The NCAA wrestling season is heating up after many prolific bouts. And the community is keeping a close eye on many wrestlers, one of whom is Gable Steveson. Yes, the Olympic champion made his controversial return to college wrestling. And at first, he wasn’t really appreciated for this decision to compete against young talents in the sport.

However, Steveson proved his worth to the community by performing at his very best with the Gophers. The Gophers have been very dominant. And in every single match, the Olympic champion was just shattering his opponents. However, the Gophers’ glorious run came to a disappointing end when they faced the Nebraska Huskers. And fans are questioning Steveson’s decision to trust Minnesota for his glorious return.

A match that the Minnesota Gophers didn’t expect

The Minnesota Gophers have been on a roll since the start of the 2024-25 NCAA wrestling season. They have achieved some significant victories so far. And with scores of 35-3, 39-0, 44-0 and 30-3 against the likes of Bucknell, North Dakota, Campbell and South Dakota, they looked unbeatable. These victories established them as one of the most dominant teams in the current campaign. And they were on a winning streak of 10 matches since last year. This all ended, however, when the Gophers met #6 Nebraska.

Major names like the #11 Tyler Wells suffered a 4-1 defeat against #19 Jacob Van Dee in the 133 division. The same goes for #8 Vance VomBaur. He put up a great match-up against #6 Brock Hardy only to receive a 12-10 defeat. There are many other wrestlers who failed to perform at their very best, like Tommy Askey, Andrew Sparks, and the list goes on. However, what about Gable Steveson?

On his latest Instagram post, Steveson posted a simple video and a brief caption, stating, “The Man In The Arena.” And yes, he was the man in the arena! He locked his bout against #24 Harley Andrews. And the Olympic champion did not disappoint, securing a dominant 19-4 victory. This particular victory propelled the Gophers to the lead, but the Huskers absolutely obliterated them. And handed them their first loss of the NCAA 2024-25 season with a 13-21 score.

Steveson was greatly affected by this loss. Especially since he tried his utmost best to maintain the lead. However, wrestling transcends individual sports in the NCAA, and achieving titles requires a team where the wrestlers can relentlessly strive for excellence. Gophers had a fantastic run for sure. But this particular loss became the highlight on social media as the community came forward to debate.

Fans question Gable Steveson’s NCAA decision

Everyone had questions when Gable Steveson joined the Minnesota Gophers, but those doubts quickly dissipated once he began dominating on the mat. However, this particular loss against the Nebraska Huskers has brought back the criticism, as one fan stated, “Choosing Gophers was an idiotic mistake man, you should have gone for another team. Still it’s nice that you are undefeated.” Similarly, blame was put on the Gophers’ head coach, as this comment read, “How bad are Minnesota that they need Gable to keep carrying the team, Eggum needs his boys to bring better results.” Another fan wrote, “You too old for this.”

“I think every match you see me at University of Minnesota, I’m going to be there. It’s why not, you know, I showed up to wrestle, and I’m going to show up to wrestle every single duel,” Steveson stated in an interview, and this statement is bigger than it looks. Indeed, he’s excited for his newfound NCAA interest, but he’s not wrestling just for the sake of it, as he’s committed to the team and its success. Yes, he wants to achieve a lot more with them in the coming weeks.

While Steveson’s aim is at the top of the sky, fans are concerned, as one comment read, “I mean while you did great but your team lost man, don’t know how long you can carry them.” Similarly, another fan questioned his NCAA move, stating, “I can’t imagine winning a gold medal in the Olympics and then going back to college. Isn’t that downgrading.“

Everything was going well for the wrestler and his team, but this particular loss has really changed the fans’ perspective around them. However, the NCAA season is long. There will be many other opportunities for the Gophers. And Steveson can get his fans back by putting them on another winning streak.