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Penn State's Mesenbrink Wins Hodge Trophy

Penn State Athletics — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Penn State Wins 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championship

Unknown — Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Graphic courtesy of Penn State Athletics

NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL

CLEVELAND, Ohio – Penn State has captured the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championship, which concluded Saturday evening at Rocket Arena. It is the Nittany Lions' fifth-straight national championship and their 13th in 15 seasons, all under Head Coach Cael Sanderson. The Big Ten Conference has now claimed 19-consecutive crowns in the sport.

Six Big Ten teams finished in the top 10 in team scoring. Penn State broke its own school record for points for the third consecutive year, scoring 181.5 to outdistance runner-up Oklahoma State (131). Nebraska placed third (100.5), Iowa finished fourth (92.5), Ohio State claimed fifth (84.5), Michigan claimed seventh place (66) and Minnesota finished ninth (48.5). Penn State took the team lead Thursday morning and clinched the title during Saturday's consolation bouts with a victory from Marcus Blaze at 133 pounds.

The Big Ten crowned five individual champions on Saturday. Penn State claimed four titles behind undefeated seasons from Luke Lilledahl (25-0) at 125, Mitchell Mesenbrink (27-0) at 165, Levi Haines (26-0) at 174 and Josh Barr (24-0) at 197 while Minnesota's Max McEnelly took home the 184 title.

Mesenbrink received the NCAA's Most Dominant Wrestler Award, for averaging 5.04 team points per match, and was named Most Outstanding Wrestler. Teammate PJ Duke collected the Gorriaran Award for most falls in the least amount of time.

In addition, the Big Ten led all conferences with 40 All-American recipients, seizing half the honors.

2025-26 ALL-AMERICANS

Jacob Moran, Indiana, 125
Jore Volk, Minnesota, 125
Luke Lilledahl, Penn State, 125

Lucas Byrd, Illinois, 133
Drake Ayala, Iowa, 133
Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska, 133
Ben Davino, Ohio State, 133
Marcus Blaze, Penn State, 133

Brock Hardy, Nebraska, 141
Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, 141

Ryder Block, Iowa, 149
Lachlan McNeil, Michigan, 149
Chance Lamer, Nebraska, 149
Shayne Van Ness, Penn State, 149

Kannon Webster, Illinois, 157
Cameron Catrabone, Michigan, 157
Antrell Taylor, Nebraska, 157
Brandon Cannon, Ohio State, 157
PJ Duke, Penn State, 157

Mikey Caliendo, Iowa, 165
Andrew Sparks, Minnesota, 165
Paddy Gallagher, Ohio State, 165
Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State, 165
Joey Blaze, Purdue, 165

Patrick Kennedy, Iowa, 174
Beau Mantanona, Michigan, 174
Christopher Minto, Nebraska, 174
Carson Kharchla, Ohio State, 174
Levi Haines, Penn State, 174

Angelo Ferrari, Iowa, 184
Brock Mantanona, Michigan, 184
Max McEnelly, Minnesota, 184
Rocco Welsh, Penn State, 184

Gabe Arnold, Iowa, 197
Branson John, Maryland, 197
Camden McDaniel, Nebraska, 197
Josh Barr, Penn State, 197

Ben Kueter, Iowa, 285
Taye Ghadiali, Michigan, 285
AJ Ferrari, Nebraska, 285

2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships Central

Unknown — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Big Ten Conference has 94 student-athletes, representing all 14 schools, competing for national championships and All-America honors at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, taking place March 19-21, at Rocket Arena.

BRACKETS
LIVE SCORING
FAN GUIDE
NCAA RECORD BOOK
BIG TEN-NCAA HISTORY

FOLLOW:
@B1GWrestling

Big Ten Recognizes Winter Academic All-Big Ten Honorees

Unknown — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference recognized a total of 1,127 students on winter sports rosters who have been named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team Wednesday.

The list of honorees includes 83 men’s and 119 women’s basketball students, 98 men’s ice hockey students, 59 men’s and 146 women’s gymnastics students, 154 men’s and 251 women’s swim and dive students, and 217 wrestling students.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team (as verified by being on the official squad list as of March 1 for fall sports), have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Among the winter Academic All-Big Ten honorees, 30 had unblemished GPAs:

Men’s Basketball
Jacob Koch, Iowa, Sophomore, Business Direct Administration, Iowa City, Iowa

Women’s Basketball
Emma Shumate, Michigan State, Senior, Sustainable Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Dresden Ohio
Sammy White, Northwestern, Graduate Student, Sports Communication Cert, Timonium, Md.

Men’s Gymnastics
Jax Washburn, Illinois, Sophomore, Community Health, Portland, Ore.
Kellen Ryan, Penn State, Graduate Student, Engineering, Janesville, Wis.

Women’s Gymnastics
Chloe Cho, Illinois, Sophomore, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Santa Clarita, Calif.
Aurelie Tran, Iowa, Sophomore, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Repentigny, Quebec, Canada
Kaia Vanney, Iowa, Senior, Interdepartmental Studies, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Eva Volpe, Iowa, Junior, Public Health, Pearland, Texas
Sarah Moraw, Minnesota, Graduate Student, Human Rsrc/Indus Rel M H R I R, Holland, Mich.
Megan Steensland, Minnesota, Graduate Student, Sport Management M Ed, Chaska, Minn.
Mika Webster-Longin, UCLA, Sophomore, History, Richmond, Calif.

Men’s Swim and Dive
Taye Ghadiali, Michigan, Graduate Student, Social Work, Warren, Mich.
Joe Polyak, Minnesota, Junior, Biochemistry B S, Iowa City, Iowa

Women’s Swim and Dive
Mary Kate Cavanaugh, Indiana, Sophomore, Finance, Longmont, Colo.
Brady kendall, Michigan, Graduate Student, Pharmacy PharmD, Canton, Mich.
Letitia Sim, Michigan, Senior, Applied Exercise Science, Spanish Fort, Ala.
Jade Roghair, Minnesota, Senior, Neuroscience B S, Iowa City, Iowa
Rachel Bockrath, Ohio State, Sophomore, Biology, Wilmington, Del.
Delia Lloyd, Ohio State, Sophomore, Biology, Toronto, Canada
Caroline Frazier, Purdue, Sophomore, Environmental & Ecological Engineering, Spring, Texas
Elena Dry, UCLA, Junior, Molecular, Cell and Development Biology, Raleigh, N.C.

Wrestling
Dylan Connell, Illinois, Graduate, MS: Management, Marengo, Ill.
Charlie Fifield, Illinois, Graduate, MS: Management, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Taye Ghadiali, Michigan, Graduate Student, Social Work, Warren, Mich.
Andy Hampton, Michigan State, RS-Senior, Media Analytics, Rochester, Mich.
Drew Roberts, Minnesota, RS-Senior, Non Degree, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Lucas Cochran, Penn State, Graduate Student, Real Estate Law & Valuation, Perry, Utah
Patrick Adams, Rutgers, Graduate Student, Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Old Bridge, N.J.
Cale Anderson, Wisconsin, Graduate Student, M.S. Kinesiology, Viroqua, Wis.

Big Ten Wrestlers Prepare for NCAA Championships

Unknown — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo by Mitchell Layton

NCAA BRACKETS

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Wrestlers from all 14 Big Ten schools will head to Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio to compete in the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which begin Thursday, March 19 and conclude Saturday, March 21.

Penn State, Ohio State and Nebraska led the way with 10 wrestlers each, followed by Iowa (9), Rutgers (9), Illinois (8), Wisconsin (8), Indiana (6), Michigan (6), Minnesota (6), Maryland (4), Purdue (4), Michigan State (2) and Northwestern (2).

The Big Ten will send 94 wrestlers to the NCAAs with 86 earning automatic qualification and eight receiving at-large berths. Big Ten wrestlers have claimed eight No. 1 seeds with Penn State holding seven of those spots. The top-seeded competitors are: Penn State’s Luke Lilledhal (125), Shayne Van Ness (149), PJ Duke (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Levi Haines (174), Rocco Welsh (184) and Josh Barr (197) along with Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez (141), a two-time national champion. Mendez leads a group of returning NCAA champions which includes Lucas Byrd of Illinois (133), Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor (157), Penn State’s Mesenbrink (165) and Haines, who won a 157-pound title in 2024 and now competes at 174.

The conference will have at least eight wrestlers in all 10 weight classes with the largest representation (10) coming at 125-, 133-, 149-, 165-, 174- and 197-pounds.

The Big Ten has won 18-consecutive national championships, boosted by Penn State’s 11 titles in 13 years. Six Big Ten schools have claimed NCAA titles, led by Iowa with 24. Penn State won its 12th national championship in 2025. Minnesota follows with three national titles, while Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State own one banner each.

Big Ten Receives Eight At-Large Selections to NCAA Wrestling Championships

NCAA — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Penn State Wins 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Unknown — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo by Mitchell Layton

FINAL RESULTS | TEAM SCORES

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State won the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships title on Sunday with a team score of 184 before a crowd of 13,226 at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Nittany Lions earned their 10th Big Ten Championship crown overall and fourth consecutive title.

Penn State set a program record with seven individual titles from Luke Lilledahl (125), Shayne Van Ness (149), PJ Duke (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Levi Haines (174), Rocco Welsh (184) and Josh Barr (197). Duke was selected as the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the championships.

Ohio State finished in second place with 148.5 points and claimed three postseason awards. Jesse Mendez was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, Ben Davino selected Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Tom Ryan chosen as the Big Ten Coach of the Year in voting conducted by the conference coaches.

Nebraska claimed third place with 116.5, Iowa placed fourth with 87 points and Michigan rounded out the top five 86.5 points.

Lilledahl started the finals with a Big Ten Championship at 125 pounds, posting a 4-1 decision in sudden victory over two-time national qualifier Jore Volk. Lilledahl remained undefeated (20-0) in defending his Big Ten title. At 133 pounds, Davino claimed a 2-2 decision (TB-2) over Penn State freshman Marcus Blaze, who suffered his first collegiate loss.

The 141 bout saw Mendez record a 7-2 decision over Nebraska’s Brock Hardy, who was making his third appearance in the finals. Mendez captured his second Big Ten crown, staying unbeaten at 22-0. Van Ness became Penn State’s first 149 champion since 2018, defeating Ethan Stiles of Ohio State by fall (3:29), which brought a loud reaction from the home crowd.

At 157, Duke defeated national champion Antrell Taylor of Nebraska by a 12-4 major decision. The 165-pound title went to Mesenbrink, who seized his third-straight Big Ten belt and remained undefeated (22-0) with a bonus-points victory (12-3) over Iowa’s Mikey Caliendo.

Haines became a four-time Big Ten champion with a 2-1 decision over Nebraska’s Christopher Minto at 174. In the 184 class, Penn State’s Rocco Welsh (20-0) produced a 2-1 decision (TB-1) over Minnesota’s Max McEnelly (19-1) in their first-ever meeting on the mat.

Barr took home the 197 belt with a 19-4 tech fall win over Nebraska’s Camden McDaniel. The championship’s final match at 285 was won by Michigan’s Taye Ghadiali in a 5-2 decision over Nebraska’s AJ Ferrari.

The complete list of Big Ten individual awards and All-Big Ten honorees:

BIG TEN INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Wrestler of the Year: Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, 141
Freshman of the Year: Ben Davino, Ohio State, 133
Coach of the Year: Tom Ryan, Ohio State
Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships: PJ Duke, Penn State, 157

ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM
Luke Lilledahl, Penn State, 125
Ben Davino, Ohio State, 133
Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, 141
Shayne Van Ness, Penn State, 149
PJ Duke, Penn State, 157
Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State 165
Levi Haines, Penn State, 174
Rocco Welsh, Penn State, 184
Josh Barr, Penn State, 197
Taye Ghadiali, Michigan, 285

ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM
Jore Volk, Minnesota, 125
Marcus Blaze, Penn State, 133
Brock Hardy, Nebraska, 141
Ethan Stiles, Ohio State, 149
Antrell Taylor, Nebraska, 157
Mikey Caliendo, Iowa, 165
Christopher Minto, Nebraska, 174
Max McEnelly, Minnesota, 184
Camden McDaniel, Nebraska, 197
AJ Ferrari, Nebraska, 285

2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Central

Unknown — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

MARCH 7-8, 2026
STATE COLLEGE, PA (BRYCE JORDAN CENTER)

The 112th Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be held March 7-8, 2026, at Bryce Jordan Center in State College, PA with Penn State University playing host to the event for the fifth time. All 14 conference schools will participate in the championships, which begin Saturday, March 7, with the first-round, quarterfinal, semifinal and wrestleback matches taking place during Sessions I and II. Action continues Sunday, March 8, with consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches getting underway during Session III and the first-, third- and fifth-place matches highlighting Session IV. For the fourth year in a row, the Big Ten Network and B1G+ will offer live linear and streaming coverage of all four sessions at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Linear coverage on the Big Ten Network is also available on the FOX Sports App.

2026 BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE (all times Eastern and subject to change)
Saturday, March 7 (Coverage on Big Ten Network/FOX Sports app and B1G+)
TIME	SESSION	LINKS
10 a.m.	Session I (First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks)	Big Ten Network \| Results
5 p.m.	Session II (Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks)	B1G+ \| Results
7 p.m.	Session II (Semifinals)	Big Ten Network \| Results \| Team Scores
Sunday, March 8 (Coverage on Big Ten Network/FOX Sports app and B1G+)
TIME	SESSION	LINKS
12 p.m.	Session III (Consolation Semifinals, 7th-Place Matches)	B1G+ \| Results
4:30 p.m.	Session IV (1st-, 3rd- and 5th- Place Matches)	Big Ten Network \| Final Results \| Recap

NOTE: Big Ten Network and B1G+ will provide live linear and streaming coverage of all four sessions, with Big Ten Network linear coverage also available on the FOX Sports App , while B1G+ matches can be streamed at bigtenplus.com .

School Information

Home Roster Schedule	Home Roster Schedule	Home Roster Schedule

Home Roster Schedule	Home Roster Schedule	Home Roster Schedule

Home Roster Schedule	Home Roster Schedule	Home Roster Schedule

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Home Roster Schedule	Home Roster Schedule

Big Ten Wrestling Championships Set for this Weekend

Unknown — Sat, 07 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo courtesy of Penn State Athletics

CHAMPIONSHIPS CENTRAL

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be held Saturday and Sunday (March 7-8) at the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University. The event will feature 10 teams ranked by Intermat, including five of the top 10 teams in the nation. Limited tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com

The Big Ten Network will provided complete coverage of of college wrestling’s premier conference event. From 10 a.m. ET to 2 p.m. ET Saturday, March 7, the opening session, including the first round and quarterfinal duals, will be broadcast on BTN and B1G+. On B1G+, individual mat cameras, as well as the quad box, will allow viewers to customize their experience. Session two on Saturday night begins at 5 p.m. ET on B1G+, with coverage of the wrestlebacks and consolation matches. Television coverage resumes for Saturday night's semifinals on BTN from 7 p.m. ET to 9 p.m. ET.

Big Ten Network veterans Shane Sparks, Jim Gibbons, Tim Johnson and Zach Mackey will be on the call for all the action throughout the weekend’s television broadcasts on BTN.

Get closer to the wrestling action – Follow @bigten on your favorite social platforms.

Indiana’s Tyler Lillard Wins National Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award

Unknown — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana University wrestling student-athlete Tyler Lillard has been selected as the national male recipient of the 2026 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award presented by Discover. He was announced as the winner Tuesday by Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti, Indiana President Pamela Whitten and Hoosiers Athletic Director Scott Dolson, surrounded by teammates and coaches.

Lillard was chosen as the national recipient from a pool of 18 institutional winners announced by the conference in November. The national female winner will be announced later this spring from a group of women’s honorees representing all 18 Big Ten institutions.

As a child, Tyler was diagnosed with epilepsy and, at the age of nine, doctors discovered a brain tumor on his optic nerve that would dramatically reduce his vision. Throughout a decorated high school wrestling career in both Ohio and Pennsylvania, Lillard was subjected to racial harassment as one of the few competitors of color.

As an Indiana student-athlete, Lillard has transformed his own adversity into opportunities and support for others. Along with his mother, Tina, who surprised him during Tuesday’s award presentation in Bloomington, he created the Team Tyler Epilepsy Foundation to aid families with children in the hospital. He is active in mentoring young wrestlers, as well as with organizations such as Read Across America and Recess Buddies.

A two-time NCAA qualifier currently ranked in the Top-16 nationally in his weight class, Lillard will enter this weekend’s Big Ten Wrestling Championships in State College, Pennsylvania, as the No. 9 seed at 165lbs.

Now in its second year, the Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award was established in 2025 to recognize student-athletes at Big Ten institutions who strive to have a positive impact not only in their chosen sport, but also within their community.

“It is a great honor to present this award in Jackie Robinson’s name to these extraordinary Big Ten student-athletes,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti, “and to express our sincere appreciation for the ongoing support of the Jackie Robinson Foundation.”

Honorees were selected based on the following criteria:

Demonstrated Impact: Significant and tangible contributions to community projects or causes, including measurable outcomes or positive changes resulting from their involvement.
Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others, including peers, organizations, and community members, to achieve common goals and enhance community impact.
Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing and consistent participation in community service activities over an extended period of time.
Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness and advocate for important groups or causes, leveraging their platform to promote positive change and engage others.

As part of the program, presenting sponsor Discover delivered custom letterman jackets to all 36 institutional winners of the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award. Each university’s male and female honoree will receive a customized, one-of-one gift featuring unique school elements and visuals. The first two custom jackets were presented in December at the Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game to 2025 national winners Dillon Fontus, from Maryland football, and Iowa wrestler Nanea Estrella.

In recognition of their achievement and as an expression of the conference’s appreciation, each of the 36 campus winners also receive a medal bearing the likeness of Jackie Robinson and the logo of the Big Ten Conference in addition to their custom jacket.

The Big Ten Conference’s commitment to athletics, academics and service goes back to the conference’s founding. Coupling the academic goals set forth by leaders of the charter members of the conference with their steadfast commitment to athletics, the conference instituted the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1915, the first award to demonstrate support for the educational emphasis placed on intercollegiate athletics. It is awarded annually by each member institution to one male and one female student of the graduating class who has attained the greatest proficiency in scholarship and athletics.

Big Ten Wrestling Pre-Seeds Announced

Unknown — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the preliminary seeds for the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which are set for March 7-8 at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. Four schools boast at least one top-seeded wrestler, with Penn State leading the way with six No. 1 seeds.

The pre-seeds, produced through WrestleStat’s Tournament Seeder Program utilizing allocation criteria approved by conference coaches, rank 14 starters in all 10 weight classes. The Nittany Lions have six top-seeded wrestlers with 125-pounder Luke Lilledahl, 133-pounder Marcus Blaze, 149-pounder Shayne Van Ness, 165-pounder Mitchell Mesenbrink, 184-pounder Rocco Welsh and 197-pounder Josh Barr. Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor (157) and Christopher Minto (174), Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez (141) and Michigan’s Taye Ghadiali (285) round out the group of top-ranked wrestlers.

This year’s field contains five returning Big Ten individual champions from 2025 and four wrestlers who won NCAA individual titles last year. The Big Ten features the nation’s top-ranked wrestler in nine weight classes.

The complete list of Big Ten Championships pre-seeds can be found below:

125 lbs

Luke Lilledahl (PSU)
Spencer Moore (ILL)
Nic Bouzakis (OSU)
Jacob Moran (IND)
Jore Volk (MINN)
Ayden Smith (RU)
Nicolar Rivera (WIS)
Dean Peterson (IOWA)
Diego Sotelo (MICH)
Dedrick Navarro (NU)
Kael Lauridsen (NEB)
Nick Corday (MSU)
Ashton Jackson (PUR)
Abram Cline (MD)

133 lbs

Marcus Blaze (PSU)
Lucas Byrd (ILL)
Ben Davino (OSU)
Zan Fugitt (WIS)
Drake Ayala (IOWA)
Jacob Van Dee (NEB)
Sean Spidle (NU)
Braxton Brown (MD)
Dylan Shawver (RU)
Blake Boarman (PUR)
Caleb Weiand (MSU)
Blaine Frazier (IND)
Gauge Botero (MICH)
Jager Eisch (MINN)

141 lbs

Jesse Mendez (OSU)
Brock Hardy (NEB)
Vance VomBaur (MINN)
Nasir Bailey (IOWA)
Dylan Ragusin (MICH)
Greyson Clark (PUR)
Braeden Davis (PSU)
Billy Dekraker (NU)
Henry Porter (IND)
Joseph Olivieri (RU)
Dario Lemus (MD)
Danny Pucino (ILL)
Carson Exferd (WIS)
Jaden Crumpler (MSU)

149 lbs

Shayne Van Ness (PSU)
Ethan Stiles (OSU)
Joseph Zargo (WIS)
Lachlan McNeil (MICH)
Carter Young (MD)
Chance Lamer (NEB)
Andrew Clark (RU)
Ryder Block (IOWA)
Michael Gioffre (ILL)
Drew Roberts (MINN)
Joey Buttler (IND)
Gavin Brown (PUR)
Clayton Jones (MSU)
August Hibler (NU)

157 lbs

Antrell Taylor (NEB)
PJ Duke (PSU)
Kannon Webster (ILL)
Anthony White (RU)
Cameron Catrabone (MICH)
Charlie Millard (MINN)
Brandon Cannon (OSU)
Luke Mechler (WIS)
Stoney Buell (PUR)
Victor Voinovich III (IOWA)
Bryce Lowery (IND)
Darius Marines (MSU)
Mekhi Neal (MD)
Ty Wilson (NU)

165 lbs

Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU)
Michael Caliendo (IOWA)
Joey Blaze (PUR)
Andrew Sparks (MINN)
LJ Araujo (NEB)
Braeden Scoles (ILL)
Andrew Barbosa (RU)
Paddy Gallagher (OSU)
Tyler Lillard (IND)
Cody Goebel (WIS)
Jacob Bostelman (NU)
Justin Gates (MICH)
AJ Rodrigues (MD)
Jack Conley (MSU)

174 lbs

Christopher Minto (NEB)
Levi Haines (PSU)
Patrick Kennedy (IOWA)
Beau Mantanona (MICH)
Carson Kharchla (OSU)
Derek Gilcher (IND)
Ethan Riddle (MINN)
Brody Baumann (PUR)
Colin Kelly (ILL)
Lenny Pinto (RU)
Eddie Enright (NU)
Luke Condon (WIS)
Connor O’Neil (MSU)
Seth Digby (MD)

184 lbs

Rocco Welsh (PSU)
Max McEnelly (MINN)
Silas Allred (NEB)
Brock Mantanona (MICH)
Chris Moore (ILL)
Dylan Fishback (OSU)
Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU)
Angelo Ferrari (IOWA)
Sam Goin (IND)
James Rowley (PUR)
J.D. Perez (NU)
Sepanta Ahanj-Elias (MD)
Ryan Boucher (MSU)
Cale Anderson (WIS)

197 lbs

Josh Barr (PSU)
Camden McDanel (NEB)
Remy Cotton (RU)
Branson John (MD)
Luke Geog (OSU)
Wyatt Ingham (WIS)
Kael Wisler (MSU)
Gabe Sollars (IND)
Ben Vanadia (PUR)
Hayden Walters (MICH)
Gavin Nelson (MINN)
Dylan Connell (ILL)
Gabe Arnold (IOWA)
Alex Smith (NU)

285 lbs

Taye Ghadiali (MICH)
AJ Ferrari (NEB)
Nick Feldman (OSU)
Cole Mirasola (PSU)
Braxton Amos (WIS)
Luke Luffman (ILL)
Koy Hopke (MINN)
Hunter Catka (RU)
Josh Terrill (MSU)
Ben Kueter (IOWA)
Hayden Filipovich (PUR)
Joey Schneck (MD)
Gabe Christenson (NU)
Caleb Marzolino (IND)

Big Ten Network Presents Coverage of 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Unknown — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, featuring 10 teams in Intermat’s top 25 tournament rankings, including five of the top 10 teams in the country, begins Saturday, March 7, on the Big Ten Network with complete coverage of college wrestling’s premier conference event.

Ahead of the championships, B1G+ is introducing a limited-time offer where fans can secure 13 months of B1G+ for $30.00 with code B1GWR. The offer is available through Friday, March 13 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

From 10 a.m. ET to 2 p.m. ET Saturday, March 7, the opening session, including the first round and quarterfinal duals, will be broadcast on BTN and B1G+. On B1G+, individual mat cameras, as well as the quad box, will allow viewers to customize their experience. Session two on Saturday night begins at 5 p.m. ET on B1G+, with coverage of the wrestlebacks and consolation matches. Television coverage resumes for Saturday night's semifinals on BTN from 7 p.m. ET to 9 p.m. ET.

Coverage continues Sunday, March 8, as session three begins at noon ET on B1G+ with individual mat cameras for the consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches. At 4:30 p.m. ET, television coverage resumes as Big Ten champions are crowned on Big Ten Network, with third and fifth-place bouts airing on B1G+.

Big Ten Network veterans Shane Sparks, Jim Gibbons, Tim Johnson and Zach Mackey will be on the call for all the action throughout the weekend’s television broadcasts on BTN.

Before the championships coverage kicks off, a new episode of On the Mat debuts at 9:30 a.m. ET, March 7, featuring stories highlighting Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink , Illinois’ Danny Pacino and Indiana’s work as a team throughout the season.

Ahead of the championship session March 8, a new episode of B1G Live: Wrestling Pregame will air at 4 p.m. ET, as Rick Pizzo and Malik Amine preview the final rounds of the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. A new episode of B1G Wrestling in 60: B1G Championships debuts Monday, March 9, at 7 p.m. ET, recapping the action from the weekend. Additional coverage of the wrestling championships will be included in new episodes of B1G Today and The B1G Show on the Big Ten Network, and a full schedule can be found at bigten.org/btn/btn-tv-schedule , with the schedule subject to change.

Throughout the championships, Big Ten wrestling coverage can be found via the @B1GWrestling accounts on X , Instagram and YouTube . All duals on the Big Ten Network can also be streamed through the FOX Sports App. For details and subscription information regarding B1G+ coverage, please visit bigtenplus.com .

2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships Schedule (All Times ET):

Date	Session Coverage	Platform	Time (ET)
March 7, 2026	Session 1 – First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks	BTN/B1G+	10 a.m.
March 7, 2026	Session 2 – Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks	B1G+	5 p.m.
March 7, 2026	Session 2 – Semifinals	BTN	7 p.m.
March 8, 2026	Session 3 – Consolation Semifinals, 7^th-Place Matches	B1G+	Noon
March 8, 2026	Session 4 – 3^rd and 5^th-Place Matches	B1G+	4:30 p.m.
March 8, 2026	Session 4 – Championship	BTN	4:30 p.m.

Big Ten Receives 2026 NCAA/MOAA Opportunities & Impact Award

Unknown — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The Big Ten Conference has been named the Division I winner of the 2026 NCAA/MOAA Opportunities and Impact Award, the NCAA and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association — an affiliate of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics — announced Thursday.

READ: NCAA and MOAA announce 2026 Opportunities and Impact Award recipients

The award recognizes and celebrates the initiatives, programs and efforts of athletics departments and conference offices in Divisions I, II and III that embrace environments of belonging and well-being and elevate the student-athlete voice in intercollegiate athletics communities. NCAA and MOAA representatives will present the awards June 7-10 in Las Vegas during the MOAA Symposium.

"We're proud to accept this honor on behalf of our 18 schools, whose support makes these initiatives possible," Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti said.

Omar Brown, Big Ten senior vice president for community and impact, added, "This humbling recognition is a direct result of the leadership and alignment we have from Commissioner Petitti, throughout the conference office, and in collaboration with our campuses. Big Ten student-athletes always are aiming for excellence in competition, in the classroom and in their communities. We will continue to build on this foundation to create transformational opportunities for their development and deliver impact to the many locales we call home across the nation throughout the year."

The Big Ten Conference continues to engage, educate and empower its student-athletes, coaches, administrators and its broader community base with programs, initiatives and engagements that make a difference and encourage positive change. For four years, student-athletes from Big Ten schools have traveled to Alabama for an immersive journey that included learning about the Civil Rights Movement, visits to historic sites, community service projects and panel sessions with local leaders. The Big Ten has also added new elements to the transformative experience each year to deepen understanding and inspire civic responsibility.

WATCH: Big Ten Community & Impact makes a difference

Additionally, the conference creates leadership opportunities for its student-athletes. It partners with James Russell Lowell Elementary School in Indianapolis, connecting its 18 member schools with classrooms that include mentorship and encouragement via virtual meetings.

Another one of its many initiatives are structured conversations with administrators, coaches, athletes and employees to gather feedback and to inform future strategies. Examples include conducting student-athlete experience exit surveys and hosting standing committees, commissions and leadership councils to discuss progress, share feedback and assess strategic alignment. The conference also hosts numerous inclusive programs such as United as One, the B1G Fellows Program, the Student-Athlete Issues Commission, The Women's Volleyball Mentorship Program and the CBS Sports Ambassador Program & Sports Journalism Initiative. The conference also promotes several awards programs, which includes the Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award to recognize student-athletes who demonstrate leadership, service and volunteerism.

WATCH: Indiana honorees receive their Jackie Robinson Award jackets

WATCH: Purdue's Devin Mockobee dons his jacket while being recognized at Boilermakers basketball game

Along with the Big Ten, Saint Michael's College athletics department was recognized in Division II, and Occidental College's athletics department was the Division III honoree.

"This honor is an acknowledgment of NCAA member schools and conference offices that intentionally create spaces and opportunities for all student-athletes, coaches and administrators to feel seen, heard and valued," said Felicia Martin, NCAA senior vice president of inclusion, education and community engagement. "It is important to recognize these outstanding recipients who diligently embrace a commitment to positively impact their athletic communities and make a significant difference for all humanity."

"Congratulations to this year's recipients," said Timothy Wise, MOAA president and assistant general manager at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. "The outstanding work by the winners showcases the commitment to providing opportunities in the ever-changing landscape and making a significant impact on their campus and in conference communities. Each of the winners is worthy of this honor, and MOAA looks forward to partnering with the NCAA to recognize these achievements at the 2026 MOAA Symposium in June."

###

Indiana and Nebraska Claim Weekly Wrestling Awards

Unknown — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its wrestling weekly awards for competition taking place February 18-25, 2026.

Wrestler of the Week
Derek Gilcher, Indiana

174 pounds – Gr. – Novi, Mich. – Detroit Catholic Central

Picked up a key victory in No. 21 Indiana's dual against rival Purdue on Friday in Bloomington
Defeated No. 16 Brody Baumann by decision, 9-2, which proved to be instrumental in Indiana's comeback
Prior to the bout between Gilcher and Baumann, Indiana trailed 13-8 in the team score
Improved to 13-7 on the season
Last Indiana Wrestler of the Week honoree: Jacob Bullock (Dec. 20, 2022)

Freshman of the Week
LJ Araujo, Nebraska

165 pounds – Bismarck, N.D. – Bismarck

Pinned Zyon Trujillo of Utah Valley, securing a takedown, four-point nearfall, reversal and three-point near fall before pinning Trujillo in 4:45
The six bout points added to Nebraska's 32-6 victory and its fourth consecutive win heading into postseason competition
Marked his second pin of the season, improving to14-6 overall and 10-6 in dual competition
Out of 16 duals, 14 of Araujo’s opponents were ranked and nine of them ranked inside the top 12
Last Nebraska Freshman of the Week honoree: Christopher Minto (Jan. 30, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
Nov. 6
W: Koy Hopke, R-Fr., Minnesota
F: Koy Hopke, R-Fr., Minnesota

Nov. 13
W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue
F: Isaiah Schaefer, Fr., Purdue

Nov. 20
W: Angelo Ferrari, R-Fr., Iowa
F: Ben Davino, R-Fr., Ohio State

Nov. 28
W: Massoma Endene, Gr., Iowa
F: Cameron Catrabone, R-Fr., Michigan

Dec. 4
W: Ryder Block, So., Iowa
F: Angelo Ferrari, R-Fr., Iowa

Dec. 11
W: Joey Blaze, Jr., Purdue
F: Eddie Enright, Fr., Northwestern

Dec. 18
W: Carson Kharchla, Gr., Ohio State
F: PJ Duke, Fr., Penn State

Dec. 23
W: Shayne Van Ness, Jr., Penn State
F: Marcus Blaze, Fr., Penn State

Jan. 8
W: Josh Barr, So., Penn State
F: Koy Hopke, R-Fr., Minnesota

Jan. 15
W: Zan Fugitt, R-So., Wisconsin
F: e'Than Birden, R-Fr., Ohio State

Jan. 22
W: Rocco Welsh, So., Penn State

F: Cole Mirasole, R-Fr., Penn State

Jan. 30

W: Nick Feldman, R-Jr., Ohio State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

Feb. 5

W: Joseph Zargo, Sr., Wisconsin

F: Charlie Millard, Minnesota

Feb. 12

W: Nic Bouzakis, Jr., Ohio State

F: Ayden Smith, Rutgers

Feb. 19

W: Cole Mirasole, R-Fr., Penn State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

Feb. 26

W: Derek Gilcher, Gr., Indiana

F: LJ Araujo, Nebraska

Big Ten Claims 87 Pre-Allocations for the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships

NCAA — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Discover, Big Ten Present Custom Jackets To Jackie Robinson Award Honorees

Unknown — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Presenting sponsor Discover will deliver custom letterwinner jackets to all 36 institutional winners of the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award, the Big Ten announced Wednesday. Each university’s male and female honoree will receive a customized, one-of-one gift featuring unique school elements and visuals.

The first two custom jackets were presented in December at the Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game to 2025 national winners Dillon Fontus, from Maryland football, and Iowa wrestler Nanea Estrella.

Both of last year’s winners, and Sonya Pankey Robinson (Jackie Robinson’s granddaughter), attended the game as guests of Discover, seeing Indiana claim the title at Lucas Oil Stadium on their way to a perfect 16-0 campaign and CFP National Championship. The 2026 national winners will be announced later this spring from the cohort of 36 campus recipients.

In November, the Big Ten Conference announced the 36 student-athletes selected as institutional winners of the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award presented by Discover. Now in its second year, the honor was created to recognize Big Ten student-athletes who strive to have a positive impact within their community in addition to excellence in competition.

Institution	Honoree	Sport
Illinois	TJ Griffin	Football
Illinois	Tali Joelson	Gymnastics
Indiana	Tyler Lillard	Wrestling
Indiana	Kristina Vincic	Track & Field
Iowa	Ava Bayless	Wrestling
Iowa	Will Ryan	Cross Country \| Track & Field
Maryland	Joey Schneck	Wrestling
Maryland	Madeline Komoroski	Gymnastics
Michigan	Kevin Kearns	Lacrosse
Michigan	Zoë Bormet	Field Hockey
Michigan State	Maddie Lawlor	Field Hockey
Michigan State	Jalen Thompson	Football
Minnesota	Charlie Sutherland	Baseball
Minnesota	Niamya (Nia) Holloway	Basketball
Nebraska	Katelyn Caneda	Softball
Nebraska	Michael Booker III	Football
Northwestern	Kansas Robinson	Softball
Northwestern	Najee Story	Football
Ohio State	Caleb Downs	Football
Ohio State	Makenna Webster	Ice Hockey \| Field Hockey
Oregon	Matt Bedford	Football
Oregon	Blessyn McMorris	Acrobatics & Tumbling
Penn State	Nick Dawkins	Football
Penn State	Elise DeWan	Field Hockey
Purdue	Devin Mockobee	Football
Purdue	Emma Bailey	Softball
Rutgers	Jude Essuman	Soccer
Rutgers	Caitlin Collins	Lacrosse
UCLA	Jordan Robinson	Track & Field
UCLA	Karson Gordon	Football \| Track & Field
USC	Maribel Flores	Soccer
USC	Robert Gref	Diving
Washington	Franck Kepnang	Basketball
Washington	Rhonda Newton	Track & Field
Wisconsin	Rico Hallman	Football
Wisconsin	Erin Connolly	Soccer

In recognition of their achievement and as an expression of the conference’s appreciation, each of the 36 campus winners will receive a medal bearing the likeness of Jackie Robinson and the logo of the Big Ten Conference in addition to their custom jacket.

WATCH: Indiana honorees receive their Jackie Robinson Award jackets

WATCH: Purdue's Devin Mockobee dons his jacket while being honored at Boilermakers basketball game

WATCH: Big Ten Community & Impact makes a difference

Jackie Robinson was a standout student-athlete at UCLA, where he was the school’s first four-sport letter winner, excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. Beyond his athletic prowess, he continues to be recognized and honored for his contributions off the field: integrating Major League Baseball and his lifelong commitment to social justice. He is the embodiment of the Big Ten's mission to develop strong student leaders, and this program honors his legacy and core values of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence. As Jackie famously said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

“It is our privilege and great honor to bestow this award in Jackie’s name upon these deserving Big Ten student-athletes and to express our appreciation for the support of the Jackie Robinson Foundation,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti.

Honorees were selected based on the following criteria:

Demonstrated Impact: Significant and tangible contributions to community projects or causes, including measurable outcomes or positive changes resulting from their involvement.
Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others, including peers, organizations, and community members, to achieve common goals and enhance community impact.
Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing and consistent participation in community service activities over an extended period of time.
Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness and advocate for important groups or causes, leveraging their platform to promote positive change and engage others.

"The Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award celebrates Jackie’s legacy of excellence in community service,” said Sonya Pankey Robinson, Jackie’s first grandchild as well as Director and board member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. "We are proud to recognize 36 outstanding men and women for the incredible impact they make in their community."

"Our student-athletes make significant contributions through competition, academics, and community impact,” said Big Ten Senior Vice President, Community & Impact, Omar Brown. “This award allows the Big Ten to recognize these efforts in improving communities, just as we do with their other athletic and academic achievements. Jackie Robinson embodies this award and our goal to honor student-athletes who positively affect others."

Penn State Sweeps Weekly Wrestling Awards

Unknown — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its wrestling weekly awards for competition taking place February 11-18, 2026.

Wrestler of the Week
Cole Mirasole, Penn State

285 pounds – R-Fr. – Jackson, Wis. – West Bend

Capped off Penn State's 36-5 victory against No. 2 Ohio State on Friday night with a thrilling 4-1 sudden victory decision over No. 3 Nick Feldman at 285
Brought an NCAA and Penn State indoor wrestling crowd record 16,006 fans to their feet with a takedown in extra time to post the 4-1 (SV) win
Improved to 13-4 overall on the year with four pins, three techs and a major
His victory was one of nine for Penn State in the win, which clinched the 2026 Big Ten Regular Season Championship for Penn State, the school's sixth straight and 12th overall
Last Penn State Wrestler of the Week honoree: Rocco Welsh (Jan. 22, 2026)

Freshman of the Week
Marcus Blaze, Penn State

133 pounds – Perrysburg, Ohio – Perrysburg

Helped kickstart Penn State's win vs. No. 2 Ohio State on Friday night with a thrilling 3-2 (TB) win over No. 2 Ben Davino at 133
Battled Davino through a scoreless first period and then trailed 1-0 after the second when Davino notched an escape to start the middle period
Escaped in just :09 in the first tie-breaker period before reversing Davino with :14 on the clock and riding him out for the 3-2 (TB) win
Improved to 18-0 on the year with four pins, six tech falls and five majors
Last Penn State Freshman of the Week honoree: Marcus Blaze (Jan. 30, 2026)

Jan. 22
W: Rocco Welsh, So., Penn State

F: Cole Mirasole, R-Fr., Penn State

Jan. 30

W: Nick Feldman, R-Jr., Ohio State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

Feb. 5

W: Joseph Zargo, Sr., Wisconsin

F: Charlie Millard, Minnesota

Feb. 12

W: Nic Bouzakis, Jr., Ohio State

F: Ayden Smith, Rutgers

Feb. 19

W: Cole Mirasole, R-Fr., Penn State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

New “We Are Here” spot highlights student success, economic impact

Unknown — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Big Ten universities’ leading role in educating students and driving economic prosperity is featured the latest edition in the “We Are Here” series of :30 ads .

The new ad began airing during Big Ten basketball games and other winter sports in January. Students and alumni take center stage, sharing with viewers what their lives look like and what they have been able to accomplish thanks to their Big Ten university education. Seen on campuses and in communities nationwide, their experiences are living proof of the world-class educational opportunities they received, from learning alongside Nobel Prize–winning faculty to participating in internships and undergraduate research. The spot also highlights the universities’ broader impact through innovation, job creation and service.

Together, the 18 members of the Big Ten Conference are educating more than 810,000 students, preparing them for successful lives and careers. The Big Ten’s collective graduation rate is more than 20 points above the national average and the universities have more than 9.2 million living alumni.

The first ad in the “We Are Here” series began airing last fall and has generated more than 250 million impressions across Big Ten broadcasts to date, including during the College Football Playoff National Championship won by Indiana University. It focused on how Big Ten universities make America healthier, safer and more prosperous through everything from discovering new medical treatments to developing healthier foods to driving economic growth.

“The success of our students is our first priority, and Big Ten universities lead the nation in providing access to an excellent and valuable college education. And after graduation, our students go on to join the more than 9 million alumni who are making a difference in communities around the nation and world,” said University of Maryland President Darryll J. Pines, who chairs the Big Ten's Council of Presidents and Chancellors. “We’re proud to be part of a conference that shares a commitment to academic and athletic excellence, and that showcases both on a daily basis.”

"Big Ten universities are committed to wide-ranging achievement, from athletics to research to public service,” said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. “As millions of fans tune in to root for their favorite team, we have an opportunity to illustrate the countless ways our member institutions and alumni make an impact in their communities and around the world.”

The ad will air on linear and digital platforms during sporting events featuring Big Ten universities, utilizing airtime allocated to the Conference as part of its media agreements, including the Big Ten Network (BTN). This new initiative builds on other Conference efforts, including research vignettes highlighting the impact of university research that air during select BTN sporting event broadcasts.

As with the first ad, the second spot was developed by a creative team made up of staff from Big Ten member universities under the auspices of the Big Ten Academic Alliance. It is the second in a planned series of three ads, which over the course of the series will feature footage from all 18 universities.

About Big Ten Academic Alliance

The Big Ten Academic Alliance is the nation’s preeminent model for effective collaboration among research universities. For more than half a century, these world-class institutions have advanced their academic missions, generated unique opportunities for students and faculty, and served the common good by sharing expertise, leveraging campus resources, and collaborating on innovative programs. Governed and funded by the Provosts of the member universities, Big Ten Academic Alliance programs and initiatives are coordinated by a staff from its Champaign, Illinois headquarters.

About Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is an association of world-class universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has sustained a comprehensive set of shared practices and policies that enforce the priority of academics in the lives of students competing in intercollegiate athletics and emphasize the values of integrity, fairness and competitiveness. The Big Ten Conference sponsors 28 official sports, 14 for men and 14 for women, and the broad-based programs of the 18 Big Ten institutions provide direct financial support for more than 14,000 student-athletes. For more information, visit www.bigten.org .

Media Contacts:

Paul Kennedy, Big Ten Conference, pkennedy@bigten.org

Jack Martin, University of Washington, jacktm@uw.edu

Big Ten Member Universities:

· Indiana University

· Michigan State University

· Northwestern University

· The Ohio State University

· Pennsylvania State University

· Purdue University

· Rutgers University-New Brunswick

· University of California Los Angeles

· University of Illinois

· University of Iowa

· University of Maryland

· University of Michigan

· University of Minnesota

· University of Nebraska-Lincoln

· University of Oregon

· University of Southern California

· University of Washington

· University of Wisconsin-Madison

Penn State Claims 12th Big Ten Regular Season Title

Big Ten Communications — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Ohio State and Rutgers Claim Weekly Wrestling Awards

Unknown — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its wrestling weekly awards for competition taking place February 4-11, 2026.

Wrestler of the Week
Nic Bouzakis, Ohio State

125 pounds – Jr. – Tampa, Fla. – Wyoming Seminary

· Contributed to No. 2 Ohio State's 24-point unanswered scoring run over No. 5 Iowa with the Buckeyes' 24-9 win over the Hawkeyes

· Recorded a 9-5 win by decision over No. 6 Dean Peterson

· The victory, in a sold out Covelli Center, secured an undefeated (7-0) home season for Ohio State, who is off to a program record 17-0 start to the 2025-26 season

· Improved to 12-1 on the season and 7-0 against ranked opponents

· Last Ohio State Wrestler of the Week honoree: Nick Feldman (Jan. 30, 2026)

Freshman of the Week
Ayden Smith, Rutgers

125 pounds – Allentown, Pa. – Notre Dame – Green Pond

· Defeated No. 10 Jore Volk, a 2024 All-American, by 7-2 decision in Rutgers' 23-15 dual win over No. 6 Minnesota

· Landed two takedowns on Volk, including one with under 10 seconds remaining to secure the highest-ranked win of his career

· Helped the Scarlet Knights secure the program's highest-ranked win since it defeated No. 7 Lehigh, 18-15, on Feb. 20, 2016 and its first over a top-six opponent since it defeated Nebraska, 17-17, on Dec. 12, 2015

· Earns the program’s first Freshman of the Week honor

Jan. 22
W: Rocco Welsh, So., Penn State

F: Cole Mirasole, R-Fr., Penn State

Jan. 30

W: Nick Feldman, R-Jr., Ohio State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

Feb. 5

W: Joseph Zargo, Sr., Wisconsin

F: Charlie Millard, Minnesota

Feb. 12

W: Nic Bouzakis, Jr., Ohio State

F: Ayden Smith, Rutgers

Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission Calls for Limitations or Ban of Individual Prop Betting on College Athletics

Unknown — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. — [February, 10, 2026] — The Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission (SAIC) today sent a letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker urging the NCAA to continue pushing for limitations or the outright elimination of proposition (“prop”) betting involving individual student-athletes competing in college athletics. The letter reinforces the Big Ten Conference’s unwavering commitment to protecting the well-being and safety of student-athletes across all 18 Big Ten campuses, and the integrity of intercollegiate athletics.

“The Big Ten Conference is proud to support our student-athletes in calling for the restriction or elimination of individual proposition wagers on college athletics,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti. "The Big Ten Conference appreciates the NCAA’s effort to eliminate these wagers and will continue to assist student-athletes as they deal with the challenges that result from proposition bets in college sports.”

President Baker recently sent letters to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and to State Gambling Commissions calling for amended state laws and regulations to better-protect student-athletes.

The letter from the Big Ten Conference SAIC outlines the growing concerns around the rise of individual performance prop wagering in college sports, including:

Increased harassment student-athletes experience because of wagers on individual-performance proposition wagers
Negative impact individual-performance proposition betting has on student-athletes’ mental health
Accusations of impropriety, even when unfounded, damage the student-athlete experience
Potentially jeopardizing the integrity of athletic competition

“While we understand that sports betting is becoming increasingly more common across the country and allows for states to generate increased tax revenue, prop betting represents unique risks at the college level,” the Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission wrote. “We believe protecting student-athletes must be a priority. Limiting or eliminating prop betting on college athletics would be a meaningful step toward reducing harassment, protecting mental well-being, and preserving the integrity of college competition.”

The Big Ten Conference SAIC was founded in 1994. SAIC members take an active role in monthly meetings discussing the issues most important to Big Ten Conference student-athletes and highlighting ongoing initiatives on their respective campuses. SAIC executive leadership members also represent Big Ten student-athletes in front of the Conference’s Joint Group council and represent the Big Ten Conference on the NCAA’s Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, where they review NCAA activities, proposed legislation and offer feedback on behalf of the Big Ten’s student-athletes. Student-athletes are nominated by their institution and appointed by the Conference’s Joint Group Executive Committee to serve on the commission for one academic year.

The Big Ten Conference SAIC members signing the letter include:

Callin Hake, SAIC Chair, University of Nebraska Women’s Basketball
Mia Rogan, SAIC Internal Vice Chair, Women’s Cross Country & Track, Michigan State University
Michael Long, SAIC External Vice Chair, Men’s Swim & Dive, University of Wisconsin
Nya Robinson, SAIC Secretary, Women’s Swim & Dive, Penn State University
Samuel Edwards, NCAA Board of Directors, Men’s Football, Michigan State University
Abigail Lynch, NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Women’s Soccer & Track, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Demetrious Allen, Men’s Football, Rutgers University
Javiera Baeza, Women’s Field Hockey, Indiana University
Ava Bayless, Women’s Wrestling, University of Iowa
Josh Eernisse, Men’s Ice Hockey, University of Michigan
Taji Flynn, Men’s Lacrosse, The Ohio State University
Jordan Hall, Men’s Football, Michigan State University
Tali Joelson, Women’s Gymnastics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Franck Kepnang, Men’s Basketball, University of Washington
Nuala Macfarlane, Women’s Rowing, University of Minnesota
Ava Morales, Women’s Soccer, University of Maryland
Myranda Quinton, Women’s Golf, Penn State University
Kansas Robinson, Women’s Softball, Northwestern University
James Rowley, Men’s Wrestling, Purdue University
Jaidin Russell, Men’s Volleyball, University of California, Los Angeles
Russell Soohoo, Men’s Tennis, University of Oregon
Madison Whyte, Women’s Track & Field, University of Southern Californi

Minnesota and Wisconsin Claim Weekly Wrestling Awards

Unknown — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its wrestling weekly awards for competition taking place January 28 – February 4, 2026.

Wrestler of the Week
Joseph Zargo, Wisconsin

149 pounds – Sr. – South River, N.J. – Bergen Catholic

· Picked up a pair of ranked wins on the weekend

· Upset No. 4 Ethan Stiles in Wisconsin's dual against No. 2 Ohio State, winning in sudden victory, 7-4

· Closed out the weekend at Purdue, taking down No. 31 Gavin Brown in a 10-8 decision, in UW's 30-12 road win over Boilermakers

· Last Wisconsin Wrestler of the Week honoree: Zan Fugitt (Jan. 15, 2026)

Freshman of the Week
Charlie Millard, Minnesota

157 pounds – Mequon, Wis. – Homestead

· Helped No. 7 Minnesota to a 21-16 win at No. 4 Iowa, snapping an 11-match losing streak in the series, the team's longest active streak against another school, and marked the Golden Gophers' first win over the Hawkeyes since a 2014 win in Iowa City

· Facing No. 12 Jordan Williams, the 21st-ranked Millard was the aggressor in the match, jumping out to a 4-2 lead through one period

· Leading 5-3 with 1:10 to go, Millard sealed the highest ranked bonus-point win of his career with a takedown and four nearfall points, capturing a 13-3 victory

· Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week honoree: Koy Hopke (Jan. 8, 2026)

Jan. 22
W: Rocco Welsh, So., Penn State

F: Cole Mirasole, R-Fr., Penn State

Jan. 30

W: Nick Feldman, R-Jr., Ohio State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

Feb. 5

W: Joseph Zargo, Sr., Wisconsin

F: Charlie Millard, Minnesota

Ohio State and Penn State Claim Weekly Wrestling Awards

Unknown — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its wrestling weekly awards for competition taking place January 21-28, 2026.

Wrestler of the Week
Nick Feldman, Ohio State

285 pounds – Jr. – Quarryville, Pa. – Malvern Prep

· Earned a pair of top 10 road wins to help the No. 2 Buckeyes remain undefeated in dual competition at 14-0

· Started the weekend with an 11-2 major decision victory against No. 10 Koy Hopke of Minnesota in a 29-9 win over the No. 7 Golden Gophers

· With Ohio State trailing at No. 6 Nebraska, 16-14, Feldman went to overtime against No. 4 AJ Ferrari and came away with a 4-1 win in sudden victory go give the Buckeyes a thrilling 17-16 win

· Last Ohio State Wrestler of the Week honoree: Carson Kharchla (Dec. 18, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Marcus Blaze, Penn State

133 pounds – Perrysburg, Ohio – Perrysburg

· Went 2-0 this week, helping to spark No. 1 Penn State to two straight shutout victories in less than 24 hours

· Began the weekend with a 19-4 (5:44) technical fall over Indiana's Blaine Frazer in PSU's 48-0 win over the Hoosiers in Rec Hall on Friday night

· Dominated No. 15 Braxton Brown, using four takedowns to roll to a 15-3 major decision, one of many highlights in PSU's 51-0 victory at Maryland on Saturday afternoon

· Blaze is now 15-0 overall with four pins, five techs and five majors

· Last Penn State Freshman of the Week honoree: Cole Mirasole (Jan. 2, 2026)

Jan. 22
W: Rocco Welsh, So., Penn State

F: Cole Mirasole, R-Fr., Penn State

Jan. 30

W: Nick Feldman, R-Jr., Ohio State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

Penn State Claims Weekly Wrestling Awards

Unknown — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its wrestling weekly awards for competition taking place January 16-18, 2026.

Wrestler of the Week
Rocco Welsh, Penn State
184 pounds – So. – Waynesburg, Pa. – Ohio State (NCAA)

Helped No. 1 Penn State roll to a 32-3 victory over No. 4 Iowa in Iowa City
In a bout featuring top-four unbeaten combatants, No. 4 Welsh prevailed over No. 1 Angelo Ferrari, 2-1, in a tiebreaker
Two days later, recorded a 22-7 tech fall at Northwestern on the strength of six takedowns, two escapes, and a two-point turn; improved to 11-0 on the season
His efforts fueled Penn State’s 51-0 win over Northwestern in Evanston, Ill.
Earns his second career Big Ten Wrestler of the Week Award, having previously been honored on Nov. 8, 2023

Freshman of the Week
Cole Mirasole, Penn State
285 pounds – R-Fr. – Jackson, Wis. – West Bend

No. 12 Mirasole employed a second period takedown and a third period escape in a 4-3 decision over No. 5 Ben Kueter of Iowa Friday in Iowa City
The victory sealed Penn State’s 32-3 win over Iowa, marking the Nittany Lions’ largest margin of victory in the all-time series
Produced a 19-4 first period tech fall at Northwestern, raising his season record to 10-2
The Wisconsin native garners PSU’s third Freshman of the Week honor for 2025-26
Becomes the sixth Penn State wrestler to earn a Big Ten weekly award this season

Ohio State and Wisconsin Share Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Zan Fugitt, Wisconsin
133 pounds – So. – Nixa, Mo. – Nixa

· Competed in his first two conference bouts of the season, including one against No. 4 Iowa

· Upset No. 4 Drake Ayala by toughing out a close 6-5 decision

· Followed that up in Wisconsin's next match against Maryland by taking down Abram Cline in a 19-4 tech fall

· Last Wisconsin Wrestler of the Week: Dean Hamiti (Feb. 21, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
e'Than Birden, Ohio State
165 pounds – Fr. – Dublin, Ohio – Dublin Coffman

· Earned his first home win as a Buckeye with an upset of No. 20 Tyler Lillard of Indiana in No. 2 Ohio State's 45-0 win over the No. 23 Hoosiers in Columbus

· Scored first with an escape in the second and then was awarded a stalling point to win by decision 2-1 at 165

· The win comes after Birden won the Midlands Championship at 165 with a 5-0 record in Evanston

· Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week Award: Ben Davino (Nov. 20, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

Nov. 20

W: Angelo Ferrari, Fr., Iowa

F: Ben Davino, Ohio State

Nov. 28

W: Massoma Endene, Gr., Iowa

F: Cameron Catrabone, Michigan

Dec. 4

W: Ryder Block, So., Iowa

F: Angelo Ferrari, Iowa

Dec. 11

W: Joey Blaze, Jr., Purdue

F: Eddie Enright, Northwestern

Dec. 18

W: Carson Kharchla, Gr., Ohio State

F: PJ Duke, Penn State

Dec. 23

W: Shayne Van Ness, Jr., Penn State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

Jan. 8

W: Josh Barr, So., Penn State

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Jan. 15

W: Zan Fugitt, Wisconsin

F: e'Than Birden, Ohio State

#B1GWrestle

Minnesota and Penn State Share Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Josh Barr, Penn State
197 pounds – So. – Davison, Mich. – Davison

· Rolled to Penn State’s fifth championship of the day at 197 at the 2026 Southern Scuffle at Chattanooga

· Posted a 5-0 record, all for bonus points with a major, two tech falls and two pins

· Dominated No. 3 Stephen Little of Little Rock in the finals, posting a 9-1 major decision

· Pinned No. 15 Branson John of Maryland in the semifinals after he teched Adam Ortega of The Citadel 18-2 (4:10), pinned Kendric Curtis of Chattanooga (1:25) and teched Payton Thomas of Navy 20-5 (2:46)

· Last Penn State Wrestler of the Week: Shayne Van Ness (Dec. 23, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Koy Hopke, Minnesota
285 pounds – Fr. – Amery, Wis. – Amery

· Went 4-0 last week to capture the heavyweight title at the Soldier Salute in Coralville, Iowa

· Opened with a 2-0 shutout of Sampson Stillwell of Missouri, Hopke's third straight shutout

· Defeated Iowa State's Daniel Herrera in the quarterfinals, 5-1, before taking care of No. 10 Christian Carroll of Wyoming, 6-1, in the semifinals

· Avenged an earlier season loss to Nebraska's Cade Ziola in the finals by registering a 5-3 decision

· Outscored his opponents 18-5 and was not taken down en route to his second tournament title of the season

· Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week Award: Koy Hopke (Nov. 6, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

Nov. 20

W: Angelo Ferrari, Fr., Iowa

F: Ben Davino, Ohio State

Nov. 28

W: Massoma Endene, Gr., Iowa

F: Cameron Catrabone, Michigan

Dec. 4

W: Ryder Block, So., Iowa

F: Angelo Ferrari, Iowa

Dec. 11

W: Joey Blaze, Jr., Purdue

F: Eddie Enright, Northwestern

Dec. 18

W: Carson Kharchla, Gr., Ohio State

F: PJ Duke, Penn State

Dec. 23

W: Shayne Van Ness, Jr., Penn State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

Jan. 8

W: Josh Barr, So., Penn State

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

#B1GWrestle

Penn State Sweeps Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Shayne Van Ness, Penn State
149 pounds – Jr. – Somerville, N.J. – Blair Academy

· Collected a pair of victories against ranked opponents at the Journeymen Collegiate Duals in Nashville, Tenn., helping Penn State to the program’s 77th straight win and setting a new NCAA Division I record

· Opened the event by dominating No. 24 Max Petersen of North Dakota State, posting a 19-2 technical fall at the 5:16 mark

· Followed up with a 10-4 win vs. No. 14 Aden Valencia of Stanford in PSU's 42-0 shoutout victory against the Cardinals

· Improved to 9-0 on the year with three pins, four techs and a major

· Last Penn State Wrestler of the Week: Beau Bartlett (Feb. 20, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Marcus Blaze, Penn State
133 pounds – Fr. – Perrysburg, Ohio – Perrysburg

· Picked up two more wins at the Journeymen Collegiate Duals to help the Nittany Lions break the 1951 NCAA record by Oklahoma State with their 77^th victory

· Began his day with an 11-3 major decision over No. 29 Tristan Daugherty of North Dakota State in Penn State's 46-0 shutout victory over the Bisons

· Turned No. 6 Tyler Knox of Stanford to his back in the third period and pinned the Cardinal All-American at the 6:44 mark for his second victory of the weekend

· Improved to 10-0 on the year with four pins, four tech falls and two majors

· Last Penn State Freshman of the Week Award: PJ Duke (Dec. 18, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

Nov. 20

W: Angelo Ferrari, Fr., Iowa

F: Ben Davino, Ohio State

Nov. 28

W: Massoma Endene, Gr., Iowa

F: Cameron Catrabone, Michigan

Dec. 4

W: Ryder Block, So., Iowa

F: Angelo Ferrari, Iowa

Dec. 11

W: Joey Blaze, Jr., Purdue

F: Eddie Enright, Northwestern

Dec. 18

W: Carson Kharchla, Gr., Ohio State

F: PJ Duke, Penn State

Dec. 23

W: Shayne Van Ness, Jr., Penn State

F: Marcus Blaze, Penn State

#B1GWrestle

Top Wrestling Tournaments of the Holiday Season Available Exclusively on B1G+

Unknown — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The fourth annual Soldier Salute and the 61st annual Ken Kraft Midlands Championships will live stream exclusively on B1G+ this holiday season. Fans can subscribe to B1G+ with an annual pass for $89.99 per year or a monthly pass for $12.99 per month.

Ahead of the tournaments, B1G+ is introducing a limited-time offer where fans can receive three months of B1G+ for $5.99 per month with code DUAL25. The offer is available through Sunday, Dec. 28, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

In addition to the Soldier Salute and the Midlands Championships, a B1G+ subscription includes access to more than 80 additional Big Ten wrestling events, 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships coverage and on-demand replays of televised duals. B1G+ users can watch up to four live streams/mats simultaneously on one screen at bigtenplus.com or with Apple TV, Fire TV and Xbox.

For the first time, fans also have the option to purchase a one-time pay-per-view pass on B1G+ to watch both tournaments. Each pass is available for a one-time payment of $7.99 and can be purchased at bigtenplus.com by selecting either the 2025 Soldier Salute Pass or the 2025 Midlands Championships Pass. The offer is available on web only and cannot be purchased via mobile devices. Fans can then watch the tournaments on bigtenplus.com, the B1G+ mobile app or on the following supported connected devices: Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio, Xbox and Xumo.

Individual mat cameras will be available on B1G+ for all four sessions of the Midlands Championships coverage, Dec. 29-30. Set for its 61st iteration, the tournament will return to Ryan Fieldhouse on Northwestern’s campus in Evanston and will feature both men's and women's divisions.

Big Ten Network veteran wrestling broadcasters Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons will anchor the Solider Salute coverage, Jan. 3-4, on B1G+. The tournament is hosted by the Iowa City Area Sports Commission and will take place at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. Throughout all four sessions across both days, B1G+ will feature individual mat cameras along with whip-around coverage focused on the best action at a given moment.

Competitors from five Big Ten men’s programs are expected to compete across both tournaments, including a group of teams ranked in Intermat’s top 25 . The list includes No. 11 Illinois, No. 23 Indiana and Northwestern at the Midlands Championships, while No. 4 Iowa and No. 7 Minnesota are set to compete at the Soldier Salute.

Additional Big Ten wrestling coverage can be found via the @B1GWrestling accounts on X , Instagram , Bluesky and YouTube .

Midlands Championships Schedule:

Day	Date	Session Coverage	Platform	Time (ET)
Monday	Dec. 29	Session 1	B1G+	10:30 a.m.
Monday	Dec. 29	Session 2	B1G+	8 p.m.
Tuesday	Dec. 30	Session 3	B1G+	10:30 a.m.
Tuesday	Dec. 30	Session 4	B1G+	5 p.m.

Soldier Salute Schedule:

Day	Date	Session Coverage	Platform	Time (ET)
Saturday	Jan. 3	Session 1	B1G+	11 a.m.
Saturday	Jan. 3	Session 2	B1G+	4:30 p.m.
Sunday	Jan. 4	Session 3	B1G+	Noon
Sunday	Jan. 4	Finals	B1G+	6 p.m.

Ohio State and Penn State Capture Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Carson Kharchla, Ohio State
174 pounds – Gr. – Powell, Ohio – Olentangy Liberty

· Knocked off No. 3 Matthew Singleton of No. 9 NC State to help the No. 2 Buckeyes earn a 26-10 home win over the Wolfpack

· Got the reversal for the first points of the match and did not allow a takedown in an 8-4 win by decision

· Improved to 7-1 on the season with the win

· Last Ohio State Wrestler of the Week: Jesse Mendez (Dec. 27, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
PJ Duke, Penn State
157 pounds – Fr. – State Hill, N.Y. – Minisink Valley

· Pinned No. 23 Jared Hill of Wyoming at the 4:09 mark in the second period of their 157-pound match-up in Laramie, Wyo.

· The true freshman pinned the Cowboys graduate student after taking him down four times

· Duke's fall was one of four for Penn State in the Nittany Lions' 40-7 victory at Wyoming

· Improved to 6-0 on the year with five pins and an injury default victory

· Last Penn State Freshman of the Week Award: Josh Barr (Feb. 12, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

Nov. 20

W: Angelo Ferrari, Fr., Iowa

F: Ben Davino, Ohio State

Nov. 28

W: Massoma Endene, Gr., Iowa

F: Cameron Catrabone, Michigan

Dec. 4

W: Ryder Block, So., Iowa

F: Angelo Ferrari, Iowa

Dec. 11

W: Joey Blaze, Jr., Purdue

F: Eddie Enright, Northwestern

Dec. 18

W: Carson Kharchla, Gr., Ohio State

F: PJ Duke, Penn State

#B1GWrestle

Northwestern and Purdue Capture Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Joey Blaze, Purdue
165 pounds – Jr. – Perrysburg, Ohio – Perrysburg

· Tore through the 165-pound bracket at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational to win the eighth CKLV championship in Purdue history, and just the third in the past 20 years

· Won five matches by a combined score of 48-10, notching eight takedowns and allowing none

· Earned his first two ranked victories of the season in the semis and finals, handling No. 15 Ty Whalen and No. 19 Nicco Ruiz with a pair of 4-2 decisions

· The 2025 NCAA runner-up was the only Big Ten wrestler to win a championship at Cliff Keen, the premier in-season college wrestling tournament

· Improved to 10-0 as a junior in his new weight class and has not surrendered a takedown all season

· Last Purdue Wrestler of the Week: Stoney Buell (Nov. 13, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Eddie Enright, Northwestern
174 pounds – Fr. – Chicago – Mount Carmel

· Finished fifth at 174 pounds at the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational after picking up six wins, including three bonus-point victories and an upset over a ranked opponent

· Defeated InterMat's then-No. 30 wrestler, Riley Davis (Wyo.) in dominant fashion, winning by 19-4 technical fall

· Picked up major decisions against Leo Tukhlynovych (ASU), 11-1, and Jeremy Olszko (Ohio), 12-3

· Reached the podium in his first career appearance at CKLV, placing the highest of any Northwestern wrestler at the event

· Northwestern’s first Freshman of the Week Award winner

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

Nov. 20

W: Angelo Ferrari, Fr., Iowa

F: Ben Davino, Ohio State

Nov. 28

W: Massoma Endene, Gr., Iowa

F: Cameron Catrabone, Michigan

Dec. 4

W: Ryder Block, So., Iowa

F: Angelo Ferrari, Iowa

Dec. 11

W: Joey Blaze, Jr., Purdue

F: Eddie Enright, Northwestern

#B1GWrestle

Iowa Sweeps Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Ryder Block, Iowa
141 pounds – So. – Waverly, Iowa – Waverly-Shell Rock

· Recorded a top-five win against in-state rival Iowa State

· Sent the dual to the break with an upset over No. 2 Paniro Johnson in tiebreakers, 2-1

· Escaped in three seconds to secure the win

· Improved to 3-1 on the season

· Last Iowa Wrestler of the Week: Massoma Endene (Nov. 28, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Angelo Ferrari, Iowa
184 pounds – Fr. – Melissa, Texas – Melissa

· Picked up a top-10 victory against in-state rival Iowa State

· Forced a stall call in the third period and edged No. 10 Issac Dean, 2-1

· Improved to 5-0 on the season

· Last Iowa Freshman of the Week Award winner: Angelo Ferrari (Feb. 26, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

Nov. 20

W: Angelo Ferrari, Fr., Iowa

F: Ben Davino, Ohio State

Nov. 28

W: Massoma Endene, Gr., Iowa

F: Cameron Catrabone, Michigan

Dec. 4

W: Ryder Block, So., Iowa

F: Angelo Ferrari, Iowa

#B1GWrestle

Big Ten Conference Statement on Anticipated SCORE Act Vote

Unknown — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Conference Statement on Anticipated SCORE Act Vote:

As the House prepares to vote on the SCORE Act, the Big Ten remains steadfast in its support of this landmark legislation. The SCORE Act enshrines important student-athlete protections into federal law, fortifies the educational mission of college sports, makes it possible for everyone to play by the same rules, and protects the ongoing funding structure for women's and Olympic sports, a Big Ten priority. Countless stakeholders have come together from a wide range of perspectives, sports, conferences, and institutions to make the SCORE Act a reality and we look forward to its passage in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Iowa and Michigan Capture Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Massoma Endene, Iowa
197 pounds – Gr. – Dallas, Texas – James Bowie

· Upset No. 4 Mac Stout as Iowa shutout No. 19 Pittsburgh, 36-0

· Trailing 4-2, he got a takedown with four seconds left in the bout to defeat the former All-American 5-4

· Improved to 6-0 on the season and jumped from being preseason unranked to No. 4 in Flo's weekly poll and from No. 16 to No. 4 on Intermat

· Last Iowa Wrestler of the Week: Angelo Ferrari (Nov. 20, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Cameron Catrabone, Michigan
157 pounds – Buffalo, N.Y. – Williamsville North

· Earned a pair of bonus wins in the Wolverines' dual victories against Columbia and Virginia

· Rolled to a 16-0 tech fall against Columbia's Charles Scanalan with a takedown, reversal and 11 back points in 5:32

· Secured a first-period pin against No. 18 Colton Washleski of Virginia at the 1:20, the highest ranked win of his career

· Last Michigan Freshman of the Week Award winner: Beau Mantanona (Jan. 23, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

Nov. 20

W: Angelo Ferrari, Fr., Iowa

F: Ben Davino, Ohio State

Nov. 28

W: Massoma Endene, Gr., Iowa

F: Cameron Catrabone, Michigan

#B1GWrestle

Iowa and Ohio State Capture Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Angelo Ferrari, Iowa
184 pounds – Fr. – Melissa, Texas – Melissa

· Went 4-0 at the National Duals Invitational to help the Hawkeyes to a runner-up finish

· Opened the invitational with a win against No. 8 Aoeden Sinclair of Missouri, 3-2, in tiebreakers

· Downed No. 26 Chris Moore of Illinois, 7-3, before earning a 4-2 decision against No. 4 Zach Ryder of Oklahoma State in the semifinals

· Made it three straight sudden victory decisions for the Hawkeyes, defeating No. 7 Dylan Fishback, 4-1, in the finals

· Last Iowa Wrestler of the Week: Angelo Ferrari (Feb. 26, 2025)

Freshman of the Week
Ben Davino, Ohio State
133 pounds – South Elgin, Ill. – St. Charles East

· Went 4-0 over the weekend in helping the Buckeyes to the 2025 National Duals Invitational Crown

· Recorded three bonus-point victories, including two by technical fall against Wyoming and Minnesota

· Defeated Nebraska's Omar Ayoub, 11-2, before knocking off No. 2 ranked Drake Ayala of Iowa by decision, 10-4

· Ohio State defeated both No. 2 Nebraska (33-3) and No. 3 Iowa (27-12) to win the National Duals Title

· Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week Award winner: Ben Davino (Nov. 7, 2024)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

Nov. 20

W: Angelo Ferrari, Fr., Iowa

F: Ben Davino, Ohio State

#B1GWrestle

Big Ten Announces Institution Winners for the 2025-26 Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award presented by Discover

Unknown — Wed, 19 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference on Wednesday announced the 36 student-athletes selected as campus winners of the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award presented by Discover. Now in its second year, the honor was created to recognize Big Ten student-athletes who strive to have a positive impact within their community in addition to excellence in competition.

From the collection of 36 local winners, two overall conference honorees will be selected and announced in the spring of 2026.

Institution	Name	Sport
Illinois	TJ Griffin	Football
Illinois	Tali Joelson	Gymnastics
Indiana	Tyler Lillard	Wrestling
Indiana	Kristina Vincic	Track & Field
Iowa	Ava Bayless	Wrestling
Iowa	Will Ryan	Cross Country \| Track & Field
Maryland	Joey Schneck	Wrestling
Maryland	Madeline Komoroski	Gymnastics
Michigan	Kevin Kearns	Lacrosse
Michigan	Zoë Bormet	Field Hockey
Michigan State	Maddie Lawlor	Field Hockey
Michigan State	Jalen Thompson	Football
Minnesota	Charlie Sutherland	Baseball
Minnesota	Niamya (Nia) Holloway	Basketball
Nebraska	Katelyn Caneda	Softball
Nebraska	Michael Booker III	Football
Northwestern	Kansas Robinson	Softball
Northwestern	Najee Story	Football
Ohio State	Caleb Downs	Football
Ohio State	Makenna Webster	Ice Hockey \| Field Hockey
Oregon	Matt Bedford	Football
Oregon	Blessyn McMorris	Acrobatics & Tumbling
Penn State	Nick Dawkins	Football
Penn State	Elise DeWan	Field Hockey
Purdue	Devin Mockobee	Football
Purdue	Emma Bailey	Softball
Rutgers	Jude Essuman	Soccer
Rutgers	Caitlin Collins	Lacrosse
UCLA	Jordan Robinson	Track & Field
UCLA	Karson Gordon	Football \| Track & Field
USC	Maribel Flores	Soccer
USC	Robert Gref	Diving
Washington	Franck Kepnang	Basketball
Washington	Rhonda Newton	Track & Field
Wisconsin	Rico Hallman	Football
Wisconsin	Erin Connolly	Soccer

Dillan Fontus of Maryland Football and Nanea Estrella, a member of the Iowa Women's Wrestling team, were named the inaugural national winners last spring. Both will be hosted in Indianapolis next month and recognized on the field during the 2025 Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday, December 6 (8pm ET; FOX).

Jackie Robinson was a standout student-athlete at UCLA, where he was the school’s first four-sport letter winner, excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. Beyond his athletic prowess, he continues to be recognized and honored for his contributions off the field: integrating Major League Baseball and his lifelong commitment to social justice. He is the embodiment of the Big Ten's mission to develop strong student leaders, and we honor his legacy and core values of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence. As Jackie famously said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

Honorees were selected based on the following criteria:

Demonstrated Impact: Significant and tangible contributions to community projects or causes, including measurable outcomes or positive changes resulting from their involvement.
Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others, including peers, organizations, and community members, to achieve common goals and enhance community impact.
Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing and consistent participation in community service activities over an extended period of time.
Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness and advocate for important groups or causes, leveraging their platform to promote positive change and engage others.

Purdue Sweeps Weekly Wrestling Honors

Unknown — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler of the Week
Stoney Buell, Purdue
157 pounds – Sr. – Dundee, Mich. – Dundee

· Won his second career championship at the Tiger Style Invite, improving to 5-0 on the season

· Defeated Mizzou's David Gleason in the first round (D, 15-10), No. 29 Jaivon Jones of Little Rock in the quarterfinals (D, 9-7), No. 7 Rafael Hipolito of Oklahoma in the semifinals (MFFL) and No. 14 Cael Swensen of South Dakota State in the finals (D, 11-6)

· Buell's title win propelled him from being unranked to No. 14 in the country (Flo), the largest jump by an active Big Ten wrestler among all weight classes

· Last Purdue Wrestler of the Week: Matt Ramos (Dec. 12, 2024)

Freshman of the Week
Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue
133 pounds – Evansville, Ind. – Mater Dei

· Stormed all the way through the 133-pound bracket at the Tiger Style Invite to make it to the finals on his first day of college wrestling, going 3-1, narrowly dropping a 4-1 overtime decision in the finals

· In his first-ever college match, Schaefer knocked off No. 25 Kade Moore (Mizzou) in a dominant 12-3 major decision, taking him down three times to none

· Schaefer was the only true freshman to make it to the Tiger Style finals among all weight classes

· First Purdue Freshman of the Week Award

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

Nov. 13

W: Stoney Buell, Sr., Purdue

F: Isaiah Schaefer, Purdue

#B1GWrestle

Minnesota Sweeps First Weekly Wrestling Honors of the Season

Unknown — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Wrestler and Freshman of the Week
Koy Hopke, Minnesota
285 pounds – Fr. – Amery, Wis. – Amery

· Knocked off three ranked opponents to win the heavyweight title at the Southeast Open in Salem, Va.

· After missing last season due to injury, Hopke made his collegiate debut by pinning Presbyterian's George Hopkins at the 1:39 mark in the round of 16

· Shut out No. 30 Stephan Monchery of Appalachian State, 8-0, before recording another major decision in the semifinals vs. No. 14 Jimmy Mullen of Virginia Tech (12-1)

· In the finals, registered the winning takedown in overtime for a 4-1 victory and tournament title against Gopher teammate and 25th-ranked Bennett Tabor

· Last Minnesota Wrestler of the Week: Gable Steveson (Feb. 12, 2025)

· Last Minnesota Freshman of the Week Award: Max McEnelly (Feb. 20, 2025)

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestler of the Week

Nov. 6

W: Koy Hopke, Fr., Minnesota

F: Koy Hopke, Minnesota

#B1GWrestle

Big Ten Announces Wrestling Preseason Honorees

Unknown — Fri, 31 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, lll. – The Big Ten Conference announced Friday preseason honors for 28 student-athletes who were included on the Big Ten Wrestlers to Watch list.

The Watch List is headlined by 13 student-athletes who earned All-America distinction last year and four reigning NCAA Champions in Illinois’ Lucas Byrd (133), Nebraska’s Antrell Taylor (157), Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez (141) and Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink (165). It also includes nine wrestlers who captured All-Big Ten honors, including the 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Max McEnelly of Minnesota.

This winter, the Big Ten Wrestling Championships (March 7-8) will unfold at Penn State, while the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships (March 19-21) will be hosted at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

The full list of 2025-26 wrestling preseason honorees can be found below.

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestlers to Watch List

Name	School	Yr.	Weight Class
Lucas Byrd	Illinois	Gr.	133
Kannon Webster	Illinois	So.	157
Jacob Moran	Indiana	Gr.	125
Gabe Sollars	Indiana	Jr.	197
Drake Ayala	Iowa	Sr.	133
Michael Caliendo	Iowa	Sr.	165
Braxton Brown	Maryland	Sr.	133
Jaxon Smith	Maryland	Sr.	184
Taye Ghadiali	Michigan	Gr.	285
Lachlan McNeil	Michigan	Gr.	149
Darius Marines	Michigan State	Fr.	157
Caleb Weiand	Michigan State	So.	125
Max McEnelly	Minnesota	So.	184
Vance VomBaur	Minnesota	Sr.	141
Brock Hardy	Nebraska	Sr.	141
Antrell Taylor	Nebraska	Jr.	157
Sam Cartella	Northwestern	So.	149
Sean Spidle	Northwestern	Sr.	133
Jesse Mendez	Ohio State	Sr.	141
Ethan Stiles	Ohio State	So.	149
Levi Haines	Penn State	Sr.	174
Mitchell Mesenbrink	Penn State	Jr.	165
Joey Blaze	Purdue	Jr.	165
Greyson Clark	Purdue	Jr.	141
Shane Cartagena-Walsh	Rutgers	So.	184
Hunter Catka	Rutgers	Gr.	285
Braxton Amos	Wisconsin	Jr.	285
Zan Fugitt	Wisconsin	So.	133

#B1GWrestle

Big Ten Network Announces 2025-26 Big Ten Wrestling Broadcast Schedule

Unknown — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The Big Ten Network today announced the 2025-26 Big Ten wrestling broadcast schedule, as the nation’s premier wrestling conference looks for a 19th consecutive NCAA Championship.

This season, 24 duals and coverage of the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will air live on the Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports App, with more than 80 matchups airing on B1G+. Coverage begins Friday, Nov. 14, with defending National Champion No. 1 Penn State hosting No. 16 Oklahoma from University Park.

Conference wrestling on BTN begins Saturday, Jan. 10, with a matchup between No. 15 Rutgers and No. 1 Penn State at 4 p.m. ET, followed by a meeting between Maryland and Wisconsin on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. ET.

The first doubleheader of the season on BTN kicks off with a battle between No. 1 Penn State and No. 4 Iowa on Friday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. ET. Following the top five dual, No. 2 Nebraska travels to take on No. 10 Minnesota in Minneapolis at 9 p.m. ET.

Throughout January and February, Friday night wrestling will be featured on BTN with primetime matchups between the best programs in the country, including a pair of tripleheaders on Jan. 23 and Jan. 30.

A meeting between Michigan State and Purdue at 5 p.m. ET, kicks off the first tripleheader on Jan. 23, followed by No. 5 Ohio State at No. 10 Minnesota at 7 p.m. ET, and concluding with No. 2 Nebraska hosting No. 4 Iowa at 9 p.m. ET. Coverage on Jan. 30 begins with Wisconsin at No. 5 Ohio State at 6 p.m. ET, leading into a battle between No. 2 Nebraska and No. 1 Penn State at 8 p.m. ET and finishes with Indiana taking on No. 13 Illinois at 10 p.m. ET.

To conclude the regular season conference schedule on BTN, Indiana hosts No. 2 Nebraska on Sunday, Feb. 15, at noon ET, followed by a matchup between No. 13 Illinois and Northwestern at 2 p.m. ET.

More than 80 additional matchups will be available on B1G+ , BTN's subscription service for 2,700 more events, archives of classic games and original content. B1G+ is home to coverage of the Soldier Salute, the Ken Kraft Midlands Championships and supplemental coverage of the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. Fans can subscribe to B1G+ with an annual pass for $89.99 per year or a monthly pass for $12.99 per month.

According to Intermat’s latest rankings , eight Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25, including four of the top five teams in the poll. Defending national champion Penn State leads the way at No. 1, followed by No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Iowa, No. 5 Ohio State, No. 8 Michigan, No. 10 Minnesota, No. 13 Illinois and No. 15 Rutgers.

Additional coverage includes the return of On The Mat, BTN’s multi-platform, behind-the-scenes look at Big Ten wrestling. Fans can also follow @B1GWrestling on X , Instagram , Bluesky and YouTube for updates throughout the season. All television programming on BTN can be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices on the FOX Sports App , with a complete schedule below.

2025-26 Big Ten Network Wrestling Television Schedule (All Times ET):

Day	Date	Away Team		Home Team	Time (ET)
Friday	Nov. 14	Oklahoma	at	Penn State	6 p.m.
Friday	Nov. 21	Pittsburgh	at	Iowa	8:30 p.m.
Saturday	Dec. 13	Oklahoma	at	Rutgers	8 p.m.
Sunday	Dec. 21	Oklahoma State	at	Nebraska	2 p.m.
Saturday	Jan. 10	Rutgers	at	Penn State	4 p.m.
Sunday	Jan. 11	Maryland	at	Wisconsin	1 p.m.
Friday	Jan. 16	Penn State	at	Iowa	7 p.m.
Friday	Jan. 16	Nebraska	at	Minnesota	9 p.m.
Sunday	Jan. 18	Illinois	at	Michigan	2 p.m.
Friday	Jan. 23	Michigan State	at	Purdue	5 p.m.
Friday	Jan. 23	Ohio State	at	Minnesota	7 p.m.
Friday	Jan. 23	Iowa	at	Nebraska	9 p.m.
Sunday	Jan. 25	Penn State	at	Maryland	Noon
Friday	Jan. 30	Wisconsin	at	Ohio State	6 p.m.
Friday	Jan. 30	Nebraska	at	Penn State	8 p.m.
Friday	Jan. 30	Indiana	at	Illinois	10 p.m.
Sunday	Feb. 1	Michigan	at	Ohio State	Noon
Sunday	Feb. 1	Northwestern	at	Michigan State	2 p.m.
Friday	Feb. 6	Penn State	at	Michigan	6 p.m.
Friday	Feb. 6	Iowa	at	Ohio State	8 p.m.
Friday	Feb. 13	Ohio State	at	Penn State	7 p.m.
Friday	Feb. 13	Michigan	at	Iowa	9 p.m.
Sunday	Feb. 15	Nebraska	at	Indiana	Noon
Sunday	Feb. 15	Illinois	at	Northwestern	2 p.m.
Saturday	March 7	Session 1		B1G Championships	10 a.m.
Saturday	March 7	Semifinals		B1G Championships	7 p.m.
Sunday	March 8	Championships		B1G Championships	4:30 p.m.

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestling Schedule Announced

Unknown — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT

2025-26 Big Ten Wrestling Schedule

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the dates and opponents for the 2025-26 wrestling season on Monday. The schedule features eight conference duals for all 14 Big Ten programs and concludes with the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships in March.

Twelve programs start the Big Ten season with duals Jan. 9-11, with the two remaining programs starting Big Ten action Jan. 16-18. Reigning National and Big Ten Champion Penn State will begin the 2025-26 conference season at home against Rutgers. The final regular-season conference dual will take place on Friday, Feb. 20, with Indiana playing host to Purdue.

The 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, hosted by Penn State, will take place over two days with the first-round, quarterfinal, semifinal and wrestleback matches taking place during Sessions I and II, consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches during Session III and the first-, third- and fifth-place matches highlighting Session IV.

The complete 2025-26 Big Ten Wrestling schedule can be found in the link above. Times and television designations will be announced at a later date.

#B1GWrestle

Outstanding Sportsmanship Award Winners Announced

Unknown — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced on Thursday the 36 honorees named Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners for the 2024-25 academic year. These standouts were chosen from a group of 430 students honored throughout the academic year who had displayed positive sportsmanship.

One member of each varsity sports team on every campus was chosen by his or her institution as a Sportsmanship Award honoree, and two Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners were then selected from each institution. All of the Sportsmanship Award winners have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. In addition, these honorees must be in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The 2024-25 Big Ten Outstanding Sportsmanship Award winners appear below, and the complete list of Sportsmanship Award honorees for all sports from each school can be found here .

2024-25 Outstanding Sportsmanship Award Winners

ILLINOIS

Ben Humrichous, Men’s Basketball

Kendall Bostic, Women’s Basketball

INDIANA

Jack Wagoner, Men’s Soccer

Chloe Moore-McNeil, Women’s Basketball

IOWA

Nick Jackson, Football

Alix O’Brien, Women’s Swimming and Diving

MARYLAND

Shea Keethler, Men’s Lacrosse

Kylee Niswonger, Field Hockey

MICHIGAN

Jacob Truscott, Men’s Ice Hockey

Ella Stephenson, Softball

MICHIGAN STATE

Josh DeVries, Men’s Track & Field

Nyla Hampton, Women’s Basketball

MINNESOTA

Danny Striggow, Football

Audrey Wethington, Women’s Ice Hockey

NEBRASKA

Roni Hietaranta, Men’s Tennis

Callin Hake, Women’s Basketball

NORTHWESTERN

Tyler Ganus, Baseball

Lane Herbert, Field Hockey

OHIO STATE

Cody Simon, Football

Madison Greene, Women’s Basketball

OREGON

Ryan Cooney, Baseball

Anika Thompson, Women's Cross Country/Indoor Track & Field

PENN STATE

Nick Dawkins, Football

Samantha Catantan, Women’s Fencing

PURDUE

Matt Ramos, Wrestling

Jalen Elrod, Women's Outdoor Track & Field

RUTGERS

Reggie Sutton, Football

Emma Baeyens, Women's Cross Country

UCLA

Michael Pinckney, Men’s Outdoor Track & Field

Kiki Rice, Women’s Basketball

USC

Harrison Hornery, Men’s Basketball

Kaitlyn Dobler, Women’s Swimming & Diving

WASHINGTON

Malakhi Knight, Baseball

Lucy Newlin, Women’s Soccer

WISCONSIN

Anthony Kehrer, Men’s Hockey

Chloe Chan, Women’s Golf

Penn State’s Starocci, USC’s Watkins Named Big Ten Athletes of the Year

Unknown — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Penn State University wrestler Carter Starocci has been selected as the 2024-25 Big Ten Conference Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year, and University of Southern California basketball guard JuJu Watkins has been recognized as the 2024-25 Big Ten Conference Female Athlete of the Year, the conference announced Thursday.

Starocci is the fourth Nittany Lion student-athlete to earn Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year honors, joining gymnast Luis Vargas in 2005 and fellow wrestlers David Taylor and Bo Nickal in 2014 and 2019, respectively.

Starocci is also the 14^thwrestling student-athlete chosen as Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year, dating back to Iowa’s Ed Banach in 1983, and the first since Minnesota’s Gable Stevenson in 2022. Since 1983, wrestling student-athletes from four schools, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State, and Penn State, have been recipients of the Big Ten Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year award.

Watkins becomes the first Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year award winner and the 11^th basketball student-athlete to capture the honor

Other basketball recipients have included Purdue’s Joy Holmes (1991), MaChelle Joseph (1992), Stephanie White (1999) and Katie Douglas (2001), Penn State’s Kelly Mazzante (2004), Ohio State’s Jessica Davenport (2007), Minnesota’s Rachel Banham (2016), and Iowa’s Megan Gustafson (2019) and Caitlin Clark (2023, 2024).

Starocci capped his incredible career with an unprecedented fifth NCAA championship, the first and only wrestler in NCAA Division I history to become a five-time NCAA National Champion. The Erie, Pa. native’s championship victory closed a career that saw him go 25-0 in NCAA Tournament matches.

Starocci collected his third Big Ten title in 2025 after posting an unblemished 26-0 record, including 15-0 record in dual meets. A three-time All-Big Ten First Team performer, Starocci dominated his opponents, surrendering just 41 points in his 26 matches and claiming 10 victories by technical fall.

Starocci was also named the 2025 NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler, the 2025 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, and a Hodge Trophy finalist while leading the Nittany Lions to the 2025 NCAA title, the program’s fourth consecutive championship.

Watkins was named the consensus National Player of the Year in 2024-25 after collecting six National Player of the Year honors. Watkins became the first USC player to receive the John R. Wooden Award and joined Cheryl Miller and Lisa Leslie to become the program’s third Naismith Trophy Award winner.

In 33 games last season, Watkins averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks per contest, while leading the Trojans to a 31-5 overall record, including 16-1 in the Big Ten and a berth in the Big Ten Tournament championship game. The sophomore from Los Angeles ranked third in the country in points per game and fourth in total points, while listing second in free throws made, free throws attempts, and field goals attempted.

The Big Ten Player of the Year, Watkins averaged 26.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks while shooting 35.4 percent from 3-point range against top-10 opponents and became the first basketball player at the Division I collegiate, WNBA and NBA levels since 2000 to score 38 points, 11 rebounds, eight blocks and five assists in a single game in leading USC to its win over then-No. 1 UCLA on Feb. 13.

Watkins also was named one of four finalists for the Honda Sport Award for women’s basketball by The Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) — her second selection as a finalist for the Honda Award — and was one of four finalists for the Wade Trophy.

Starocci and Watkins were among a high-powered field of 36 nominees (one male and one female per Big Ten school) that included 12 national champions, 32 All-Americans, 18 conference champions, 12 conference Players of the Year and eight standouts who collected at least one national player of the year accolade.

The Big Ten Conference has recognized a Jesse Owens Male Athlete of the Year since 1982 and first honored a Female Athlete of the Year in 1983. The Big Ten Athletes of the Year are selected by a panel of conference media members from nominations submitted by each institution.

The complete list of 2024-25 Athlete of the Year nominations, as well as the list of all-time winners for each award, can be found below.

2024-25 BIG TEN ATHLETE OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

SCHOOL	MALE NOMINEE	FEMALE NOMINEE
Illinois	Lucas Byrd, wrestling	Tacoria Humphrey, track & field
Indiana	Carson Tyler, swimming & diving	Anna Peplowski, swimming & diving
Iowa	Stephen Buchanan II, wrestling	Luci Olsen, basketball
Maryland	Derik Queen, basketball	Kori Edmondson, lacrosse
Michigan	Fred Richard, gymnastics	Savannah Sutherland, track & field
Michigan State	Isaac Howard, ice hockey	Gabrielle Stephen, gymnastics
Minnesota	Kostas Zaltos, track & field	Khyah Harper, soccer
Nebraska	Ridge Lovett, wrestling	Lexi Rodriguez, volleyball
Northwestern	Nick Martinelli, basketball	Madison Taylor, lacrosse
Ohio State	Michael Adedokun, soccer	Makenna Webster, field hockey/ice hockey
Oregon	Dillon Gabriel, football	Kiara Romero, golf
Penn State	Carter Starocci, wrestling	Jess Mruzik, volleyball
Purdue	Braden Smith, basketball	Raven Colvin, volleyball
Rutgers	Kyle Monangai, football	Chloe Timberg, track & field
UCLA	Roch Cholowsky, baseball	Lauren Betts, basketball
USC	Ethan Hedges, baseball	JuJu Watkins, basketball
Washington	Logan Ullrich, rowing	Amanda Toll, track & field
Wisconsin	Jason Swarens, track & field	Casey O’Brien, ice hockey

BIG TEN JESSE OWENS MALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1982 - Jim Spivey, Indiana, cross country/track & field
1983 - Ed Banach, Iowa, wrestling
1984 - Sunder Nix, Indiana, track & field
1985 - Barry Davis, Iowa, wrestling
1986 - Chuck Long, Iowa, football
1987 - Steve Alford, Indiana, basketball
1988 - Jim Abbott, Michigan, baseball
1989 - Glen Rice, Michigan, basketball
1990 - Anthony Thompson, Indiana, football
1991 - Mike Barrowman, Michigan, swimming
1992 - Desmond Howard, Michigan, football
1993 - John Roethlisberger, Minnesota, gymnastics
1994 - Glenn Robinson, Purdue, basketball
1995 - Tom Dolan, Michigan, swimming
1996 - Eddie George, Ohio State, football
1997 - Blaine Wilson, Ohio State, gymnastics
1998 - Charles Woodson, Michigan, football
1999 - Luke Donald, Northwestern, golf
2000 - Ron Dayne, Wisconsin, football
2001 - Ryan Miller, Michigan State, ice hockey
2002 - Jordan Leopold, Minnesota, ice hockey
2003 - Amer Delic, Illinois, tennis/Matt Lackey, Illinois, wrestling
2004 - Damion Hahn, Minnesota, wrestling
2005 - Luis Vargas, Penn State, gymnastics
2006 - Peter Vanderkaay, Michigan, swimming
2007 - Cole Konrad, Minnesota, wrestling
2008 - Brent Metcalf, Iowa, wrestling
2009 - Jake Herbert, Northwestern, wrestling
2010 - Evan Turner, Ohio State, basketball
2011 - David Boudia, Purdue, diving
2012 - Draymond Green, Michigan State, basketball
2013 - Derek Drouin, Indiana, track & field
2014 - David Taylor, Penn State, wrestling
2015 - Logan Stieber, Ohio State, wrestling
2016 - Denzel Valentine, Michigan State, basketball
2017 - Kyle Snyder, Ohio State, wrestling
2018 - Kyle Snyder, Ohio State, wrestling
2019 - Bo Nickal, Penn State, wrestling
2020 - Chase Young, Ohio State, football
2021 - Luka Garza, Iowa, basketball
2022 - Gable Steveson, Minnesota, wrestling
2023 - Zach Edey, Purdue, basketball
2024 – Zach Edey, Purdue, basketball
2025 – Carter Starocci, Penn State, wrestling

BIG TEN FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
1983 - Judi Brown, Michigan State, track & field
1984 - Lisa Ishikawa, Northwestern, softball
1985 - Cathy Branta, Wisconsin, cross country/track & field
1986 - Stephanie Herbst, Wisconsin, cross country/track & field
1987 - Jennifer Averill, Northwestern, field hockey/lacrosse
1988 - Suzy Favor, Wisconsin, cross country/track & field
1989 - Suzy Favor, Wisconsin, cross country/track & field
1990 - Suzy Favor, Wisconsin, cross country/track & field
1991 - Julie Farrell-Ovenhouse, Michigan State, diving &Joy Holmes, Purdue, basketball
1992 - MaChelle Joseph, Purdue, basketball
1993 - Lara Hooiveld, Michigan, swimming
1994 - Kristy Gleason, Iowa, field hockey
1995 - Laura Davis, Ohio State, volleyball
1996 - Olga Kalinovskaya, Penn State, fencing
1997 - Kathy Butler, Wisconsin, track & field & Gretchen Hegener, Minnesota, swimming
1998 - Sara Griffin, Michigan, softball
1999 - Stephanie White-McCarty, Purdue, basketball
2000 - Lauren Cacciamani, Penn State, volleyball
2001 - Katie Douglas, Purdue, basketball
2002 - Christie Welsh, Penn State, soccer
2003 - Perdita Felicien, Illinois, track & field
2004 - Kelly Mazzante, Penn State, basketball
2005 - Jennie Ritter, Michigan, softball
2006 - Tiffany Weimer, Penn State, soccer
2007 - Jessica Davenport, Ohio State, basketball
2008 - Hannah Nielsen, Northwestern, lacrosse
2009 - Maria Hernandez, Purdue, golf
2010 - Megan Hodge, Penn State, volleyball
2011 - Shannon Smith, Northwestern, lacrosse
2012 - Christina Manning, Ohio State, track & field
2013 - Amanda Kessel, Minnesota, ice hockey 
2014 - Dani Bunch, Purdue, track & field
2015 - Taylor Cummings, Maryland, lacrosse
2016 - Rachel Banham, Minnesota, basketball 
2017 - Lilly King, Indiana, swimming
2018 - Lilly King, Indiana, swimming
2019 - Megan Gustafson, Iowa, basketball
2020 - Dana Rettke, Wisconsin, volleyball
2021 - Sarah Bacon, Minnesota, diving
2022 - Dana Rettke, Wisconsin, volleyball
2023 - Caitlin Clark, Iowa, basketball
2024 – Caitlin Clark, Iowa, basketball
2025 – JuJu Watkins, USC, basketball

Big Ten Conference Recognizes 111th Medal of Honor Class

Unknown — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference is celebrating its 111th class of recipients who earned the Big Ten Medal of Honor from their respective institutions during the 2024-25 academic year. Established in 1915, the Big Ten Medal of Honor is the conference’s most prestigious award. It was the first award in intercollegiate athletics to demonstrate support for the educational emphasis placed on athletics.

The Big Ten Medal of Honor is awarded to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each member institution who has demonstrated excellence on and off the field throughout their collegiate career. This year’s class comprised student-athletes from 15 sports.

Big Ten schools currently feature more than 11,000 student-athletes, but only 36 earn the award on an annual basis. Since the Big Ten Medal of Honor was first presented more than a century ago, just over 1,680 student-athletes have earned this unique distinction. Those names are on permanent display at the Big Ten Office in Rosemont.

Below is a listing of this year’s recipients:

2025 Big Ten Medal of Honor Class

Illinois
Jackson Buchanan, Golf
Raina Terry, Volleyball

Indiana
Jassen Yep, Swimming
Brianna Copeland, Softball

Iowa
Payton Sandfort, Basketball
Maggie Johnston, Soccer

Maryland
Jaxon Smith, Wrestling
Emma DeBerdine, Field Hockey

Michigan
Paul Juda, Gymnastics
Julia Fliegner, Tennis

Michigan State
Jaden Akins, Basketball
Gabrielle Stephen, Gymnastics

Minnesota
Dawson Garcia, Basketball
Mya Hooten, Gymnastics

Nebraska
Micaylon Moore, Track & Field
Lexi Rodriguez, Volleyball

Northwestern
Brooks Barnhizer, Basketball
Maddie Zimmer, Field Hockey

Ohio State
Cody Simon, Football
Makenna Webster, Field Hockey/Ice Hockey

Oregon
Bryce Boettcher, Football
Paige Sinicki, Softball

Penn State
Tyler Warren, Football
Maddie Gordon, Softball

Purdue
Cameron Miller, Track & Field
Sophie McAfee, Diving

Rutgers
Kyle Monangai, Football
Chloe Timberg, Track & Field

UCLA
Pablo Ereño, Golf
Lilly Reale, Soccer

USC
Caden Aoki, Baseball
Gala Trubint, Volleyball

Washington
Carson Bruener, Football
Dalayah Daniels, Basketball

Wisconsin
Bob Liking, Cross Country/Track & Field
Phoebe Bacon, Swimming

New Era Begins As House Settlement Approved

Unknown — Sat, 07 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 6, 2025 – Today marks a historic milestone for college athletics in the United States. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has granted final approval to a settlement in the House v. NCAA (“House”) litigation. This landmark settlement – agreed to by plaintiffs representing nearly 400,000 current and former student-athletes and the NCAA, Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Big Ten Conference, Big 12 Conference, Pac-12 Conference and Southeastern Conference (SEC) – will reshape the landscape of college sports, paving the way for a model that prioritizes fairness, stability, integrity and opportunity for student-athletes and institutions.

Overseeing this model will be the newly established College Sports Commission – an independent body that will be responsible for implementing the settlement terms governing revenue sharing, student-athlete Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals and roster limits. The Commission will investigate any potential violations of these rules, make determinations regarding potential rules violations and penalties, provide notice and opportunity to be heard, participate in the arbitration process and ultimately administer penalties for violations of these rules. The Commission’s leadership team will be announced in the near future.

Under the new system, student-athletes will have more opportunities to financially benefit during their participation in intercollegiate athletics than ever before. Institutions are now able to share revenue directly with student-athletes, in addition to providing existing benefits such as athletic scholarships, access to world-class training facilities, academic counseling, medical care, post-eligibility medical coverage, mental health resources, nutritional guidance and life skills development.

Beginning July 1, 2025, each year, participating schools can distribute up to 22% of the average revenue among schools in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC from media rights, ticket sales, and sponsorships – known as the revenue sharing cap. The cap is estimated at $20.5 million per school for the 2025-26 academic year, pending final confirmation. To ensure revenue sharing with student-athletes is appropriately managed and reported to the Court for compliance, athletics departments will use the new College Athlete Payment System (CAPS) platform developed by LBi Software.

Student-athletes will also be able to continue receiving compensation from third-parties other than their institutions for the use of their NIL, so long as their NIL deals are made with the purpose of using their NIL for a valid business purpose and do not exceed a reasonable range of compensation. On behalf of the College Sports Commission, Deloitte* has built and will maintain a new technology platform called NIL Go in which student-athletes will be required to report their NIL deals to confirm they are in compliance with the rules. Deals will be evaluated based on:

Payor association – The relationship between the payor and the student-athlete’s school.
Valid business purpose – Whether the payor is seeking the use of the student-athlete’s NIL for a valid business purpose, meaning to sell a good or service to the public for profit.
Range of compensation – Whether the compensation paid to the student-athlete is commensurate with compensation paid to similarly situated individuals.

Finally, for participating schools, NCAA scholarship limits have been removed and roster limits have been established for each sport, allowing for a significant increase in scholarship opportunities for student-athletes. Under this new model, schools will have the option to offer partial or full scholarships to every student-athlete on a team’s roster, as long as the total number of student-athletes stays within the sport’s specific roster limit. Efforts have also been made to ensure current and immediately incoming student-athletes are not adversely impacted by the establishing of roster limits. Removing scholarship limits allows schools to better support their student-athletes through new scholarships, particularly in non-revenue-generating sports.

“We look forward to implementing this historic settlement designed to bring stability, integrity and competitive balance to college athletics while increasing both scholarship and revenue opportunities for student-athletes in all sports,” said Tony Petitti, Commissioner of the Big Ten Conference.

“This is a significant moment for college athletics that will provide unparalleled opportunities for student-athletes. We look forward to implementing this new system which offers much-needed transparency and structure to create a more sustainable model for the long-term future of college athletics,” said Jim Phillips, Ph.D., Commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

“As we enter this new era of college athletics, it is crucial we do so with structure, transparency, and the success of student-athletes in mind — this settlement and new model will ensure that happens. I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to implement this new system that prioritizes fairness and opportunity for all student-athletes and institutions," said Brett Yormark, Commissioner of the Big 12 Conference.

"It's a new day in collegiate athletics. This historic moment allows us to maintain what makes college sports special, the development of young individuals through sport, while also evolving to meet today's student-athletes where they are with new opportunities in a manner that provides long-term stability for collegiate athletics. I am proud to work alongside my colleagues as we implement and introduce the future of college sports,” said Teresa Gould, Commissioner of the Pac-12 Conference.

“The approval of the House settlement agreement represents a significant milestone for the meaningful support of our student-athletes and a pivotal step toward establishing long-term sustainability for college sports, two of the Southeastern Conference’s top priorities. As the journey to modernize collegiate sports continues, we remain focused on identifying and implementing innovative opportunities for our student-athletes across all sports while maintaining the core values that make collegiate athletics uniquely meaningful,” said Greg Sankey, Commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.

Following are significant dates related to the implementation of the settlement:

June 6, 2025: Settlement approved; settlement-related NCAA rules are effective, as adopted by the NCAA Division 1 Board on April 21, 2025.
June 11 2025: NIL Go portal launches.
June 15, 2025: Opt-in deadline for non-defendant schools to fully commit to revenue sharing.
July 6, 2025: Opt-in schools must “designate” student-athletes permitted by the settlement to remain above roster limits.
July 1, 2025: First date for direct institutional revenue sharing payments to student-athletes.
Start of 2025-26 academic year: With the exception of the “designated” student-athletes, Fall sports must be at or below roster limits by their first day of competition.
December 1, 2025: With the exception of “designated” student-athletes, Winter and Spring sports must be at or below roster limits by their first day of competition or Dec. 1, whichever is earlier.

More information about the College Sports Commission and the implementation of these new policies can be found at CollegeSportsCommission.org .

* As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of its legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.

MEDIA CONTACT

collegesportscommission@fgsglobal.com

Penn State Wins Fourth Straight NCAA Wrestling Championship

Unknown — Sun, 23 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

PHILADELPHIA - Penn State won the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, capturing the 12th NCAA wrestling title in school history and fourth straight. The Nittany Lions’ national championship marked the 18th straight year that a Big Ten school has claimed the NCAA Championship.

Penn State won the team title with 177 points, while Nebraska took second with 117 points for the best finish in program history. Iowa was fourth with 81 points, Minnesota and Ohio State tied for fifth with 51.5 points each and Illinois finished 10th with 44.5 points. Penn State’s 177 points set a new NCAA record, breaking the previous mark of 172.5 set by the Nittany Lions last year.

Seven Big Ten wrestlers claimed individual titles at the NCAA Championships. Illinois’ Lucas Byrd earned the program’s first NCAA title since 2016, taking home the crown at 133 pounds, while Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan captured the 197-pound title.

Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett defeated the reigning 149-pound champion to claim his first NCAA title, while teammate Antrell Taylor took home the 157-pound title to give the Huskers a pair of national champions for the first time since 1984. Ohio State’s Jesse Mendez successfully defended his title at 141 pounds.

Nittany Lions’ Mitchell Mesenbrink earned his first national championship at 165 pounds, while Carter Starocci became the first ever five-time national champion with the 184-pound crown.

Thirty-seven Big Ten wrestlers earned All-America honors. The full list of Big Ten All-Americans, along with their weight class can be found below.

2024-25 ALL-AMERICANS

Caleb Smith, Nebraska, 125

Luke Lilledahl, Penn State, 125

Matt Ramos, Purdue, 125

Lucas Byrd, Illinois, 133

Drake Ayala, Iowa, 133

Jacob Van Dee, Nebraska, 133

Braeden Davis, Penn State, 133

Zan Fugitt, Wisconsin, 133

Vance VomBaur, Minnesota, 141

Brock Hardy, Nebraska, 141

Jesse Mendez, Ohio State, 141

Beau Bartlett, Penn State, 141

Ridge Lovett, Nebraska, 149

Dylan D’Emilio, Ohio State, 149

Shayne Van Ness, Penn State, 149

Antrell Taylor, Nebraska, 157

Trevor Chumbley, Northwestern, 157

Tyler Kasak, Penn State, 157

Joey Blaze, Purdue, 157

Mike Caliendo, Iowa, 165

Christopher Minto, Nebraska, 165

Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State, 165

Patrick Kennedy, Iowa, 174

Levi Haines, Penn State, 174

Donnell Washington, Indiana, 184

Jaxon Smith, Maryland, 184

Max McEnelly, Minnesota, 184

Silas Allred, Nebraska, 184

Carter Starocci, Penn State, 184

Stephen Buchanan, Iowa, 197

Jacob Cardenas, Michigan, 197

Camden McDanel, Nebraska, 197

Josh Barr, Penn State, 197

Ben Kueter, Iowa, 285

Joshua Heindselman, Michigan, 285

Gable Steveson, Minnesota, 285

Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State, 285

Penn State Wrestling Clinches 2025 NCAA National Championship

Big Ten Communications — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Wrestling Set to Compete at NCAA Championships

Unknown — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

TRACK WRESTLING | BRACKET | NCAA CENTRAL

ROSEMONT, Ill. - Wrestlers from all 14 Big Ten schools will head to the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pa., to compete in the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which begin Thursday, March 20 and conclude Saturday, March 22.

The Big Ten is sending 97 wrestlers, including 60 top-15 seeded wrestlers and eight No. 1 seeds, across the 10 weight classes. The conference is sending at least eight wrestlers in all 10 weight classes, including eight in the 141-pound weight class, nine in the 149-, 157-, 174- and 184-pound weight classes, 10 in the 125- and 197-pound weight classes and 11 in the 133-, 165- and 285-pound wight classes.

The Big Ten boasts a top-seeded wrestler in eight weight classes this year – Penn State's Luke Lilledahl (125), Tyler Kasak (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Carter Starocci (184), Illinois’ Lucas Byrd (133), Nebraska’s Brock Hardy (141), Michigan’s Jacob Cardenas (197) and Minnesota’s Gable Steveson (285).

Six Big Ten schools have claimed NCAA titles, led by Iowa with 24. Penn State won its 11th national championship in 2024, the program’s 10th title in the last 12 years. Minnesota follows with three national titles, while Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State own one title each. A Big Ten school has taken home the national championship in each of the last 17 years.

Big Ten Fields Ten At-Large Selections For 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships

Big Ten Communications — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Penn State Wins 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships

Unknown — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. - Penn State won the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships title on Sunday with a team score of 181.5. The Nittany Lions earned their ninth Big Ten Championship crown overall and third consecutive title. Penn State won five individual titles from Luke Lilledahl (125), Tyler Kasak (157), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Levi Haines (174) and Carter Starocci (184).

Nebraska finished in second place with 137 points, followed by third-place Iowa with 112 points. Minnesota claimed fourth place with 108.5 points and Illinois rounded out the top five with 105.5 points.

Penn State’s Starocci was named the Big Ten Wrestler of the Year, Minnesota’s Gable Steveson was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships, while teammate Max McEnelly received the Big Ten Freshman of the Year honor. Cael Sanderson was named Big Ten Coach of the Year for the third consecutive year and ninth overall.

Penn State freshman Lilledahl claimed the Big Ten Championship at 125 pounds, following a 4-3 decision against Nebraska’s Caleb Smith. At 133 pounds, Illinois’ Lucas Byrd earned his first-ever championship, pinning (3:16) Drake Ayala of Iowa.

At 141 pounds, Nebraska’s Brock Hardy claimed first place with a fall (1:59) over Minnesota’s Vance Vombaur. Huskers’ Ridge Lovett topped Michigan’s Austin Gomez, 1-0, to successfully defend his 149-pound title. At 157, Kasak earned a 12-2 major decision over Ohio State’s Brandon Cannon to take home the belt.

Mesenbrink successfully defended his title at 165 with a 4-1 decision against Iowa’s Mike Caliendo. Haines became a three-time Big Ten champion following a 12-1 major decision over Nebraska’s Lenny Pinto at 174 pounds. Nittany Lion teammate Starocci also became a three-time Big Ten Champion with an 8-5 sudden victory against Minnesota’s Max McEnelly at 184.

Jacob Cardenas became Michigan’s first champion at 197 since 2021 with the 4-2 upset decision against Iowa’s Stephen Buchanan. Gophers’ Steveson capped the evening with a 10-3 win against Penn State’s Greg Kerkvliet at 285 to become the program’s second four-time Big Ten Champion, joining Verne Gagne (1944-49) in the record books.

The complete list of Big Ten individual awards and All-Big Ten honorees can be found below.

BIG TEN WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Wrestler of the Year: Carter Starocci, Penn State

Freshman of the Year: Max McEnelly, Minnesota

Coach of the Year: Cael Sanderson, Penn State

Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships: Gable Steveson, Minnesota

2025 ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM

Luke Lilledahl, Penn State, 125

Lucas Byrd, Illinois, 133

Brock Hardy, Nebraska, 141

Ridge Lovett, Nebraska, 149

Tyler Kasak, Penn State, 157

Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State, 165

Levi Haines, Penn State, 174

Carter Starocci, Penn State, 184

Jacob Cardenas, Michigan, 197

Gable Steveson, Minnesota, 285

2025 ALL-BIG TEN SECOND TEAM

Caleb Smith, Nebraska, 125

Drake Ayala, Iowa, 133

Vance Vombaur, Minnesota, 141

Kannon Webster, Illinois, 149

Brandon Cannon, Ohio State, 157

Mike Caliendo, Iowa, 165

Lenny Pinto, Nebraska, 174
Max McEnelly, Minnesota, 184

Stephen Buchanan, Iowa, 197

Greg Kerkvliet, Penn State, 285

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Big Ten Wrestling Pre-Seeds Announced

Unknown — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference announced the preliminary seeds for the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which are set for March 8-9 at Northwestern. Five schools boast at least one top-seeded wrestler, with Penn State leading the way with five No. 1 seeds.

The pre-seeds, as voted on by the conference’s coaches, rank 14 starters in all 10 weight classes. The Nittany Lions have five top-seeded wrestlers, with 141-pounder Beau Bartlett, 149-pounder Shayne Van Ness, 165-pounder Mitchell Mesenbrink, 174-pounder Levi Haines and 184-pounder Carter Starocci. Purdue’s Matt Ramos (125), Iowa’s Drake Ayala (133) and Stephen Buchanan (197), Maryland’s Ethen Miller (157) and Minnesota’s Gable Steveson (285) round out the group of top-ranked wrestlers.

This year’s field contains a combined 12 Big Ten individual championships (eight wrestlers) and nine NCAA individual championships (five wrestlers).

For more information on the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, visit the Big Ten Championships Central page here . The complete list of Big Ten Championships pre-seeds can be found below.

125 lbs

Matt Ramos (PU)
Caleb Smith (NEB)
Dean Peterson (RU)
Luke Lilledahl (PSU)
Joey Cruz (IA)
Jacob Moran (IN)
Brendan McCrone (OSU)
Nicolar Rivera (WIS)
Cooper Flynn (MN)
Dedrick Navarro (NU)
Caleb Weiand (MSU)
Christian Tanefu (MI)
Caelan Riley (IL)
Tyler Garvin (MD)

133 lbs

Drake Ayala (IA)
Lucas Byrd (IL)
Braxton Brown (MD)
Braeden Davis (PSU)
Dylan Shawver (RU)
Jacob Van Dee (NEB)
Zan Fugitt (WI)
Angelo Rini (IN)
Nic Bouzakis (OSU)
Tyler Wells (MN)
Dustin Norris (PU)
Massey Odiotti (NU)
Andrew Hampton (MSU)
Nolan Wertanen (MI)

141 lbs

Beau Bartlett (PSU)
Jesse Mendez (OSU)
Brock Hardy (NEB)
Vance Vombaur (MN)
Sergio Lemley (MI)
Joseph Olivieri (RU)
Danny Pucino (IL)
Henry Porter (IN)
Greyson Clark (PU)
Christopher Cannon (NU)
Cullan Schriever (IA)
Dario Lemus (MD)
Brock Bobzien (WI)
Jaden Crumpler (MSU)

149 lbs

Shayne Van Ness (PSU)
Kyle Parco (IA)
Ridge Lovett (NEB)
Dylan D’Emilio (OSU)
Kannon Webster (IL)
Andrew Clark (RU)
Sam Cartella (NU)
Kal Miller (MD)
Dylan Gilcher (MI)
Drew Roberts (MN)
Isaac Ruble (PU)
Clayton Jones (MSU)
Joey Butler (IN)
Royce Nilo (WI)

157 lbs

1. Ethen Miller (MD)

2. Tyler Kasak (PSU)

3. Antrell Taylor (NEB)

4. Jacori Teemer (IA)

5. Tommy Askey (MN)

6. Joey Blaze (PU)

7. Trevor Chumbley (NU)

8. Chase Saldate (MI)

Brandon Cannon (OSU)

10. Conner Harer (RU)

11. Jason Kraisser (IL)

12. Ryan Garvick (IN)

13. Luke Mechler (WI)

14. Braden Stauffenberg (MSU)

165 lbs

1. Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU)

2. Mike Caliendo (IA)

3. Christopher Minto (NEB)

4. Beau Mantanona (MI)

5. Andrew Sparks (MN)

6. Braeden Scoles (IL)

7. Tyler Lillard (IN)

Maxx Mayfield (NU)

9. Paddy Gallagher (OSU)

10. Anthony White (RU)

11. Stoney Buell (PU)

12. Alex Uryniak (MD)

13. Cody Goebel (WI)

14. Jay Nivison (MSU)

174 lbs

Levi Haines (PSU)
Carson Kharchla (OSU)
Lenny Pinto (NEB)
Patrick Kennedy (IA)
Clayton Whiting (MN)
Jackson Turley (RU)
Danny Braunagel (IL)
Brody Baumann (PU)
Lucas Condon (WI)
Derek Gilcher (IN)
Joseph Walker (MI)
Branson John (MD)
Ceasar Garza (MSU)
Aiden Vandenbush (NU)

184 lbs

Carter Starocci (PSU)
Max McEnelly (MN)
Silas Allred (NEB)
Gabe Arnold (IA)
Jaxon Smith (MD)
Edmond Ruth (ILL)
Shane Cartagena-Walsh (RU)
Ryder Rogotzke (OSU)
DJ Washington (IN)
Jaden Bullock (MI)
Jon Halvorsen (NU)
Lucas Daly (MSU)
Orlando Cruz (PU)
Dylan Russo (WI)

197 lbs

Stephen Buchanan (IA)
Josh Barr (PSU)
Jacob Cardenas (MI)
Isaiah Salazar (MN)
Zac Braunagel (IL)
Camden McDanel (NEB)
Evan Bates (NU)
Gabe Sollars (IN)
Seth Shumate (OSU)
Remy Cotton (MSU)
Ben Vanadia (PU)
Chase Mielnik (MD)
PJ Casale (RU)
Niccolo Colluci (WI)

285 lbs

1. Gable Steveson (MN)

2. Greg Kerkvliet (PSU)

3. Joshua Heindselman (MI)

4. Nick Feldman (OSU)

5. Luke Luffman (IL)

Yaraslau Slavikouski (RU)

7. Ben Kueter (IA)

8. Jacob Bullock (IN)

9. Seth Nevills (MD)

10. Hayden Filipovich (PU)

11. Harley Andrews (NEB)

12. Max Vanadia (MSU)

13. Dirk Morley (NU)

14. Gannon Rosenfeld (WI)

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