The Penn State wrestling team is all geared up for another year by dominating year after year with powerhouse athletes and an impressive record. The Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling program was started in 1902 with inter-class dual matches, but now the team has reached the top in wrestling. With names like Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks, the NCAA Titans made a record of 12-0-0 in the 2023-24 season, where Aaron Brooks won the Hodge Trophy.

Under the leadership of the head coach of the Nittany Lions, the team ended the previous program with two national championships and many other titles. All the Penn State team champions are prepared to represent themselves and earn new records and can shatter the previous record of 172.5 points. In the upcoming season, every weight class category is filled with contenders who are ready for tough competition. Can the Nittany Lions push themselves to take the legacy further and redefine collegiate wrestling?

Learn About the Penn State Wrestling Roster and Current Coach

Penn State’s 2024-25 wrestling team has eight returning All-Americans, five national finalists, and three NCAA champions. The Nittany Lions are entering the season with a solid foundation of elite wrestlers. Beau Bartlett (141) and Mitchell Mesenbrink (165) reached second place at the 2024 NCAA Championships and are looking forward to their first NCAA title. In the same line, Shayne Van Ness, who finished third at the 2023 NCAA Championships, is also making a strong return after an injury and finished third at the 2023 NCAA Championships.

Head coach Cael Sanderson’s strategy and leadership have transformed Penn State wrestling into a powerhouse since he joined the team in 2009. His team never finished lower than fifth at the NCAA Championships. Not only this, but not a single wrestler has failed in the qualifying round for nationals. Even Penn State wrestlers are performing their best in the 2024 U23 World Championship.

Sanderson has led the Nittany Lions to receive eight NCAA titles, numerous Big Ten championships, and individual titles under his leadership. At Iowa State, his alma mater, from 2007 to 2009, Sanderson led the team to win titles like National Rookie Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Year.

A legendary figure in the wrestling world, Sanderson’s career is a testament to dedication and excellence. Known for his flawless 159-0 collegiate record, four national titles, and a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, he has redefined the standards for both collegiate and international wrestling. In 2022-2023, head coach Sanderson’s team won the NCAA team title and made NCAA history with 137.5 points and the fifth-largest winning margin (55.0). True freshman Levi Haines was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the third time in the last four years that a Nittany Lion has won the honor.

As the 2024-2025 season is fast approaching, all eyes are on the making of new records all over again in Penn State wrestling. The team is geared up to make waves in the NCAA wrestling scene with freshmen and experienced wrestlers. Everyone is eagerly waiting to see how Cael Sanderson’s strategy will unfold this season. The Penn State’s 2024-25 schedule is now prepared, and the practice has started to make new records.

What is Penn State Wrestling’s 2024-25 schedule?

Only 22 days left to begin the 2024-25 season, and the Penn State fans must be excited. The championship will begin with an unofficial NCAA event hosted at Rec Hall, named the NCWA All-Star Classic Exhibition on November 16. Penn State will have a total of seven home duals, including two in the Bryce Jordan Center. The Penn State head coach Sanderson has done it all to let his team win against all odds, and the team’s faith is in him as the championship begins.

The official match will start on November 17 against Drexel, followed by the Army Black Knight Invitational on November 24 at West Point. The series for Penn State Wrestling will end on December 15 against Wyoming at Rec Hall, followed by Journeymen Duals. Journeymen Duals will begin against Binghamton on December 22 and two other face-offs with Arkansas-Little Rock and Missouri at 15:00, 17:00, and 19:00 EST, respectively.

After a break of around 18 days, the championship will again start on January 10, 2025, against Michigan State, and the bouts will be held at Rec Hall, followed by January 17 and January 24 at Nebraska. Later, in January itself, the Penn State Nittany Lions will head back home, and another bout series will start against Iowa on January 31 at Bryce Jordan Center. The schedule also includes a match-up against Michigan on February 7, followed by Michigan, Maryland, Ohio State, Illinois, and America on different dates.

After all these matchups, the Penn State wrestling schedule will head to the Big Ten Championships at Northwestern University on March 8-9. The awaited NCAA championships will begin at Wells Fargo Center on March 20, 2025, with its first and second sessions on the same day. Going towards the end of Penn State’s 2024-25 schedule, sessions 3 and 4 of the NCAA championships will be held on March 21. With this, the 2024-25 session of the championship will end with a strong portfolio of wrestlers.

The combination of leadership and hard work has brought Penn State this far, but can the Nittany Lions once again rise to the top? With the season lined up, fans and wrestling contenders are rooting for the championship. It will be interesting to see what happens in the Penn State Wrestling Championship.