Penn State wrestling has dominated the sport since Cael Sanderson took over the program nearly two decades ago. The Nittany Lions have won 11 of 13 National Championships and are poised to lift the trophy again this March in Philadelphia.
The NCAA has held its tournament-style championships every year since 1928. However, many have advocated for a dual meet-style title earlier in the season.
That hope took a step closer to reality with the NWCA’s launch of the National Duals Invitational earlier this week. The event, which will take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from November 15 to 16, will effectively kick off the 2025-26 season.
David Taylor and Oklahoma State will act as the host for the invitational. The event will feature 16 of the country’s top teams, with prize money awarded based on place of finish.
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However, don’t get your hopes up for Penn State wrestling to be among the field of participants next fall. Speaking to the media this week, Cael Sanderson downplayed the need for a dual-styled national title event.
“I saw that coming around again. I mean, they have somebody that’s trying to host the event down in Oklahoma,” Sanderson said Monday. “I think that’s just kind of always been what people think the answer is the National Duals.
“I don’t really feel any differently now than I do about it 10 years ago, right? I mean, I think you can create a big event without including every team in the country, right?”
In his tenure, Cael Sanderson has produced 11 team national championships and 40 individual champions. Sanderson has cultivated the Penn State wrestling machine by preparing his athletes to peak when they need to in March.
Sanderson: Penn State wrestling doesn’t have to participate in National Duals to grow the sport
The implication of Sanderson’s message is that Penn State wrestling will likely not be making an appearance at the National Duals Invitational anytime soon. Although the event is considered a “national championship,” missing the best team in the country would certainly put a damper on the event.
As the host for the inaugural event, David Taylor has been outspoken in his view that the National Duals is a way to grow the sport. However, his former mentor has a slightly different opinion.
“It’s sad that we think we have to have the National Duals to create a big event,” Sanderson said. “I mean, we have a lot of really exciting teams, a lot of up-and-coming programs. So does that have to be at the National Duals?
“That just seems to be the mentality that comes back and resurfaces all the time. I think there’s obviously some merit to the idea, but it’s just kind of a like broken record, I think.”
Financial incentives in a new era
The National Duals will offer prize money to the top four teams in the invitational. The winner will receive $200,000, the runner-up and third will each receive $150,000, and the fourth place will receive $75,000. All sixteen tournament participants will earn $20,000.
With NIL opening a new era of college athletics, that prize money could be a massive boost to programs with revenue sharing as a potential option coming to the future of the NCAA. While schools will most likely control how the awards are distributed, the financial incentive could be another reason why many top wrestlers would want to compete in the invitational.
However, the prizes won’t impact all programs equally. A $200,000 award won’t necessarily mean as much for programs with robust NIL infrastructures like Penn State, Iowa, or Oklahoma State as it will for smaller schools like Little Rock. With participants for the National Duals to be announced by mid-July, we’ll see just how many of the premier programs in college wrestling will make their way to Tulsa.
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