Pat Kraft on Penn State wrestling: 'It's better than what anyone has done in college sports'

Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft knows how good he has it with Cael Sanderson leading the wrestling program year after year.

The team is so dominant, there’s practically an arms race in college wrestling to see who is going to finish second. In addition to his 11 NCAA Championships, Sanderson guided Penn State to the NCAA scoring record during the 2024 tournament. They might be able to break that in 2025.

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Kraft didn’t hold back regarding his expectations and gratitude for the most dominant program on campus. Well, it was more than just Penn State’s campus.

“But I think we all have to understand what we are watching,” Kraft said. “It is the greatest, it’s not even a dynasty. It’s better than what anyone has done in college sports and it may be in all sports, because the Big Ten is loaded. And we’re going to continue to do that as long as we can. And, but he I’m sorry long winded, but I just, he’s just some one of those people that thinks at a different level.”

Penn State has its entire lineup ranked and has three wrestlers on the roster who’ve won NCAA titles in the past. That includes four-time champion Carter Starocci, who’s going for a fifth title and could be the first and only person to ever do so.

“It’s Cael, it’s Casey, it’s Cody, it’s that entire organization and how they run,” Kraft said. “He recruits amazing young men who understand and are fully committed to being the best, and Cael does it in a way that is so special and unique. You think you come into a wrestling program, it’s like fire and brimstone and No. Take care of your person first, take care of who you are, and when you understand that and love to wrestle, then we’re just gonna get better and better and better. So it sounds simple, but the culture that he builds in that building, Casey builds, and Cody like that unit builds, there’s nothing like it.”

Penn State just wrapped up another undefeated dual season and hasn’t lost a match since the 2019-20 campaign. Going into the Big Ten Tournament and NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, the Nittany Lions are the overwhelming favorite again.

As far as who Sanderson could coach in the corner on the NCAA finals stage, hey, just take your pick. In fact, Penn State could become only the second team ever to have all 10 wrestlers become All-Americans, equaling the 2001 Minnesota Gophers.