First National Wrestling Coaches Association poll released with Penn State at top
Penn State’s wrestling season gets underway on Nov. 17, but with other teams starting this week the first National Wrestling Coaches Association poll of the season was released Wednesday.
The Nittany Lions found themselves in their usual spot — No. 1.
It marks the third consecutive year that Penn State sits atop the NWCA poll to begin a season. The Nittany Lions were a unanimous choice, getting all 16 first-place votes.
The Big Ten as a whole took four of the top five spots, with eight teams total ranked in the top 25.
Iowa (No. 2), Nebraska (No. 4) and Ohio State (No. 5) were the other conference teams in the top five with Penn State.
Former Nittany Lions wrestler David Taylor, who enters his first season at the helm of Oklahoma State, sees his new team as the non-Big Ten school in the top five, at No. 3.
Michigan (No. 10), Minnesota (No. 13), Rutgers (No. 15) and Illinois (No. 17) are the other Big Ten teams ranked in the top 25.
The Big 12 also has eight teams ranked in the top 25 to match the Big Ten. Joining the Cowboys are Iowa State (No. 6), Missouri (No. 9), South Dakota State (No. 12), Northern Iowa (No. 14), Arizona State (No. 18), West Virginia (No. 19) and Oklahoma (No. 22).
NWCA Top 25 Poll
| Rank | Points |
| 1. Penn State | 400 |
| 2. Iowa | 380 |
| 3. Oklahoma State | 357 |
| 4. Nebraska | 341 |
| 5. Ohio State | 330 |
| 6. Iowa State | 312 |
| 7. Virginia Tech | 295 |
| 8. NC State | 294 |
| 9. Missouri | 247 |
| 10. Michigan | 240 |
| 11. Cornell | 233 |
| 12. South Dakota State | 224 |
| 13. Minnesota | 210 |
| 14. Northern Iowa | 202 |
| 15. Rutgers | 157 |
| 16. Lehigh | 156 |
| 17. Illinois | 128 |
| 18. Arizona State | 119 |
| 19. West Virginia | 115 |
| 20. Little Rock | 108 |
| 21. Stanford | 104 |
| 22. Oklahoma | 53 |
| 23. Oregon State | 49 |
| 24. North Carolina | 26 |
| 25. Pittsburgh | 25 |
Others receiving votes: Campbell 16, Army West Point 11, Wyoming 11, Cal Poly 9, Indiana 8, Navy 8, Lock Haven 7, Penn 7, Northern Colorado 5, Northwestern 5, Maryland 4, Ohio 3, Wisconsin 1.
