No. 3 Cowboys, No. 5 Buckeyes take out ranked teams, NWCA Div. I Poll sees minimal movement

One upset created some movement in the lower half of the NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll released on Tuesday, but in large, there were minimal changes in the poll.

The biggest upset came in West Virginia as California Baptist upended then-No. 18 West Virginia 18-15 in New Cumberland. The loss dropped the Mountaineers (3-1) four spots to No. 22.

There were only two duals between ranked teams this past week: No. 3 Oklahoma State (5-0) trounced No. 21 Oklahoma 35-3 at Bedlam, while No. 5 Ohio State topped then-No. 19 Pittsburgh 20-17.

The top 10 remained the same as No. 1 Penn State (3-0) shutout Wyoming 54-0 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Other action saw No. 10 Northern Iowa beat perennial Division II power Nebraska-Kearney 35-8, No. 13 Iowa State beat North Dakota State 27-12, No. 17 Rutgers (8-2) swept a trio of duals with Gardner-Webb, Kent State and Clarion, while No. 19 Little Rock beat Chattanooga 32-6 on Monday night.

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 points 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.

NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll

December 17, 2024

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

1 Penn State (16) (3-0) 400 Big Ten 1

2 Iowa (6-0) 382 Big Ten 2

3 Oklahoma State (5-0) 366 Big 12 3

4 Nebraska (3-0) 354 Big Ten 4

5 Ohio State (4-0) 329 Big Ten 5

6 NC State (5-0) 318 ACC 6

7 Virginia Tech (3-0) 307 ACC 7

8 Minnesota (4-0) 293 Big Ten 8

9 Michigan (3-0) 265 Big Ten 9

10 Northern Iowa (3-0) 246 Big 12 10

11 Illinois (6-0) 229 Big Ten 11

12 Cornell (1-0) 225 Ivy League 12

13 Iowa State (2-2) 214 Big 12 13

14 South Dakota State (1-2) 185 Big 12 14

15 Stanford (4-1) 176 ACC 15

16 Missouri (1-3) 156 Big 12 16

17 Rutgers (8-2) 151 Big Ten 17

18 Pittsburgh (2-1) 122 ACC 19

19 Little Rock (5-0) 113 Pac-12 20

20 Lehigh (1-2) 84 EIWA 22

21 Oklahoma (3-1) 75 Big 12 21

22 West Virginia (3-1) 63 Big 12 18

23 Oregon State (1-2) 41 Pac-12 23

24 Maryland (4-0) 33 Big Ten 25

25 North Carolina (3-2) 31 ACC 24

Others Receiving Votes: Army West Point 15, Arizona State 9, Northern Colorado 9, Indiana 6, Cal Poly 1, George Mason 1, Virginia 1.

Dropped Out: None