Manheim, Pennsylvania – A couple of decades-long losing streaks came to an end last week in a limited week of action across Division I men's wrestling. As a result, there was a significant shakeup in the top 10 as the most recent NWCA Division I Men's Wrestling Coaches Poll was released on Tuesday.
With a worldwide audience on ESPN, Iowa State's 20-14 win over then-No. 3 Iowa vaulted the Cyclones (2-0) up to No. 3, while the Hawkeyes (5-2) slid down one spot to No. 4. It was Iowa State's first win over Iowa since December 5, 2004, ending a 20-match losing skid. The match drew 12,292 fans despite the massive winter storm that dropped a foot of snow on Ames. It was the 10th-largest wrestling crowd all time at Hilton Coliseum.
A lengthier losing streak—at least time-wise—came to an end in Minneapolis on Tuesday prior to Thanksgiving, as then-No. 16 South Dakota State beat then-No. 7 Minnesota 18-14, giving the Jackrabbits the school's first win over the Golden Gophers since November 27, 1974. The streak only numbered 13, since South Dakota State was a Division II program until 2002-03. The schools had met 10 times since SDSU reclassified.
The Jackrabbits (2-0) come in this week ranked No. 8, the highest in school history as a Division I program and the highest since the program's previous high ranking of No. 10, set for two weeks during the 2023-24 season. Minnesota (4-2) slid to No. 11 after the loss.
The only other ranked Division I dual action saw No. 10 NC State beat Appalachian State 21-14 in Boone, North Carolina, and then-No. 23 Wisconsin edged Bucknell 19-15 at Stoughton High School, 30 miles outside Madison.
This week's head-to-head ranked matchups: No. 22 Little Rock takes on No. 11 Minnesota in Mequon, Wisconsin, on Thursday; No. 20 Pittsburgh visits No. 14 Lehigh on Friday; and No. 6 Nebraska faces former Big 12 rival No. 12 Missouri on Friday in suburban St. Louis. Sunday has a pair of ranked matchups, with Lehigh heading across the Keystone State to face top-ranked Penn State, while No. 13 Rutgers heads south to take on No. 13 NC State in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.
Methodology: The NWCA Division I Men's 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 points 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 MEN'S WRESTLING COACHES POLL
DECEMBER 2, 2025
| Rank |
Team (First) |
Record |
Points |
Conference |
Previous |
| 1 |
Penn State (14) |
(1-0) |
398 |
Big Ten |
1 |
| 2 |
Ohio State (2) |
(6-0) |
386 |
Big Ten |
2 |
| 3 |
Iowa State |
(2-0) |
366 |
Big 12 |
6 |
| 4 |
Iowa |
(5-2) |
350 |
Big Ten |
3 |
| 5 |
Oklahoma State |
(6-1) |
340 |
Big 12 |
4 |
| 6 |
Nebraska |
(3-2) |
320 |
Big Ten |
5 |
| 7 |
Virginia Tech |
(4-2) |
287 |
ACC |
8 |
| 8 |
South Dakota State |
(2-0) |
263 |
Big 12 |
16t |
| 9 |
Illinois |
(5-2) |
262 |
Big Ten |
9 |
| 10 |
NC State |
(3-2) |
258 |
ACC |
10 |
| 11 |
Minnesota |
(4-2) |
252 |
Big Ten |
7 |
| 12 |
Missouri |
(5-4) |
208 |
Big 12 |
11 |
| 13 |
Rutgers |
(4-0) |
204 |
Big Ten |
14 |
| 14 |
Lehigh |
(3-2) |
189 |
EIWA |
12t |
| 15 |
Michigan |
(4-2) |
179 |
Big Ten |
12t |
| 16 |
Northern Iowa |
(2-2) |
168 |
Big 12 |
15 |
| 17 |
Cornell |
(0-2) |
136 |
Ivy League |
16t |
| 18 |
West Virginia |
(5-0) |
113 |
Big 12 |
18 |
| 19 |
Oklahoma |
(2-1) |
107 |
Big 12 |
20 |
| 20 |
Pittsburgh |
(3-1) |
105 |
ACC |
19 |
| 21 |
North Carolina |
(5-0) |
83 |
ACC |
21 |
| 22(tie) |
Little Rock |
(2-2) |
58 |
Pac-12 |
22 |
| 22(tie) |
Wisconsin |
(3-0) |
58 |
Big Ten |
23 |
| 24 |
Stanford |
(1-2) |
35 |
ACC |
24 |
| 25 |
Oregon State |
(1-0) |
24 |
Pac-12 |
25 |
Others Receiving Votes: Army West Point 14, Purdue 14, Penn 6, Bellarmine 5, Wyoming 4, Central Michigan 4, Utah Valley 2, Cal Poly 1.
Dropped Out: None
2025-26 Division I Men's Wrestling Coaches Poll Release Dates
Dec. 9, Dec. 16
Jan. 6, Jan. 13, Jan. 20, Jan. 27
Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Feb. 17, Feb. 24
2025-26 Division I Mid-Major Men's Wrestling Coaches Poll Release Dates
Jan. 7, Jan. 21
Feb. 11, Feb. 25
