Graphic and release courtesy of Jason Bryant / National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Manheim, Pennsylvania – It finally took until February, but Roger Reina’s Penn Quakers have returned to the Top 25 for the first time in nine seasons as the most recent NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday.
It’s likely the Quakers (5-2) would have appeared in the Top 25 earlier this season, but a number of postponements and cancellations left Penn with limited duals until the late January schedule, which was loaded with EIWA and Ivy League opponents. Even with a loss to Cornell, Penn’s rise was sparked by a 24-7 win over then-No. 14 Lehigh over the weekend.
The last time Penn appeared in the rankings was February 26, 2013 at No. 21. Another hot riser has been Michigan State, which took advantage of the losses by teams ranked ahead of them to move up to No. 14 this week, the highest ranking the Spartans (9-2) have achieved since coming in No. 12 on February 9, 2005.
With every team in last week’s Top 25 in action last week, there was bound to be some movement, but none of it happened in the top five and the only losses coming from teams in the top nine came to teams ranked higher. No. 1 Penn State improved to 16-0 and remained the nation’s only Division I unbeaten, beating a pair of Top 10 teams at home – Ohio State and Nebraska. Penn State’s 32-7 win over the No. 6 Buckeyes was at Penn State’s Bryce Jordan Center and drew 15,991, the sixth-largest crowd all-time to see a college wrestling dual meet.
Oklahoma State’s slide continued as the Cowboys lost 21-20 to No. 12 Missouri in Columbia. The Cowboys (11-3) have lost three of their last four heading into this weekend’s Bout at the Ballpark in Arlington, Texas against second-ranked Iowa. The Cowboys come in ranked No. 12 this week, the lowest the program has been in the Coaches Poll since a No. 15 ranking in February of 2009.
Notable action this week (subj. to change)
Friday, February 11
No. 3 Michigan at Indiana, No. 19 Princeton at No. 23 Lehigh, Northwestern at No. 14 Michigan State, No. 4 NC State at Pittsburgh, No. 21 North Carolina at No. 7 Virginia Tech, No. 5 Iowa State at No. 18 Northern Iowa, Northern Colorado at No. 25 South Dakota State, Illinois at No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 6 Ohio State at No. 17 Minnesota.
Saturday, February 12
Binghamton at No. 11 Cornell, No. 22 Penn at No. 19 Princeton, Bucknell at No. 23 Lehigh, Maryland at No. 15 Rutgers, No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 12 Oklahoma State at Arlington, Texas, No. 10 Missouri at No. 13 Arizona State.
Sunday, February 13
No. 14 Michigan State at No. 3 Michigan, Illinois at No. 8 Nebraska, Drexel at No. 22 Penn, Indiana at No. 6 Ohio State, Buffalo at No. 20 Central Michigan, Little Rock at No. 25 South Dakota State.
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.
NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll
February 8, 2022
| Rank | Team (First) | Record | Points | Conference | Previous |
| 1 | Penn State (14) | (16-0) | 350 | Big Ten | 1 |
| 2 | Iowa | (12-1) | 334 | Big Ten | 2 |
| 3 | Michigan | (9-1) | 318 | Big Ten | 3 |
| 4 | NC State | (10-1) | 311 | ACC | 4 |
| 5 | Iowa State | (13-1) | 294 | Big 12 | 5 |
| 6 | Ohio State | (7-3) | 279 | Big Ten | 6 |
| 7 | Virginia Tech | (7-4) | 249 | ACC | 7 |
| 8 | Nebraska | (5-4) | 238 | Big Ten | 8 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | (9-2) | 225 | Big Ten | 9 |
| 10 | Missouri | (10-3) | 213 | Big 12 | 12 |
| 11 | Cornell | (11-2) | 208 | EIWA | 11 |
| 12 | Oklahoma State | (11-3) | 207 | Big 12 | 10 |
| 13 | Arizona State | (8-3) | 187 | Pac-12 | 13 |
| 14 | Michigan State | (9-2) | 155 | Big Ten | 17 |
| 15 | Rutgers | (13-5) | 153 | Big Ten | 15 |
| 16 | Purdue | (10-4) | 142 | Big Ten | 18 |
| 17 | Minnesota | (4-5) | 118 | Big Ten | 16 |
| 18 | Northern Iowa | (7-5) | 104 | Big 12 | 22 |
| 19 | Princeton | (5-3) | 72 | EIWA | 20 |
| 20 | Central Michigan | (11-2) | 68 | MAC | 21 |
| 21 | North Carolina | (8-4) | 67 | ACC | 24 |
| 22 | Penn | (5-2) | 66 | EIWA | NR |
| 23 | Lehigh | (8-7) | 60 | EIWA | 14 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | (8-5) | 37 | Big 12 | 25 |
| 25 | South Dakota State | (10-4) | 31 | Big 12 | 23 |
Others Receiving Votes: Pittsburgh 20, Oregon State 18, Cal Poly 8, Campbell 7, Northwestern 7, Appalachian State 4.
Dropped Out: No. 19 Pittsburgh (7-5).
Upcoming Coaches Poll Release Dates for 2021-22: Feb. 15, Feb. 22.
Back to articles