Penn State may be dominating the wrestling circuit, but it looks like all is not well with them. They completed their fifth straight undefeated season after a 50-3 win over American University. With this, they also recorded their 71st victory, which becomes the second-longest winning streak in NCAA Division I men’s wrestling history. But despite their dominance on the mat, recent reports show a major cause of concern for the Nittany Lions.

Earlier today, reports emerged about the financials of NCAA wrestling. One of the reports gave a snapshot of Big Ten Wrestling Programs’ FY 24′ financials, which didn’t look promising for Penn State. Across the programs, the revenue stood at $9.5 million whereas the expenses were more than $31 million. As a result, the programs have incurred a net loss of more than $21.5 million.

One of the worst-hit programs in this regard has been the Penn State Wrestling program. While its revenue stood a little over $2 million, Penn State’s expenses were over $4 million, almost double what it earned. A major chunk of expense for Penn State was the compensation of the coaches and support staff members. It accounted for $2.1 million of Penn State’s expenses.

Furthermore, the report also showed what the major sources of revenue and expenses for the programs were. In that regard, ticket sales made up 41% of the revenue earned by the programs, whereas the contributions received made up 23%. On the other hand, 41% of their expenses went as compensation for the coaches and support staff, and Athletic Student Aid was responsible for 24% of the programs’ expenses.

All in all, the financials don’t look good for the wrestling programs, and Penn State incurred one of the biggest losses among them. But despite these troubles off the mat, the story on the mat paints a different picture.

All the attention is on the postseason now

The finances may look suspect, but the Nittany Lions are in top form on the mat. Heading into the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, five wrestlers earned the top seed in their respective weight classes. In general, 8 out of the 10 participating wrestlers earned a top 2 seeding. These 8 wrestlers include the No. 1 seeds Beau Bartlett, Shayne Van Ness, Mitchell Mesenbrink, Josh Haines and Carter Starocci and No. 2 seeds Tyler Kasak, Josh Barr and Greg Kerkvliet.

The top seeds have an advantage in that they receive first round byes, giving them extra preparation time. The two wrestlers without the advantage are Luke Lilledahl and Braeden Davis. The seeding alone sends a strong signal regarding the depth and strength of the Nittany Lions’ squad.

The pressure is on, but Cael Sanderson has infused a foolproof mentality among his wrestlers. “The bigger the match, the more fun it is,” Sanderson said. “We spend every day pretty much preparing and thinking about big matches, so when you actually have an opportunity to go participate and do something about those big matches, I think that’s what it’s all about.”

The stage looks set, but will the Nittany Lions come through and win their 4th consecutive conference title and 9th for Sanderson? Well, they are off to a flying start with all their top seeds making it into the semis along with Kasak, and Lilledahl reaching the quarterfinals. Now, it’s only a waiting game to see how the Championships unfold. The Penn State accountant may have work to do, but the results on the mat may make the finances seem immaterial.