By Brian Reinhardt
USA Wrestling

CLEVELAND – For the fifth straight year, and the 14th time overall, Penn State is your NCAA Division I men’s wrestling national champion. Even before six Nittany Lions toe the line in the finals Saturday night, Penn State has already clinched the 2026 team race after the placement matches at the 2026 NCAA Championships.

The NCAA finals will be at 6:30 p.m. (ET) tonight and televised on ESPN.

After five completed sessions, Penn State extended its team lead, pulling ahead of second-place Oklahoma State 164-119. Thanks to their six wrestlers in the finals tonight, the Nittany Lions are within range of breaking the NCAA record for most team points for the third straight year.

In 2024, they surpassed the long-standing mark of 170 points set by Iowa in 1997, finishing with 172.5 points. Last year, they upped the record to 177 points.

Records have been falling all season for Penn State, and this weekend in Cleveland was no exception. The Nittany Lions set a new record with seven No. 1 seeds and then a new NCAA record with eight semifinalists. Their six finalists tie the record, and six champions would set the new mark.

2026 NCAA Division I Men’s Wrestling Championships 

At Cleveland, Ohio, March 21 

Team Standings After Session 5 

1. Penn State, 164

2. Oklahoma State, 119

3. Nebraska, 101.5

4. Iowa, 92.5

5. Ohio State, 84.5

6. Michigan, 66

7. Stanford, 63.5

8. Iowa State, 52

9. Minnesota, 44.5

10. Virginia Tech, 41.5

Reference links    

• Session four live updates

• Brackets

• Photo gallery

• Interview playlist