Ex-Penn State wrestling star Jason Nolf announces retirement

Former Penn State wrestling superstar Jason Nolf is retiring from wrestling, the three-time NCAA Champion announced on Monday afternoon.

Nolf made the announcement on his podcast featured on the Athletes Ocean YouTube channel. Athletes Ocean is a platform designed to provide instructional videos and critiques from some of the best wrestlers the collegiate sport has ever seen, including ex-Nittany Lions like Nolf, Bo Nickal, and Roman Bravo Young.

Jason Nolf retires from wrestling

On his podcast, Nolf said he knew he would retire this year. While he wanted to end his career with an Olympic Gold medal, he fell short of qualifying after losing to Kyle Dake in the finals of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in State College this April.

The retirement caps a highly successful wrestling career for the ex-Nittany Lion. In high school, Jason Nolf was a three-time PIAA state champion, finishing with a 176-1 record. Nolf finished his Penn State wrestling career with an absurd 133-4 record that included three NCAA Championships and one National Runner-Up finish. He dominated the 157-pound weight class with a career 85.78% bonus percentage.

After Penn State, Nolf went on to win multiple senior medals in freestyle wrestling. The first came in 2019 when he finished third at the U.S. National Championships at 70 kg. He then went on to win Gold at 79 kg at the Pan American Championships in 2020. He also finished twice on top of the U.S. National Championship podium in 2022 and 2023.

What is next for the former Penn State wrestling star?

Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Nolf announced that he is moving to Austin, Texas, where his company, Athletes Ocean, will now be headquartered. He mentioned that if the entire Penn State wrestling team and coaches were in Texas, he might keep wrestling.

“Austin is a big jiu-jitsu hub, and I want to continue to compete in jiu-jitsu, so I think that is a good place to go,” Nolf said. This summer, the former Nittany Lion competed in several grappling events, going 1-1.

Nolf also plans to start a wrestling club at Round Rock High School and use his Athletes Ocean brand to promote and grow the sport in the region. So, while he may be leaving Happy Valley and changing sports, wrestling will still be a core part of Nolf’s life moving forward.

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