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Big Ten co-champs Iowa, Penn State close out year atop NWCA Div. I Coaches Poll

by Jason Bryant, NWCA

Manheim, Pennsylvania – A shortened 2020-21 Division I wrestling season came to a close with Iowa going wire-to-wire as the top dual meet team in the nation as the final NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday.

Match cancellations and no non-conference schedule left the top-ranked Hawkeyes with only five duals on the season – same as second-ranked Penn State. ACC regular season champions Virginia Tech finished the regular season third, followed by one-loss Michigan at No. 4 and unbeaten Missouri at No. 5. Oklahoma State, like Missouri, also finished 10-0. The Cowboys ended the season at No. 6.

The Big Ten closed out with nine teams in the Top 25, followed by the Big 12 with six teams and the ACC with five.

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 Wrestling Coaches Poll
February 23, 2021

Rank

Team (First)

Record

Points

Conf.

Previous

1

Iowa (14)

(5-0)

350

Big Ten

1

2

Penn State

(5-0)

336

Big Ten

2

3

Virginia Tech

(9-0)

313

ACC

3

4

Michigan

(5-1)

303

Big Ten

4

5

Missouri

(10-0)

296

MAC

5

6

Oklahoma State

(10-0)

283

Big 12

6

7

NC State

(6-1)

264

ACC

7

8

Nebraska

(7-1)

259

Big Ten

8

9 (tie)

Minnesota

(7-2)

230

Big Ten

9

9 (tie)

Arizona State

(6-0)

230

Pac-12

10

11

Illinois

(5-3)

201

Big Ten

11

12

Ohio State

(5-4)

200

Big Ten

12

13

Iowa State

(9-3)

183

Big 12

13

14

North Carolina

(5-2)

174

ACC

14

15

Northern Iowa

(4-4)

148

Big 12

15

16

Pittsburgh

(3-4)

134

ACC

16

17

Navy

(5-1)

106

EIWA

18

18

Purdue

(3-5)

103

Big Ten

17

19

Oklahoma

(5-5)

87

Big 12

19

20

Virginia

(3-3)

85

ACC

20

21

Central Michigan

(5-2)

58

MAC

21

22

Campbell

(8-1)

50

SoCon

22

23

Michigan State

(2-5)

36

Big Ten

23

24

Rider

(4-1)

30

MAC

24

25

Wyoming

(3-3)

22

Big 12

NR


Others Receiving Votes: Rutgers 18, Northwestern 16, Appalachian State 11, West Virginia 7, Hofstra 6, Binghamton 3, Lehigh 3, Northern Colorado 2, Wisconsin 1, Stanford 1, North Dakota State 1
Dropped Out: No. 25 Wisconsin (1-6)
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