Bryan Knepper credits his love for the Detroit Lions as one of the reasons he has such a passion to rebuild a college wrestling program like few others could.

“I’m almost an apologist,” laughed Knepper. “We are not really fans, but those who have been beaten down over the years.”

But that opinion of his beloved NFL team has changed as the Lions had a winning record last year and led their division this fall after eleven weeks. What’s more, the HBO-produced “Hard Knocks” series on the Lions inspired him to use such a medium in his higher goal to rebuild the University of Toledo wrestling program.

“It got me so pumped up about the Lions and believing in. >>>. Read More

The National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) has been around since 1997 and has expanded from 20 programs that inaugural season to over 175 programs in the United States, Canada, and the island of Puerto Rico. The 2023 season has seen a rapid expansion both in new programs AND in programs that were once in the NCWA but had disbanded at some point in time. On top of this, the NCWA added 7 new athletic department programs in Puerto Rico during the 2022-2023 season culminating in the 2023 National Championship in San Juan, PR. Finally, the NCWA currently has 6 programs transitioning from one National Governing Body (NGB) to another, which makes them post-season ineligible.

The showdown featured intense bouts and unexpected turns that kept the audience engaged throughout the evening.
The action kicked off at the 141-pound weight class, where Northeastern's Michael Tavares showcased his dominance with a commanding technical fall victory over Caleb Baliton of UMass. Tavares demonstrated his prowess on the mat, securing a 17-1 victory and setting the tone for a competitive dual.
However, UMass quickly retaliated at the 149-pound weight class, as Beckett Herman pinned Northeastern's Ezekiel Gunnison in a contest that lasted 2 minutes and 46 seconds. The pin not only earned valuable team points for UMass but also shifted the momentum in their favor.
The 157-pound weight class witnessed an unexpected

Liberty University's men's wrestling team got a preview of the level of competition it can expect to see in Saturday's Lindenwood Open when the Flames wrestled the Lions in a dual match on Friday in St. Charles, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis.

Lindenwood opened a 19-0 lead before Liberty finally got on the scoreboard by virtue of a forfeit win before pulling within 19-12 on a pin by 165-pound graduate Reid Stewart over Logan Johnson. But the Flames would get no closer as the Lions went on to win the last four matches, the last two by fall, in a 34-12 triumph.

SHENANDOAH, Va. - The Apprentice School wrestling team was on the road this past weekend competing at Shenandoah University. The invitational had seven teams competing in the tournament ranging from NCAA Division II to junior colleges. The Apprentices showed up with five starters out of their lineup for healing purposes from the week before and still managed to pull a solid fourth place finish (93 points) behind Johns Hopkins University (103 points), Shenandoah University (138 points) and Frostburg State University (143.5 points).

The Toledo Rockets haven't dropped off much since the end of the 2022-2023 season, where they finished a record-high 6th place in the NCWA-D1. Fueling the season early for Toledo has been Senior standout Jacob Meek (Oregon Clay HS). Meek finished in 3rd place at 285 at the 2023 NCWA National Championship in San Juan, PR to claim All-American honors.

In a match featured on ESPN+, the Bellarmine Knights wrestling team sweeps dual with Kentucky Wesleyan in electric home opener with 2000 in attendance

https://athletics.bellarmine.e...

OUAZ Women's Wrestling has another strong recruiting class for the 2023-2024 season. With 12 new team members, OUAZ's defending National Champion team looks to stay very competitive.
There are two, 2 time State finalists from Utah. Anja Hansen was the State Champ last year and Runner-up the year before. Alyssa Lujan was a 2 time State Runner-up.

There are also two other State Placers in Olivia Atkins from Missouri and 2 time State Placer Deonne Gonzalez from Texas.
Additionally, the team has other multi-time State Qualifiers, a Masters Qualifier, and a District Champion.
"This is shaping up to be an amazing team" Cruz said. We also have

Liberty University men's wrestling team's Fall 2023 recruiting class includes a trio of student-athletes who should help the Flames contend for their fifth NCWA National Duals and Grand National championships in six seasons next spring.

Jahleel Armstrong, a Virginia High School League Group 6A 126-pound state champion at Grassfield High School in Chesapeake, Va.; Giovanni DeGeorge, a 141-pound competitor for two-time-defending New Jersey Group 3 state champion Delsea Regional High School; and Timothy Goddard, a Massachusetts 182-pound state champion and New England runner-up from Algonquin Regional High School will bring tremendous experience to Liberty Mountain as they compete for the Flames over the next four seasons.

Liberty is coming off runner-up showings to Bellarmine University at both the NCWA National Duals in Louisville

NEWPORT NEWS - The Apprentice School wrestling team and head coach Micah Amrozowicz has announced the 2023-24 schedule.
The season kicks off with wrestle offs on October 27 before the first tournament of the year at James Madison on November 5. The Builders will then head to Averett for the first time of the season on November 12 before returning to Danville on December 9 for the Cougar Duals.
Apprentice will travel to Shenandoah on November 19 and York, Pennsylvania, for the New Standard Invitational on December 1. The 2023 portion of the schedule ends with a December 22 trip to the Wilkes Open.

The Builders jump right back in

Pullman, WA — The Washington State University Men & Women’s Wrestling Team eagerly announces its transition to a Varsity Wrestling Club Status Program for the upcoming 2023-2024 season.

In the men's division, the team boasts a formidable lineup of 37 NCWA members competing on the intercollegiate squad. Leading the charge are two seasoned blood-round wrestlers: 165 lb. Senior Bobby Shepard and 133 lb. Sophomore Kobe Bui.
Meanwhile, the women's team showcases 19 intercollegiate .....>>

The NCWA and The Texas Collegiate Wrestling Foundation (TCWF) are thrilled to welcome Coach Grant Leeth as the new leader for Tarleton State University's NCWA Intercollegiate wrestling program. The establishment of this new team, chartered just last month, marks a significant development in Tarleton State's skyrocketing academic and athletic growth. The team is set to compete as a proud member of the NCWA, while the TCWF passionately pursues its goal of raising the required $2,000,000. This ambitious fundraising initiative aims to

The host hotel for the 2024 National Collegiate Wrestling Championships will be the Shreveport Hilton Convention Center Hotel. To book housing with the Hilton or any other hotel housing national attendees please go to NCWANationals.org. and click on "Event Host Hotels" in the top right corner to access housing options.

Coaches, Wrestle Like A Girl and USA Wrestling have partnered together to create an online coaching course for those coaching female athletes. It is currently available for free to everyone until September 30th. You do not have to be a member of USA Wrestling to take this course, but you will need a USA Wrestling profile. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Go to www.joinusawrestilng.com
2. If you already have an account, login. If you do not, create a free account profile.

The NCWA Board of Directors met on Monday Sept 5th and unanimously voted to attend the NWCA Multi-Divisional Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa with a required minimum of 8 teams.
This event will be shown on our schedules as the NCWA National Duals and will provide placing teams with points toward Grand National Championship honors
The event will be held on the campus of the University of Northern Iowa on January 5th & 6th of 2024.

The Teams having placed bids to attend the National Duals are:
Apprentice, Bellarmine, Central Florida, Liberty, Queens, Toledo, Utah Tech & Washington State.
The NCWA will be accepting bids through completed contracts expected in mid September.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, the NCWA is delighted to announce that Shreveport-Bossier City, LA, has been selected as the host city for the 2024 National Collegiate Wrestling Championships.

Spearheading this endeavor, President and Chairman of the Board, Jim Giunta, collaborated closely with Executive Directors Steve Davis and Kayla Giasson, in conjunction with Sara Nelms from the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission. Their combined efforts have culminated in a spectacular opportunity to bring college wrestling to Louisiana.

As the NCWA leadership heads to Florida to plan the 2023-24 season, here's one last look on the accomplishments of the student-athletes and their programs from the 2022-23 season. There were 20 new NCWA programs competing in 2023, bringing the total to 336 schools with programs and/or clubs in the association’s 26-year history. Here's a select program-by-program look at the team finishes from the 2023 season.

Hillsdale College, located in Hillsdale, Michigan, is set to embark on an exciting journey as it introduces wrestling as a competitive sport for the first time. The college, renowned for its commitment to academic excellence and a strong work ethic, has long recognized the benefits of wrestling, such as fostering character, discipline, and mental toughness. With the appointment of Head Coach Jeffery Rogers, the Hillsdale Chargers are ready to make their mark on the wrestling scene.

For the last few years, Hillsdale has offered wrestling as

This July, the NCWA Conference leadership, Coaches, and Officials from across the nation will gather in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the 2023 Vision Forum to discuss and promote their visions for enhancing and expanding wrestling at the college level. Since its inception in 1999, the Vision Forum and its involved coaches have been the driving force behind the remarkable success and growth of the NCWA.

This year, we will join hands with the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) to champion our sport and offer our leaders a chance to collaborate, network and establish meaningful connections. We urge all NCWA Coaches, Officials, and Leaders to participate and make their voices heard. As the most coach-centered governing body in the wrestling community, the NCWA values the input of coaches and considers the annual Vision Forum as one of the most effective platforms to develop comprehensive, wrestling-friendly rules, best practices, scheduling and a long-term direction for our sport. We are committed to engaging all coaches and administrators in shaping the future of the NCWA and the NWCA. Seize this opportunity to create a lasting impact. Register Here

WSU’s wrestling team made history this past week by moving up to Varsity Club status. The only other team to have done that at WSU has been the rowing team.

“The men’s rowing team has been the example of the model sports club team. For us to be mentioned at that level of varsity club status, it’s just an honor,” wrestling head coach Phil Burnett said.

This title has been long-running as the team has made significant triumphs regarding their growth in numbers, wins at competitions and All-American titles they have earned.