Penn State’s streak hits 74 as top-ranked Nittany Lions improve to 3-0; Indiana enters Top 25 after a pair of weekend wins
by Jason Bryant, NWCA
Manheim, Pennsylvania - Penn State and Ohio State remained atop the rankings following a moderate slate of non-conference duals across the country as the NWCA Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday.
Penn State improved to 3-0 after a pair of road victories, defeating Drexel 43-3 in Philadelphia and earning a 36-6 win over Lehigh in University Park. The two wins put Penn State’s win streak at 74 in a row, just two away from the major college record and three away from tying the NCAA record.
Second-ranked Ohio State remained unbeaten at 7-0 with a 41-3 home win over Bellarmine.
Nebraska went 2-0 at a neutral-site event in St. Charles, Missouri, opening with a 44-3 win over Brown before securing a 27-10 victory against then-No. 12 Missouri. The Tigers split their day with a 42-0 win over LIU before the loss to Nebraska.
NC State moved to 5-2 after a 45-4 neutral-site win over Morgan State and a 27-11 victory over then-No. 13 Rutgers in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. The Wolfpack moved up to No. 9 this week.
Pittsburgh collected two wins, earning a 21-15 road victory at then-No. 14 Lehigh before defeating Bucknell 19-13 at home. As a result, the Panthers jumped four spots to No. 16 this week. Lehigh slid to No. 19 this week.
No. 11 Minnesota added a pair of wins, defeating Little Rock 23-9 in Mequon, Wisconsin as part of Flowrestling Night in America, and topping North Dakota State 26-9 in Minneapolis.
Wisconsin remained unbeaten with road wins at Army West Point and Hofstra. The Badgers checked in at No. 21 this week.
Rutgers earned a 49-3 win over Davidson before its matchup with NC State, while Indiana collected victories against Central Michigan and then-No. 22 Little Rock.
The Hoosiers (4-1) also moved into the Top 25 for the first time this season.
Methodology: The NWCA Division I Men’s 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.
DECEMBER 9, 2025
| Rank | Team (First) | Record | Points | Conference | Previous |
| 1 | Penn State (15) | (3-0) | 399 | Big Ten | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio State (1) | (7-0) | 385 | Big Ten | 2 |
| 3 | Iowa State | (2-0) | 368 | Big 12 | 3 |
| 4 | Iowa | (5-2) | 352 | Big Ten | 4 |
| 5 | Oklahoma State | (6-1) | 336 | Big 12 | 5 |
| 6 | Nebraska | (5-2) | 320 | Big Ten | 6 |
| 7 | Virginia Tech | (4-2) | 295 | ACC | 7 |
| 8 | South Dakota State | (2-0) | 277 | Big 12 | 8 |
| 9 | NC State | (5-2) | 261 | ACC | 10 |
| 10 | Illinois | (5-2) | 258 | Big Ten | 9 |
| 11 | Minnesota | (6-2) | 249 | Big Ten | 11 |
| 12 | Rutgers | (5-1) | 206 | Big Ten | 13 |
| 13 | Michigan | (4-2) | 197 | Big Ten | 15 |
| 14 | Missouri | (6-5) | 190 | Big 12 | 12 |
| 15 | Northern Iowa | (2-2) | 184 | Big 12 | 16 |
| 16 | Pittsburgh | (5-1) | 136 | ACC | 20 |
| 17t | Cornell | (0-2) | 134 | Ivy League | 17 |
| 17t | West Virginia | (5-0) | 134 | Big 12 | 18 |
| 19 | Lehigh | (3-4) | 104 | EIWA | 14 |
| 20 | Oklahoma | (2-1) | 102 | Big 12 | 19 |
| 21 | Wisconsin | (5-0) | 91 | Big Ten | 22t |
| 22 | North Carolina | (5-0) | 75 | ACC | 21 |
| 23 | Stanford | (1-2) | 35 | ACC | 24 |
| 24 | Oregon State | (1-0) | 29 | Pac-12 | 25 |
| 25 | Indiana | (4-1) | 20 | Big Ten | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Little Rock 17, Purdue 17, Penn 9, Maryland 8, Wyoming 5, Rider 3, Utah Valley 2, Cal Poly 1, Columbia 1
Dropped Out: No. 22 Little Rock (2-4).
2025-26 Division I Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll Release Dates
Dec. 16
Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Jan. 20, Jan. 27
Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Feb. 17, Feb. 24
2025-26 Division I Mid-Major Men’s Wrestling Coaches Poll Release Dates
Jan. 7, Jan. 21
Feb. 11, Feb. 25