Morgan State is joining the EIWA this winter. (Photo courtesy EIWA)
The Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association has approved the addition of Morgan State as its newest member institution. Morgan State will become the 12th member of the EIWA, the oldest wrestling conference in the nation.
Sacred Heart is a member of the EIWA that saw the six Ivy League teams (Cornell, Penn, Brown, Harvard, Columbia and Princeton) leave the EIWA after the 2024 season last March.
Sacred Heart will host Morgan State on Feb. 16 at noon in Fairfield. The Pioneer season begins on Nov. 3 with a match at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C.
Morgan State, who was 2-19 a year ago, is the only HBCU (historically black college or university) wrestling program at the Division I level.
Located in Baltimore, Morgan State announced in October 2021 that it would revive the wrestling program after a 24-year hiatus. A $2.7 million gift towards the program is the largest single donation in the school’s history. This gift was spearheaded by Mike Novogratz and the HBCU Wrestling (HCUW) Initiative, whose sole mission is to restore wrestling at HBCUs.
Morgan State hired Kenny Monday as the program’s head coach in the summer of 2022. He was a three-time NCAA All-American at Oklahoma State earning a spot in the NCAA finals three times, winning once. He wrestled for the U.S. at the Olympics three times winning gold in 1988, silver in 1992 and sixth in 1996.
“Morgan State University’s acceptance into the prestigious Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) conference, marks a monumental milestone in the history of our wrestling program,” Monday said. “This achievement is a testament to the tireless efforts, dedication, and resilience of our administration, coaches, and our student-athletes.”
