Episode 53 of The Mat Stats Show recaps the conclusion of the 2026 collegiate wrestling season across all major divisions, with hosts Jason Bryant, Glenn Gormley, and Kevin Hazard breaking down the numbers behind the NCAA, NAIA, and NCWA championships. The discussion opens with reflections on the NCAA Division I Championships in Cleveland, including Penn State's record-setting performance and Oklahoma State becoming the first program to crown three freshman champions in the same tournament. The hosts also highlight the postseason landscape across divisions, emphasizing the continued dominance of programs such as Wartburg in Division III and Grand View in the NAIA.
The show's statistical focus examines participation, championships, and competitive balance across the sport. Across the six NCAA and NAIA championships alone, 339 teams representing 46 states, Washington, D.C., and British Columbia qualified wrestlers, producing 41 teams with national champions and 186 programs with All-Americans. Combined participation across NCAA, NAIA, and NCWA levels now exceeds 750 collegiate teams, reinforcing the hosts' central argument that wrestling has become a truly national sport extending far beyond the traditional Division I spotlight.
Additional analysis explores which programs and states produced the most success during the 2026 championship season. Iowa led all states in national champions and All-Americans across the NCAA and NAIA tournaments, while NAIA powerhouse Grand View scored the most combined team points across the six championships. The episode concludes by reinforcing the show's theme of "Root Locally, Support Nationally," encouraging fans to recognize the full collegiate wrestling ecosystem—including Division II, Division III, NAIA, and emerging women's programs—as essential to the continued growth of the sport.
Slideshow for Epsiode 53: https://www.mattalkonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/slideshow53.pdf
About Mat Stats
Welcome to the NWCA's latest venture to help our favorite sport. Glenn Gormley, Jason Bryant and Kevin Hazard outline their effort to bring statistical analysis to wrestling. Mat Stats is the NWCA's attempt to bring wrestling up to speed with so many other sports by incorporating stats. It is the same sport, the wrestlers are just older and better.
Mat Stats by the NWCA is a monthly podcast by the National Wrestling Coaches Association
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