By John Dobberstein, Editor
Northeastern State University officials have announced the largest expansion of its athletics department in school history, one which will add 7 varsity teams over the next 2 years.
At least some of the competitions will be hosted in Broken Arrow, as well as Tahlequah, although those details haven’t been released.
The RiverHawks football squad returned to Broken Arrow last fall for the first time in decades when they hosted Missouri Southern at Memorial Stadium, a game which they lost 27-20. The most recent football schedule for 2025 does not list a game in Broken Arrow.
Officials said men’s and women’s wrestling, along with volleyball, will debut as varsity sports in the 2026-27 academic year. Men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, as well as men’s and women’s cross country, will be added for the 2027-28 academic year.
The university had already announced in March that its men’s tennis program would be revived after a 24-year absence, and it is already set for competition for the upcoming fall season.
Officials said NSU in total will have 10 additional programs eligible for national championship opportunities for student athletes.
The addition of wrestling and volleyball is expected to bring more than 100 new student-athletes to NSU campuses by fall 2026. With Tahlequah and Broken Arrow set to host competitions, the region is projected to benefit from roughly 20 additional athletic events annually.
“Once our expansion is complete, we look to have over 300 new student-athletes on our campus,” Director of Athletics John Sisemore said in a statement. “Working with Northeastern State University President Dr. Rodney Hanley and the NSU cabinet members, we knew this would be great for the future of NSU and huge for Tahlequah.”
Sisemore noted that for years, local high school student athletes in these sports had to attend other regional universities but can now choose NSU and they can take their talents closer to home.
“There has been tremendous positive feedback for the addition of these programs,” Sisemore said, “with the local popularity of wrestling, especially the rapid growth of women’s wrestling, it would not be a surprise to see that sport competing at the NCAA Division I level soon.”
The university will immediately start a nationwide search for its wrestling and volleyball head coaches to build a competitive roster to begin play by the fall of 2026.
Track and field was previously sponsored at NSU until the 1990s, and volleyball was fielded in the late 1970s. Once all new teams are in place, NSU’s total number of varsity sports will increase to 18.
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