In a move, many saw, but not many predicted, high school recruit Bo Bassett shocked everyone with a verbal commitment to Iowa over Penn State, and then Starocci shared a cryptic message that surprised everyone in the wrestling community. Not naming Bassett, but naming no one, four-time NCAA champion Starocci’s message generated a tidal wave of reaction in both observers and fans.

Penn State, a long-time juggernaut in the NCAA wrestling universe, has long been a magnet for recruiting talent. With Iowa securing Bassett, many questioned whether NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals factored into a recruit’s decision. Starocci’s response—“Don’t forget, fellas, you can’t buy a national title. Those are earned”—served both to likely defend Penn State’s recruiting model and subtly critique Iowa’s recruiting model. Not surprisingly, the wrestling community moved quickly to break down his statement, fueling an already white-hot rivalry.

Starocci’s comment soon trailed when Penn State head coach Cael Sanderson addressed the use of NIL in recruiting. As much as for financial reward, Sanderson stressed unequivocally that Penn State will not engage in bidding for talent. “We like the kids we have in the program. We like the kids that are coming into the program. We’re not going to get anybody because of NIL money. That just goes against what we believe,” Sanderson stated.

With that in mind, Starocci’s response defended Penn State’s stance by saying financial transactions can potentially influence decisions, but true champions are made through coaching and hard work. However, in doing so, his response also opened the door for critics to challenge Penn State’s recruiting advantages and financial backing. After all, the Nittany Lions routinely bring in blue-chip recruits and have one of the most well-funded programs in college wrestling. That created a divide among fans—some in support of Starocci for standing up for tradition, and some criticizing him for hypocrisy.

Fans react to Carter Starocci’s statement

Starocci’s tweet generated a strong reaction, with most defending his position and a few attacking him for a seeming bias in critical analysis. One fan rushed to defend Penn State’s honor, stating, “As an NCAA wrestling fan, I watch a lot of it, Penn State wrestlers are in tip-top shape, prepared for every match, extremely well-coached. Obviously, they have excellent recruiting and backing. The top team. Give them props, it isn’t all money.” That reinforced the position that Penn State’s success is a function of coaching and not dollars and cents.

As the fan rightly pointed out, Penn State does come with excellent backing. Penn State has something called the NLWC advantage. Now, you may ask what it is, and we are here to help you with that. It is a U.S. Olympics Regional Training Center and includes coaches like Cael Sanderson, Cody Sanderson, Jake Varner, etc. And having a top association like this only helps the collegiate team in its development and attracting new talent. NLWC has Olympic gold Medalists like David Taylor, Kyle Snyder (silver medalist), and Thomas Gilman (bronze medalist).

Top Comment by Benjamin Snyder

Stay in your Lane boy!!!! Wrestle do what you do ???? Good night ????

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Debate

Given that these practices take place in the Penn State wrestling room, it facilitates the current team to compete with the Olympic wrestlers regularly. And if that is not the right exposure for the budding wrestlers, we don’t know what is!

Moving on, another fan retaliated, saying, “I’m sure your whole roster is wrestling for free, just for the love of the sport…🤣” That snarky comment was a jab at reality in that even Penn State benefits monetarily, and thus, Starocci’s comment is somewhat ironic. After all, if we are to consider the reports of Pursuit Wrestling, then the 23-year-old is estimated to be paid $1.3 million to wrestle a fifth and final season for the Nittany Lions in 2024-25.

Others took a balanced position, saying success isn’t necessarily about dollars, but dollars can make a significant impact on a program’s success in recruiting high-level talent. “Two things can be true,” one fan posted. “You can’t buy a national title, and you can have the biggest wrestling budget in D1 and win titles based on the coaches and other things that money brings.” That sums up the nuanced reality—while coaching and work ethic count, financial backing continues to have the upper hand in training, in buildings, and in the overall development of a program.

Meanwhile, some critics directly questioned Starocci’s stance, recalling past rumors regarding financial incentives for him himself. “Aren’t you the one who arrogantly insinuated it was much more when accused of getting paid over $1 million to come back?” one fan questioned. That added a new controversy level to the conversation, even for those who defend Penn State, that they must admit NIL has reached all of the blue blood programs, including theirs.

How Carter’s statement will energize Penn State wrestlers and whether it will become a rallying cry for its opponents will have to be seen, but one fact is certain—the rivalry between Penn State and Iowa is even hotter now.