How to watch Penn State wrestling compete for its 7th NCAA title in 8 years
Returning five reigning national champions, the Nittany Lions are headed into this week’s NCAA Wrestling Championships with their eye on another team title — their seventh in the past eight years — but the Buckeyes won’t make it easy.
In what’s expected to be a barn-burner between the two teams right down until the final day of competition Saturday, fans can anticipate three solid days of the nation’s best wrestling.
Senior Zain Retherford has a chance to make history this weekend as he could become only the second Penn State wrestler to become a three-time national champ. The No. 1 seed is also just one pin away from tying David Taylor and Josh Moore on the Nittany Lions’ all-time fall list and is a frontrunner to win his second straight Dan Hodge Memorial Trophy.
Penn State’s other No. 1 seed, junior Bo Nickal, is the favorite to win his second NCAA title in a weight class that could have large team race implications — should he face No. 2 Myles Martin of Ohio State in the finals.
No. 2 Mark Hall (174), No. 3 Jason Nolf (157) and No. 3 Vincenzo Joseph (165) are each seeking their second consecutive national titles, as well. Nolf, who started out the season as the heavy favorite, will have to battle through a lingering knee injury to make his way back to the top of the podium.
No. 3 Nick Nevills (heavyweight), No. 5 Shakur Rasheed (197), No. 8 Nick Lee (141) and Corey Keener will also be looking to pick up points for the Nittany Lions.
All rounds of the NCAA Wrestling Championships, which starts Thursday at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, will be broadcast live on ESPN channels, with the finals starting at 8 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2.
Jeff Byers will also be providing play-by-play coverage and analysis on WRSC-AM 1390 in the State College area, or online at gopsusports.com.
Those on Twitter can also follow along with Centre Daily Times reporters Nate Cobler (@ncoblercdt), Lauren Muthler (@lmuth125) and Phoebe Sheehan (@phoebe_sheehan) who will be on scene, and with Penn State wrestling’s official account, @pennstateWREST.
Lauren Muthler: 814-231-4646, @lmuth1259
NCAA wrestling tournament info
When: noon Thursday - 11:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, Ohio
How to watch: Session I (first round): noon Thursday, ESPNU; Session II (second round and wrestlebacks): 7 p.m. Thursday, ESPN; Session III (quarterfinals and wrestlebacks): 11 a.m. Friday, ESPNU; Session IV (semifinals and wrestlebacks): 8 p.m. Friday, ESPN; Session V (wrestleback semifinals and placement bouts) 11 a.m. Saturday, ESPNU; Session VI (finals): 8 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2)
How to listen: 10:40 a.m. and 6:40 p.m. Thursday; 11:40 a.m. and 7:40 p.m. Friday; 10:40 a.m. and 7:40 p.m. Saturday on WRSC-AM (Jeff Byers play by play)
How to follow along on Twitter: @ncoblercdt; @lmuth1259; @phoebe_sheehan; @pennstateWREST
This story was originally published March 14, 2018 at 3:11 PM with the headline "How to watch Penn State wrestling compete for its 7th NCAA title in 8 years."