What to Watch: Week three of the college wrestling season

It’s week three of the college wrestling season, and the excitement is just getting started. Here are seven events you won’t want to miss this weekend.

Date: Friday, November 15

Time: 4:30 p.m. ET

Location: Jim Perry Stadium, Buies Creek, N.C.

Where to Watch: UFC Fight Pass

The fourth-ranked Huskers head south to North Carolina to battle the Campbell Camels in Dual on the Diamond at Jim Perry Stadium. Both teams have announced their projected lineups, with up to four ranked matchups possible. This will be the first outdoor dual in program history for Nebraska, and promises to be one of the duals college wrestling fans won’t want to miss. Nebraska, sitting at No. 4 in the NWCA Div. I Coaches Poll, holds a 1-0 record after defeating Utah Valley last weekend. Campbell is 1-2 overall this season, with a win over California Baptist and losses to Wyoming and NC State.

Date: Friday, November 15

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Location: Blacksburg, Va., Cassell Coliseum

Where to Watch: ESPN+

A top-10 matchup is in store for wrestling fans on Friday night, as No. 7 Missouri travels east to take on No. 7 Virginia Tech. The Tigers are coming off of a top finish at the Tiger Style Invite last weekend, finishing with 168.5 points in a field of six teams. Keegan O'Toole, a 2023 U23 World Champion for Team USA, is ranked No. 2 in the FloWrestling pound-for-pound rankings. O'Toole begins his season with a 5-0 record with four technical falls and a pin. This is the ninth meeting between the two teams, and Missouri holds a 5-3 record against Virginia Tech. The Hokies have placed top 11 in the nation for eleven consecutive seasons, and secured a sixth place finish at the 2024 NCAA Championships in Kansas City, Missouri, last year. National champion Caleb Henson leads Virginia Tech at 149 pounds, and the Hokies have an additional nine ranked wrestlers on their roster.

Date: Friday, November 15/Sunday, November 17

Time: 9 p.m. ET (Friday vs. Utah Valley)/5 p.m. ET (Sunday vs. Oregon State)

Location: UCCU Center, Orem, Utah/Gil Coliseum, Corvallis, Ore.

Where to Watch: Both duals will be broadcast on FloWrestling

The Cowboys open their season on the road with a pair of duals in the west. On Friday, November 15, Oklahoma State begins dual action with 2020 Olympic Champion David Taylor in his first season at the helm. They take on the Utah Valley Wolverines, led by Adam Hall in his first season as head coach. Utah Valley has three duals under its belt at this point in the season, including a win over No. 23 CSU Bakersfield before falling to No. 12 Stanford and No. 3 Nebraska. The Cowboys head north to Corvallis, Oregon, on Sunday to face the Oregon State Beavers at the Gil Coliseum. Oregon State is ranked at No. 24 in the latest NWCA Div. I Coaches Poll. The Beavers are 1-1 with a victory over North Dakota State and a loss to Iowa on their record. Oklahoma State holds an all-time record of 23-0 against Oregon State, with Sunday’s dual marking the 24^th meeting between the two programs.

Date: Saturday, November 16

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Rec Hall at Penn State, State College, Pa.

Where to Watch: FloWrestling

The NWCA All-Star Classic returns to Rec Hall on the campus of Penn State University on Saturday night. Action is slated to begin at 7 p.m. ET, with 11 men’s folkstyle matches and five women’s freestyle matches for fans to enjoy. Included are nine 2024 national champions and five 2023 national champions, and a total of 61 All-American honors. For a full preview of the event, visit TheMat.com.

2024 NWCA All-Star Classic Match Order

110 Women: 1 Emma Baertlein, Southern Oregon vs #4 Kendra Ryan, North Central

124 Women: #1 Amani Jones, North Central vs #2 Maya Davis, Grand View

131 Women: #1 Victoria Baez Dillone, King vs #1 Carolina Moreno, Southern Oregon

145 Women: #1 Jamilah McBryde, Life vs #2 Aine Drury, King

160 Women: #1 Cheyenne Bowman, King vs #1 Latifah McBryde, Life

197 Men: #1 (D2) Derek Blubaugh, Indianapolis vs #1 (D3) Massoma Endene, Wartburg

197 Men: #6 Stephen Little, Little Rock vs #9 Zac Braunagel, Illinois

285 Men: #3 Nick Feldman, Ohio State vs #8 Taye Ghadiali, Campbell

125 Men: #2 Jore Volk, Wyoming vs #5 Tanner Jordan, South Dakota State

133 Men: #2 Nasir Bailey, Little Rock vs #6 Lucas Byrd, Illinois

141 Men: #2 Jesse Mendez, Ohio State vs #3 Beau Bartlett, Penn State

149 Men: #2 Shayne Van Ness, Penn State vs #3 Ty Watters, West Virginia

157 Men: #4 Tyler Kasak, Penn State vs #5 Peyten Kellar, Ohio

165 Men: #8 Hunter Garvin, Stanford vs #4 Peyton Hall, West Virginia

174 Men: #2 Levi Haines, Penn State vs #3 Cade DeVos, SDSU

184 Men: #1 Carter Starocci, Penn State vs #2 Parker Keckeisen, Northern Iowa

Date: Saturday, November 16

Time: 7:00 p.m. ET

Location: Allendale, Mich.

Where to Watch: FloWrestling

Northern Michigan’s women’s wrestling team heads south to Allendale, Michigan, to compete in the Grand Valley State Duals on Saturday. The Wildcats are 2-1 on the season, with victories over Alma and D’Youville. The Grand Valley State Lakers are in their inaugural season, led by U23 World Champion Sage Mortimer. Two-time NCWWC National Champion Marlynne Deede, who also competed at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in April, is the Assistant Coach for the Grand Valley State women’s wrestling program.

Date: Sunday, November 17

Time: 2 p.m. ET and 4 p.m. ET

Location: Toms River, N.J.

Where to Watch: UFC Fight Pass (not available for all duals)

Rutgers will face NC State and LIU in the inaugural Journeymen Jersey Jostle on Sunday. There are a total of four teams competing, with Princeton joining the group at RWJ Barnabas Health Arena in Toms River, New Jersey. The full list of matchups is below, and will be an event wrestling fans won’t want to miss. Tickets for the event begin at $25 and can be purchased on the Rutgers Athletics website. UFC Fight Pass will provide a stream of the matchup between NC State and Rutgers, but there will be no live stream of the LIU vs. Rutgers dual. NC State is currently ranked sixth in the latest NWCA Div. I Coaches Poll, and Rutgers claims the 17^th spot in the top 25.

LIU vs. Rutgers at Toms River, NJ, 2:00 p.m. ET
NC State vs. Princeton at Toms River, NJ, 2:00 p.m. ET
LIU vs. Princeton at Toms River, NJ, 4:00 p.m. ET
NC State vs. Rutgers at Toms River, NJ, 4:00 p.m. ET