Chase Saldate explains reason for transferring to Michigan wrestling

Chase Saldate spent his entire career with Michigan State but didn’t go far this offseason when he transferred to in-state foe Michigan.

For his final collegiate season, Saldate will rep the Maize and Blue after four years with the Spartans. Choosing to stay in-state was eyebrow raising for some but he made the decision that was best for him.

As the summer training rolls on, Saldate recently explained why he decided to go to Ann Arbor, via his YouTube channel.

“I did what I thought was best for me and what I felt was best for me,” Saldate said. “So the transfer portal, I talked to a ton of schools and I really narrowed it down to just two schools at the time, and that was either Oklahoma State at the time. And then there was University of Michigan, which was just right down the road for me at the time. And at first, I was like, you know, it’s the rival and all this stuff, but to me, you know, I’m from Gilroy, California.

“I never really followed sports as a whole, I barely follow wrestling as a whole, and I just never really seen it too much as a rivalry. Sure, we’re in state rivals, but I don’t know. Maybe it’s just me and I didn’t see it as big as what it is.” 

Saldate went 82-33 in four years at Michigan State and made it to NCAAs each season. However, he went 0-2 this year in Kansas City at 157 pounds (his career weight).

“So I’m looking at this school, I’m talking to the coaches, I went in, I checked it out and I’m thinking to myself, wow, it’s super close,” Saldate said. “And when I started really diving deep into the program, and kind of really looking into it, so much stood out to me. Some of those things being the amount of high level wrestlers they have in not just their current college program, but in their Cliff Keen Wrestling Club. To this day, there’s multiple world medalists, there’s five current guys wrestling in the Paris Olympics from that wrestling club.”

Chase Saldate explains decision to join Michigan

Saldate was big on training partners and coaches that could bring him over the hump during his final season.

“And on top of that, you have multiple All-Americans, you have multiple national champs in the room all the time, and plenty of them are my weight,” Saldate said. “So now I’m getting tons of different looks with these world medalists, these NCAA champions … these high level guys … And I believe that when you’re surrounded by people like that, that see way past, an NCAA All-American, NCAA championships, they’re looking for World Championships, an Olympic gold.”

After losing in the first round of the 2023 tournament, Saldate won three matches in a row to make it to the Blood Round. But he lost to Virginia Tech’s Bryce Andonian, falling one match shy of All-American status.

He wrestled at Gilroy (Calif.) High prior to college, coached by former two-weight UFC champion Daniel Cormier.

“I feel like NCAA All-American all of a sudden seems very reasonable and NCAA finalist and champ seems very reachable when you’re surrounded by plenty of people who have done it,” Saldate said. “So that’s really why I chose University of Michigan and I will say I have been there for a couple of months and I am super proud of my decision to go and become a Wolverine for this one year. So I’m really excited and like I said, there’s no guarantee but I truly feel like this version of me that I’ve kind of had to go back to, kind of came full circle. 

“I wanted to do my own thing … and then now I’m kind of back to what I was doing originally in high school and all that stuff. It’s what has to be done, you know? And seeing what these Olympic people do, these World Champs do, that stuff has to be done. So I’m super excited for this season. And if things don’t pan out, they don’t pan out but there’s one thing I know for a fact that I won’t do, and that’s regret my decision to go to University of Michigan.”