The Open Mat relaunches as HerMat, a platform for women’s college wrestling

MINNEAPOLIS — The Open Mat, an established voice in college wrestling media, has relaunched as HerMat, a platform devoted exclusively to women’s college wrestling. HerMat is now live at HerMat.com, with TheOpenMat.com redirecting to the new site.

Women’s college wrestling is expanding rapidly. NCAA varsity-sponsored programs have grown from 76 in 2023-24 to 128 slated to compete in 2026-27, a period of growth that included the inaugural NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championship in March 2026. NAIA participation has increased by more than 300% since 2018-19. Growth has also reached the two-year college level: the NJCAA championship field expanded from 18 teams in 2024 to 30 in 2026, while the 3C2A field grew from 13 schools to 20 over the same span.

“Women’s college wrestling has been building for years, and the growth right now is unlike anything else in college sports,” said Andrew Hipps, founder and owner of HerMat. “The coverage still hasn’t caught up. The athletes, coaches and programs driving this sport forward deserve a platform built around them and their stories. That’s what HerMat is.”

Hipps has spent more than two decades in wrestling media. He co-founded RevWrestling in 2005, acquired InterMat in 2009 and operated it for more than a decade, and took ownership of The Open Mat in 2022. He is also a co-owner of SportsBoss, a company that builds sport-specific coaching technology and serves as the parent company of MatBoss and TrackBoss.

HerMat will provide news, recruiting coverage and college commitments, rankings, historical archives, resources, event coverage, athlete and coach profiles, features, opinion and analysis covering women’s college wrestling. The relaunch also includes a new brand identity, a rebuilt website and an expanded social media presence.

“The best stories in women’s college wrestling haven’t been told yet,” Hipps said. “We’re just getting started.”