Bridgeport announced on Oct. 24 announced the expansion of its athletics department with the addition of women's wrestling and the appointment of decorated wrestler Peter Del Gallo as head coach. Bridgeport's 20th varsity team will officially begin competition in fall 2025, further elevating the university's presence in NCAA Division II athletics awhile creating new opportunities for female athletes to thrive.
The addition of women's wrestling follows Bridgeport's recent restoration of men's and women's swimming and diving, along with the introduction of a men's wrestling team, demonstrating the university's commitment to athletic growth and excellence.
"I am excited to welcome Peter to the Purple Knights' family," said Jay Moran, Bridgeport vice president of athletics and recreation. "He is a former All-American wrestler with extensive knowledge of what it takes to be a successful student-athlete." Moran continued, "His familiarity with the area and extensive coaching experience make him the ideal person to lead our new women's program. This is an exciting time for Bridgeport Athletics."
A two-time All-American with a remarkable 133-10 career record, Del Gallo brings a wealth of wrestling knowledge from his successful career at the University of Southern Maine, where he placed third at the 2019 NCAA Championships. He was also named to the NEWA and Pilgrim Wrestling League All-Star teams and ranked No. 1 nationally in the 125-pound weight class for most of his junior season.
"It's a great privilege to be named the head women's wrestling coach at University of Bridgeport," said Del Gallo. "Being a New England resident my whole life, I'm excited to help grow women's wrestling in this region. I believe we have the right resources, community, and vision here to build one of the top women's wrestling programs in the country."
After his impressive collegiate wrestling career, Del Gallo joined USM as an assistant coach, where he helped develop the university's first freshman NCAA Division III All-American. Since then, he has been an assistant coach at the Southside Wrestling ClBridgeport in Bridgeport and served as the associate head coach for men's and women's freestyle. He also worked as an assistant wrestling coach at Staples High School in Westport, CT during the 2023-24 season.
Women's wrestling, recognized as an emerging NCAA sport since 2020, has seen explosive growth. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association, the number of high school female wrestlers has surged from only 804 in 1994 to over 50,000 in 2024, with 45 states now sanctioning high school competition, including Connecticut.
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The Emerging Sports for Women program – overseen by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics – was established in 1994 based on a recommendation from the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force. Since then, five sports have become championship sports (beach volleyball, rowing, ice hockey, water polo and bowling), while women's wrestling is on track to become the sixth, pending membership approval at the 2025 NCAA Convention. In 2023-24, emerging sports accounted for over 5,000 participation opportunities for women, an increase of over 30% from 2022-23, based on NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Participation Rates data.