MPSF Adds Men's and Women's Wrestling
Photo by: Vanguard Athletics
The Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) has announced the addition of men’s and women’s wrestling to its list of sponsored sports beginning with the 2024-25 season, marking the fourth and fifth sports to be added to the conference since the fall of 2021. The MPSF is scheduled to sponsor 15 Intercollegiate Olympic sports this academic year, exceeding the previous all-time high of 11 during the 2010-13 academic years as well as the most recent 2021-24 three-year stretch. MPSF Men’s Wrestling will feature NCAA Division-II programs from Cal Poly Humboldt, Menlo, San Francisco State, and Vanguard. The Lions and Oaks will also compete on the women’s side.
Menlo and Vanguard, located in Atherton and Costa Mesa, CA respectively, concluded their final wrestling seasons in the NAIA’s Cascade Conference. The Oaks won the 2024 NAIA Women’s National Championship for the first time, featuring a roster of 10 All-Americans along with national head coach of the year Michael Ayala. On the men’s side, Menlo finished third nationally and had six All-Americans last season, highlighted by individual national champion Jovan Garcia (133 lb. weight class). Vanguard, the only NCAA Division-II wrestling school in Southern California, was ranked No. 12 in the final NAIA Women’s Coaches’ poll, while the men also finished its 2024 season in the NAIA National Championships. Both institutions became members of the MPSF for the first time with 2025 entries into men’s volleyball.
Located in San Francisco, CA, San Francisco State was previously a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), and reached the NCAA Men’s Division-II Super Regionals this past year. In all but three years, SFSU has sent at least one wrestler to nationals since the program’s inaugural season of 1964-65, including two in 2024.
Cal Poly Humboldt, located in Arcata, CA, competes in the California Coastal Athletic Association (CCAA) as its primary conference. The Lumberjacks are reinstating their men’s wrestling program in 2024-25, having previously fielded a team for several decades beginning in 1952.
Since the 2021 hiring of MPSF Executive Director Foti Mellis, 39 teams and 15 schools have been added across the entire conference. The 15 intercollegiate sports currently lined up in the MPSF for 2024-25, in addition to men’s and women’s wrestling are beach volleyball, men’s volleyball, men’s and women’s water polo, men’s and women’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s indoor track & field, men’s and women’s swimming & diving, men’s rowing, fencing, and artistic swimming. “The MPSF is excited to announce the addition of men's and women's wrestling," said Mellis. "As the latest sports to join our conference, men’s and women’s wrestling will take their place alongside other top-ranked sports in the country. The inclusion of Menlo, Vanguard, Cal Poly Humboldt, and San Francisco State will deepen the competitive nature of the MPSF, and the level of competition is expected to be very exciting. The MPSF is proud to continue its tradition of offering enhanced competition and championship opportunities for its student-athletes.”
The inaugural MPSF Wrestling Championships will be held January 26, 2025, hosted by Menlo College. MPSF Wrestling information, including specific championship details, will be forthcoming on the conference website’s championship central page on mpsports.org and on social media @MPSFSports.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT THE ADDITION OF MPSF WRESTLING
“We are thrilled the MPSF has decided to add men’s and women’s wrestling and look forward to our future.”
-Keith Spataro, Menlo College Director of Athletics
“Entering the MPSF is not just about facing new opponents on the mat, but about embracing the challenge of forging bonds with fellow athletes and coaches while striving to elevate the sport to new heights.”
-Joey Martinez, Menlo College Men’s Head Coach
“We are excited to join the MPSF and look forward to competing.”
-Michael Ayala, Menlo College Women’s Head Coach
“Joining the MPSF marks a new landfall for California collegiate wrestling. This new alignment on the west coast should open the door for further expansion of the sport, and I am confident this move is exciting and strategic for the future of our own program.”
-Jason Welch, San Francisco State Head Coach
“We are excited to be joining the MPSF as well as the NCAA Division-II ranks. We are looking forward to competing against new competitors, not only in our conference, but nationally as well.”
-Caleb Flores, Vanguard Men’s Head Coach
“We are excited to be part of this conference and look forward to the competition. It's an honor to be a part of history and to grow the sport of women's wrestling in the MPSF. I can't wait to see what the future holds for other programs to join.”
-Joe Evano, Vanguard Women’s Head Coach
“We would like to thank the MPSF administration for allowing our men’s and women’s wrestling programs the opportunity to compete at a high level in a great conference. With our move to NCAA D-II and the MPSF, we are not only raising the bar for our student-athletes, but also elevating the profile and stature of Vanguard Wrestling both regionally and nationally. This transition will open doors to new opportunities for recruitment and competition. As the only NCAA D-II wrestling school in Southern California, we look forward to continuing to grow the sport and promoting the strong competition that is within the NCAA D-II and MPSF.”
-Jeff Bussell, Vanguard Director of Athletics
"We are thankful to the MPSF for their work in forming a DII wrestling conference on the west coast. It is encouraging to see a wrestling conference in which 80% of the teams are from California. It has been a long time in the state of California where this could happen at the D-II level and I am confident the wrestling community is very excited to see the growth of the sport in the state. I am sure the California wrestling community is also incredibly grateful for the leadership of MPSF to step up and help our universities form this conference for the sport of wrestling."
-Lennie Zalesky, Cal Poly Humboldt Head Coach
"This is a milestone moment for D-II wrestling as our institution joins the MPSF to support our student-athletes and California wrestling at-large. We appreciate the MPSF for this amazing growth opportunity and we appreciate our fellow MPSF institutions and Commissioner Mellis for making this a reality."
-Dr. Nick Pettit, Cal Poly Humboldt Executive Director of Athletics