princeton University†
*School dropped the program
† Moved program to the Ivy League
League champions
| Year | Host | Champion | Year | Host | Champion | Year | Host | Champion | Year | Host | Champion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1905 | Pennsylvania | Yale | 1942 | Penn State | Penn State | 1980 | Lehigh | Lehigh | 2019 | Binghamton | Lehigh |
| 1906 | Columbia | Yale | 1943 | Pennsylvania | Navy | 1981 | Princeton | Syracuse | 2020 | Lehigh | Lehigh |
| 1907 | Princeton | Yale | 1944 | Lehigh | Navy | 1982 | Lehigh | Navy | 2021 | None | Lehigh |
| 1908 | Pennsylvania | Yale | 1945 | Lehigh | Navy | 1983 | Lehigh | Lehigh | 2022 | Cornell | Cornell |
| 1909 | Yale | Yale | 1946 | Lehigh | Navy | 1984 | Navy | Navy | 2023 | Pennsylvania | Cornell |
| 1910 | Pennsylvania | Cornell | 1947 | Yale | Lehigh | 1985 | Franklin & Marshall | Lehigh | 2024 | Bucknell | Cornell |
| 1911 | Princeton | Princeton | 1948 | Lehigh | Lehigh | 1986 | Lehigh | Navy | |||
| 1912 | Columbia | Cornell | 1949 | Cornell | Syracuse | 1987 | Princeton | Army | |||
| 1913 | Cornell | Cornell | 1950 | Princeton | Syracuse | 1988 | Syracuse | Lehigh | |||
| 1914 | Pennsylvania | Cornell | 1951 | Penn State | Penn State | 1989 | Lehigh | Syracuse | |||
| 1915 | Lehigh | Cornell | 1952 | Lehigh | Penn State | 1990 | Wilkes | Navy | |||
| 1916 | Princeton | Cornell | 1953 | Princeton | Penn State | 1991 | Lehigh | Syracuse | |||
| 1917 | Cornell | Cornell | 1954 | Cornell | Pittsburgh | 1992 | Pennsylvania | Cornell | |||
| 1918 | Columbia | Penn State | 1955 | Penn State | Pittsburgh | 1993 | Lehigh | Cornell | |||
| 1919 | Penn State | Penn State | 1956 | Lehigh | Pittsburgh | 1994 | Cornell | Syracuse | |||
| 1920 | Pennsylvania | Penn State | 1957 | Penn State | Penn State | 1995 | Navy | Lehigh | |||
| 1921 | Princeton | Penn State | 1958 | Pittsburgh | Cornell | 1996 | Syracuse | Pennsylvania | |||
| 1922 | Lehigh | Cornell | 1959 | Cornell | Lehigh | 1997 | Pennsylvania | Pennsylvania | |||
| 1923 | Cornell | Cornell | 1960* | Princeton | Penn State | 1998 | Lehigh | Pennsylvania | |||
| 1924 | Yale | Penn State | Pittsburgh | 1999 | Army | Pennsylvania | |||||
| 1925 | Columbia | Penn State | 1961 | Lehigh | Lehigh | 2000 | Navy | Lehigh | |||
| 1926 | Penn State | Cornell | 1962 | Penn State | Lehigh | 2001 | Pennsylvania | Harvard | |||
| 1927* | Pennsylvania | Lehigh | 1963 | Navy | Syracuse | 2002 | Lehigh | Lehigh | |||
| Yale | 1964 | Franklin & Marshall | Lehigh | 2003 | Cornell | Lehigh | |||||
| 1928 | Princeton | Lehigh | 1965 | Cornell | Syracuse | 2004 | Pennsylvania | Lehigh | |||
| 1929 | Lehigh | Lehigh | 1966 | Pittsburgh | Lehigh | 2005 | Navy | Lehigh | |||
| 1930 | Cornell | Cornell | 1967 | Pennsylvania | Lehigh | 2006 | Lehigh | Lehigh | |||
| 1931 | Yale | Lehigh | 1968 | Pittsburgh | Navy | 2007 | East Stroudsburg | Cornell | |||
| 1932 | Syracuse | Lehigh | 1969 | Princeton | Navy | 2008 | Franklin & Marshall | Cornell | |||
| 1933 | Columbia | Lehigh | 1970 | Penn State | Navy | 2009 | Pennsylvania | Cornell | |||
| 1934 | Penn State | Lehigh | 1971 | Navy | Penn State | 2010 | Lehigh | Cornell | |||
| 1935 | Pennsylvania | Lehigh | 1972 | Temple | Navy | 2011 | Bucknell | Cornell | |||
| 1936 | Princeton | Penn State | 1973 | Pittsburgh | Penn State | 2012 | Princeton | Cornell | |||
| 1937 | Lehigh | Penn State | 1974 | Navy | Navy | 2013 | Rutgers | Cornell | |||
| 1938 | Cornell | Lehigh | 1975 | Navy | Lehigh | 2014 | Pennsylvania | Cornell | |||
| 1939 | Yale | Lehigh | 1976 | Franklin & Marshall | Lehigh | 2015 | Lehigh | Cornell | |||
| 1940 | Syracuse | Lehigh | 1977 | Syracuse | Lehigh | 2016 | Princeton | Cornell | |||
| 1941* | Columbia | Princeton | 1978 | Pennsylvania | Princeton | 2017 | Bucknell | Cornell | |||
| Yale | 1979 | Princeton | Lehigh | 2018 | Hofstra | Lehigh |
* Tie for team title
Total championships
| Team | Championships |
|---|---|
| Lehigh | 38 |
| Cornell | 27 |
| Penn State | 16 |
| Navy | 13 |
| Syracuse | 8 |
| Yale | 7 |
| Pennsylvania | 4 |
| Pittsburgh | 4 |
| Princeton | 3 |
| Army | 1 |
| Harvard | 1 |