Cornell tops final NWCA Mid-Major Division I Poll, with UNI at No. 2
by NWCA
Manheim, Pennsylvania – The National Wrestling Coaches Association released its final Mid-Major Top 20 on Tuesday. Formulated in 2017, the Mid-Major Top 20 focuses on wrestling programs centered outside the “Power 5” all-sports conferences.
After a year away from competition due to COVID-related concerns, Cornell and first-year head coach Mike Grey finished the season as the top Mid-Major program in dual meet competition. Representing the non-scholarship Ivy League, the Big Red returned to the top of the league as well, beating rivals Penn and Princeton to close out the regular season title.
While an affiliate of the Big 12 Conference, Northern Iowa’s record is deceiving as the Panthers went toe-to-toe with some of the nation’s best programs this season. Housed in the Missouri Valley, Northern Iowa’s tradition mades it a giant among Mid-Major schools with wrestling programs.
South Dakota State, like Northern Iowa, ranks third after a solid run through the Big 12 season and a 13-4 dual meet record. Central Michigan (12-4) won the regular season Mid-American Conference West championship, while Penn (8-2) came back from a year away from competition with a solid second-place finish in the Ivy League and a Top 25 ranking in the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll.
From a wrestling conference perspective, the EIWA, which comprises teams in the Patriot and Ivy Leagues, lead all conferences with eight teams ranked in the Top 20 while the group of schools making up the Big 12 affiliates had six.
Methodology: The NWCA Division I Mid-Major Wrestling Coaches Poll is voted on by coaches representing teams from non-Power five conferences. The poll is based on dual meet results. Each first-place vote is worth 20 points, 19 points for a second-place vote, 18 for a third-place vote, and so on through to one point for a 20th-place vote. Teams not competing this season are not included in the voting process.
NWCA Mid-Major Top 20
After a year away from competition due to COVID-related concerns, Cornell and first-year head coach Mike Grey finished the season as the top Mid-Major program in dual meet competition. Representing the non-scholarship Ivy League, the Big Red returned to the top of the league as well, beating rivals Penn and Princeton to close out the regular season title.
While an affiliate of the Big 12 Conference, Northern Iowa’s record is deceiving as the Panthers went toe-to-toe with some of the nation’s best programs this season. Housed in the Missouri Valley, Northern Iowa’s tradition mades it a giant among Mid-Major schools with wrestling programs.
South Dakota State, like Northern Iowa, ranks third after a solid run through the Big 12 season and a 13-4 dual meet record. Central Michigan (12-4) won the regular season Mid-American Conference West championship, while Penn (8-2) came back from a year away from competition with a solid second-place finish in the Ivy League and a Top 25 ranking in the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll.
From a wrestling conference perspective, the EIWA, which comprises teams in the Patriot and Ivy Leagues, lead all conferences with eight teams ranked in the Top 20 while the group of schools making up the Big 12 affiliates had six.
Methodology: The NWCA Division I Mid-Major Wrestling Coaches Poll is voted on by coaches representing teams from non-Power five conferences. The poll is based on dual meet results. Each first-place vote is worth 20 points, 19 points for a second-place vote, 18 for a third-place vote, and so on through to one point for a 20th-place vote. Teams not competing this season are not included in the voting process.
NWCA Mid-Major Top 20
| Rank | School | Record | Points | Wrestling Conf. | All-Sports Conf. |
| 1 | Cornell | (12-3) | 99 | EIWA | Ivy League |
| 2 | Northern Iowa | (7-7) | 90 | Big 12 | Missouri Valley |
| 3 | South Dakota State | (13-4) | 84 | Big 12 | Summit |
| 4 | Central Michigan | (12-4) | 80 | MAC | MAC |
| 5 | Penn | (8-2) | 79 | EIWA | Ivy League |
| 6 | Lehigh | (9-9) | 77 | EIWA | Patriot League |
| 7 | Princeton | (6-5) | 73 | EIWA | Ivy League |
| 8 | North Dakota State | (10-4) | 67 | Big 12 | Summit |
| 9 | Appalachian State | (9-2) | 50 | SoCon | Sun Belt |
| 10 | Wyoming | (4-5) | 45 | Big 12 | Mountain West |
| 11 | Campbell | (11-5) | 44 | SoCon | Big South |
| 12 | Cal Poly | (4-3) | 42 | PAC 12 | Big West |
| 13 | Navy | (6-5) | 40 | EIWA | Patriot League |
| 14 | Buffalo | (12-6) | 28 | MAC | MAC |
| 15 | Ohio | (9-4) | 27 | MAC | MAC |
| 16 | Clarion | (9-7) | 23 | MAC | PSAC |
| 17 | Northern Colorado | (6-6) | 18 | Big 12 | Big Sky |
| 18 | Bucknell | (12-6) | 14 | EIWA | Patriot League |
| 19 | Army West Point | (2-7) | 13 | EIWA | Patriot League |
| 19 (tie) | Air Force | (3-9) | 9 | Big 12 | Mountain West |
| 20 (tie) | Binghamton | (7-11) | 9 | EIWA | America East |