The Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling team has long been the gold standard in collegiate wrestling, boasting 24 National Championships and a solid second-place rank in the NCAA. But lately, the Hawkeyes seem to have hit a rough patch. Despite finishing second in the NCAA standings, their 73.5 points were nowhere near Penn State’s dominating 141-point performance.

Now, it looks like things might get even bumpier for the Hawkeyes. The program has come under fire for allegedly underpaying its veteran athletes—guys who’ve been bleeding black and gold for years. Instead, they’re throwing money at big-name signings, and the current roster isn’t thrilled about it. In fact, some are packing their bags and heading out, signaling a potential exodus.

Pat Mineo weighed in on the drama, saying, “Looks like not everyone is on board with the ‘big bag offers’ to these single-semester grad students. Some of the loyal room guys (Glazier, Cobe, Hill, Riggins) who lost a spot or didn’t like the approach are leaving, and others who started their journey there and who are accomplished are asking, ‘Wait, where’s my money?’… Turns out they don’t wanna pay up the AA’s they already have, but are more than willing to splurge on the open market. Toes have been stepped on, and it seems like it wasn’t handled properly.”

Case in point: Iowa just brought in 197-pounder Stephen Buchanan from Oklahoma State University, along with earlier pickups like Kyle Parco and Nelson Brands. But instead of giving the team a morale boost, these signings seem to have only fueled the discontent among the Hawkeye regulars. Wrestlers like Zach Glazier, Cobe Siebrecht, and Bradley Hill have already decided to peace out. Glazier, one of the top 197-pounders in the game, didn’t waste any time—he jumped ship to South Dakota State all “within 24 hours,” as Pat Mineo noted which is a massive loss for the Hawkeyes.

Cobe Siebrecht has followed Glazier to South Dakota State, where he’ll join him with his 21-11 record in tow. Meanwhile, Bradley Hill is heading to Oklahoma State University, giving them a serious boost. Aiden Riggins is also making a move, transferring to Iowa State University. These departures are a massive hit for the Hawkeyes, who now face the challenge of rebuilding after losing so many key players. The program is also under fire for creating a rift in team morale!

Iowa Hawkeyes star Drake Ayala’s pay gap with new transfers is raising eyebrows!

Days ago a wrestling page called Urban Enthusiast dropped a bombshell: Drake Ayala, a three-time Iowa state high school champion with a jaw-dropping 171-3 career record and a four-time finalist, is reportedly only making $100k this season at Iowa. Compare that to Jacori Teemer’s $500k, who just joined from Arizona State, and it’s easy to see why fans think this is a huge slap in the face to Ayala. Despite his loyalty, commitment, and a solid 18-5 record against ranked opponents last season, it seems like he’s getting the short end of the stick.

Iowa is catching serious flack for this. Critics argue that paying current wrestlers so little while shelling out big bucks for new transfers could drive top recruits away. “Top high school recruits will stop signing with Iowa. They show no loyalty to recruits and pay them less than transfers,” one user commented.

Pat Mineo weighed in with his thoughts: “I mean if you are paying an open market All-American $500k for a semester, don’t you think the younger AA’s on your team may say, ‘Hold up, where’s my money?’… Also, why act like the actions of their top donor are independent from the program? ‘We can’t control him, sorry’ is an interesting approach. lol”

With all these departures, it’s no wonder some think Ayala might want to follow suit and leave as well. Reflecting on these pay disparities what are your thoughts on the latest scoop by The Wrestling Room’s Pat Mineo? Share in the comments below!

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