Carter Starocci is a name that’s been all over the college wrestling world, but he’s not just a champ on the mat. This guy is about to take over business ventures, too. Yeah, you read that correctly. But what’s got everyone talking is his decision to come back for a fifth year of college wrestling after already having an insanely successful career. So, what’s cooking? There are a whole bunch of factors, including NIL opportunities, that made him reconsider the possibilities. He’s clearly got his eye on the future—wrestling, business, and everything in between. So what exactly made him choose to come back for another season?

Firstly, let’s rewind a bit. Remember in February 2024, Carter was competing in a regular season finale against Edinboro and twisted his leg while he was trying to pin his opponent? He was immediately taken off the Rec Hall mat due to the severity of his knee injury. But guess what! Penn State still won the match 55-0. Later on, Carter Starocci broke the news of getting back in September 2024 after feeling positive about his rehabilitation.

In Bo Nickal’s podcast, Nickals and Dimes, ep. 64, Carter shares about his return in his final year. One factor that has influenced Carter Starocci is a sweet NIL offer proposed to him. “And that was honestly another big reason why I came back too was the NIL. I got this phone call and this guy was like, ‘Hey, like, I have X amount of dollars for you to come back and get number five.’ And I was like, ‘That sounds pretty good,’ but again, I didn’t say yes on the spot or anything like that.”

Starocci’s decision to come back for the fifth year wasn’t just for the monetary benefits; he has given quite a bit of thought to that. “I just thought about it and called my dad and things like that. Because again, I’m never going to do anything just because of money. That’s just not who I am.” 

Starocci is not afraid to walk away if he feels it’s not the right deal for him. This shows he knows his worth and doesn’t settle for less. And of course, Starocci is rumored to have bagged a $1.3 million deal or even more, which isn’t publicly disclosed yet, to compete for Penn State in his final year! On August 29, Starocci took it to X, stating, “Don’t speak about my pockets; y’all don’t know the half of it,” with a wink emoji, well. We’d love to know!

Carter Starocci is the man for the game 

Starocci dropped his decision to return for the final year and use his eligibility in May 2024. Now, Starocci is eyeing winning the NCAA Championship title for the fifth time, which got everyone reeling. Starocci would be creating history if this turned into reality! Imagine, five NCAA titles back to back—crazy!

But wait, Carter Starocci isn’t just about owning another of the titles or earning through NILs. He has much bigger and clarified plans for his future; Starocci is diving into some insane business ventures and exploring the world of good investments. First up: an oil rig. He shared with Bo in his 64th episode, “I just bought into this oil rig; it was last week… so I mean that stuff’s exciting, but it’s also scary too because it’s new.”

And if you thought that was wild, what do you have to say about him owning a hotel? Well, that was one idea that remained unexecuted. “An opportunity was presented to me like 4-5 months ago, and I got into where I can invest in this hotel, and I would be an owner in the hotel, and I was like I was all for it until they said how much they wanted… And these guys, like, I know and I trust things like that, but I’m just like, ‘I don’t know, like, maybe I’ll just hold on to this one. You know me; I’ll pass… but it’s just like it’s just cool because you can do so many different things,” Starocci shared that with a laugh.

In my view, Starocci is just out there trying to make moves and experiencing learning along the way, along with strengthening his future in all aspects of life. Carter Starocci is a man with greater vision. From his return for a fifth season to securing a future for himself in business and sports combined with his love for wrestling, the strategy is as smooth as ever. We’re all here for the upcoming season. What do you think about it? Comment and let us know below!