Few changes in NWCA Div. I Coaches Poll after first week; Lock Haven, Purdue move into top 25

Manheim, Pennsylvania – With just a limited number of duals with ranked teams competing during the first week of action, there was minimal movement in the first regular-season NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday.

Four teams ranked in the Top 10 opened up with victories, including second-ranked Iowa, ninth-ranked Nebraska and 10th-ranked Iowa State. Third-ranked NC State had a pair of victories to start the season 2-0, beating Presbyterian at Fort Liberty, North Carolina 48-0 and Appalachian State 40-3 in Boone.

Iowa trekked to the Pacific Coast and shut out California Baptist 40-0, while Nebraska went to Fargo and dispatched North Dakota State 31-12. Iowa State went to the old high school gym of national champion David Carr at Perry High School in Massillon, Ohio and beat Cleveland State 43-3.

The only matchup of ranked teams came in North Carolina as then-No. 20 Oregon State topped former No. 25 North Carolina 24-13. The Beavers also shutout Division III Greensboro College and transitional Division I Queens University.

Elsewhere in the Top 25, Rutgers started the year 2-0 with a trip to Cal Poly, beating the host Mustangs 31-10 and Duke 47-0. Wisconsin beat Lindenwood 41-3 in Madison. Like Queens, Lindenwood is also in the midst of a transition to NCAA Division I.

Illinois fell out of the rankings after splitting a pair of duals last week. The Fighting Illini beat SIU Edwardsville 28-7 before falling to visiting Navy 23-18 over the weekend.

Methodology: The NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll is voted on by two coaches from each Division I wrestling conference. Each first-place vote is worth 25 points, 24 points for a second-place vote, 23 for a third-place vote and so on through to one point for a 25th-place vote. The poll is based on dual meet results. Teams who are not competing this season are not included in the voting process.

NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll

November 7, 2023

Rank/Team (First)/Record/Points/Conf./Previous

1 Penn State (0-0) 350 Big Ten 1

2 Iowa (1-0) 325 Big Ten 2

3 NC State (2-0) 306 ACC 3

4 Missouri (0-0) 305 Big 12 4

5 Virginia Tech (0-0) 299 ACC 5

6 Michigan (0-0) 278 Big Ten 6

7 Cornell (0-0) 275 EIWA 7

8 Ohio State (0-0) 250 Big Ten 8

9 Nebraska (1-0) 242 Big Ten 9

10 Iowa State (1-0) 233 Big 12 10

11 Oklahoma State (0-0) 209 Big 12 11

12 South Dakota State (0-0) 187 Big 12 12

13 Arizona State (0-0) 173 Pac-12 13

14 Rutgers (2-0) 164 Big Ten 15

15 Minnesota (0-0) 158 Big Ten 14

16 Pittsburgh (0-0) 143 ACC 16

17 Northern Iowa (0-0) 120 Big 12 17

18 Oregon State (3-0) 89 Pac-12 20 (tie)

19 Wisconsin (1-0) 88 Big Ten 18

20 Lehigh (0-0) 85 EIWA 19

21 Oklahoma (0-0) 84 Big 12 20 (tie)

22 Penn (0-0) 29 EIWA 22

23 Lock Haven (0-0) 23 MAC NR

24 Northwestern (0-0) 21 Big Ten 24

25 Purdue (0-0) 17 Big Ten NR

Others Receiving Votes: Maryland 16, West Virginia 14, Campbell 13, North Carolina 11, Stanford 11, Indiana 8, Navy 7, Illinois 4, Northern Colorado 4, Cal Poly 3, Air Force 2, Appalachian State 2.

Dropped out: No. 23 Illinois (1-1), No. 25 North Carolina (2-1).