The Eastern Wrestling League is an NCAA Division I wrestling-only conference. It is made up mostly of schools from the northeastern United States whose primary conferences do not sponsor wrestling as an NCAA-qualifying event. The league was founded in 1976 and had a charter group led by Penn State, Pittsburgh, Buffalo and three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) schools in Bloomsburg, Clarion and Lock Haven. In 1978, Buffalo left the league, but West Virginia and Cleveland State were added, growing the league to seven teams. In 1989, the PSAC's Edinboro joined to form an eight-team league.
After the 1992 season, Penn State left the league when the university joined the Big Ten Conference, which holds its own NCAA Division I Championships qualifying tournament. In 1999, Virginia Tech joined the league as it worked to upgrade its program, and the Hokies left following the 2004 season and joined the Atlantic Coast Conference. In the fall of 2011, Pittsburgh announced their acceptance into the Atlantic Coast Conference for all sports. West Virginia left the EWL for the Big 12 Conference in July 2012 after West Virginia and the Big East reached an agreement. The teams have traditionally rotated as hosts of the qualifying tournament. The 2012 championship was held on Saturday March 4, 2012 in Clarion's Waldo S. Tippin Gym and was won by Pittsburgh.
Read more about Eastern Wrestling League: Teams, Former Teams, Team Dual Meet Champions, Team Tournament Champions
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