2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships: Five preview observations

The 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships are finally here and Kansas City promises to deliver drama, chaos and an epic three days in wrestling.

There’s plenty to talk about and you can check out our preview and predictions HERE. As far as what to expect: expect the unexpected!

With the cliches out of the way, let’s dive into some preview observations ahead of the tournament.

Can Penn State break the team scoring record?

The Nittany Lions come into the 2024 tournament with qualifiers in all 10 weight classes, including two wrestlers with three national titles each (Carter Starocci at 174 and Aaron Brooks at 197). While the two can make history, joining the elite four-timers club, there could be upwards of five or six national champions individually!

Doing so gives Penn State a shot at the team scoring record of 170, set by Iowa back in 1997. That season, Iowa had five national champions, which Penn State has done before. The only team to have 10 All-Americans in a tournament was 2001 Minnesota. The Nittany Lions certainly have a shot. Be on the lookout for history.

So who finishes in 2nd place?

Well, teams like Iowa, Michigan, NC State and Missouri will have something to say about that! Don’t rule out others like Iowa State and Arizona State as well. 

Iowa and Michigan are Big Ten stalwarts, but NC State and Missouri might have the best shot at national champions. Sure, all of these have candidates for individual titles, but Mizzou is highlighted by two-time champion Keegan O’Toole (165). He might lead the charge for another strong showing for Brian Smith’s crew. The dark horse is Oklahoma State if the Cowboys can build off a strong Big 12 Tournament, but they’ll have to really get up in Kansas City.

How does 125 shake out?

Good luck trying to pick this weight class. This bracket truly has the makings of something special when it comes to the last eight guys standing on the podium.

No. 1 seed Braeden Davis (Penn State) is a true freshman and a Big Ten champion. Could he get knocked off early on? No. 16 Dean Peterson (Rutgers) could be the guy to do it in the second round.

Heck, he could lose in the first round and we could see others like Iowa’s Drake Ayala, Arizona State’s Richie Figueroa, or, you know what, let’s not try to predict this. We tried already in our preview. Just expect absolute chaos to the most unpredictable weight this season. We all know this began when Purdue’s Matt Ramos took out three-time champion Spencer Lee (Iowa) last year.

Now how about 174?

This is the other fascinating weight class due to seeding and some injuries. We mentioned Starocci before, but he’s the No. 9 seed. That’s right, due to two medical defaults in the Big Ten Tournament, he was penalized.

The punishment? Being on the top half of the bracket as former national champions Mekhi Lewis (Virginia Tech) and Shane Griffith (Michigan). Now, the latter’s health is definitely in question after he hurt his knee in the Big Ten semis and medically defaulted out of the finals.

But still, Starocci could see Lewis in the quarters and then Grifith in the semis before even getting to the big stage for the fourth time. If he gets there, he might be getting one of Cade Devos (South Dakota State), Edmond Ruth (Illinois) or Rocco Welsh (Ohio State). Good luck.

Who’s the standout first time champion?

Well, we mentioned 125 pounds and that could be anyone. 133 could feature three-time runner-up Daton Fix (Oklahoma State) finally getting it done. 

What about some feel good stories in Parker Keckeisen (Northern Iowa) at 184 or Trent Hidlay (NC State) at 197? Guys like that just feel like national champions but we’re waiting on the finish to their journeys. In any event, someone is going to stand out and win over the audience in Kansas City over the course of three days.

How to watch 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships

Fubo’s spring offer just kicked off – For a limited time, new subscribers can save $20 on their first month of Fubo’s Pro, Elite, and Premier plans.

Fans not in attendance for this year’s NCAA Wrestling Tournament have the option of streaming on Fubo TV. Below is how to watch across all sessions!

Dates: Thursday-Saturday (March 21st to 23rd)
Session 1: 12:00 p.m ET (Thursday)
Session 2: 7:00 p.m. ET (Thursday)
Session 3: 12 p.m. ET (Friday)
Session 4: 8:00 p.m ET (Friday)
Session 5: 12:00 p.m. ET (Saturday)
Session 6: 7:00 p.m. ET (Saturday)

Location: T-Mobile Center (Kansas City, MO)
Channel: ESPN and ESPNU
Live Stream: Fubo TV (Try for free)