Penn State wrestling to travel to Philadelphia for early-season dual

In March, Penn State wrestling wrapped up the 2024-25 season with a fourth consecutive national championship in Philadelphia. Nine months later, the Nittany Lions will return to the City of Brotherly Love for a non-conference dual early in the 2025-26 campaign.

On Monday evening, Drexel announced that it will host Penn State in a dual at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on Friday, December 5. The match will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Drexel vs Penn State

🗓️ l December, 5 2025
📍 l Daskalakis Athletic Center
🔗 l https://t.co/wVldsK8Psw pic.twitter.com/PBy2qCXaaw

— DREXEL WRESTLING (@DrexelWrestling) July 7, 2025

The contest marks the first time the Nittany Lions have traveled to face the Dragons, and only the third meeting between the two programs. Last November, Penn State opened the season with a dominant 41-3 win over Matt Azevedo’s squad. Drexel finished the year with an 11-10 record and qualified three wrestlers for the NCAA Championships at the Wells Fargo Center.

Notably, Cael Sanderson also took his program on the road to face an in-state foe last December, downing Lehigh 36-3 at the PPL Center in Allentown.

While Drexel will be an early-season opponent, it remains unclear whether the matchup will be the first of the year for the Nittany Lions. In June, the Big Ten revealed Penn State’s eight conference duals for the upcoming season. The Blue and White’s full schedule, including dates, will be released in early fall.

Mid-summer predictions already have Penn State wrestling as an early favorite to win a fifth straight national title next March. Seven of the Nittany Lions’ 10 projected starters are ranked in the top five of their respective weight classes.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube — and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for the latest breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at basicbluesnation@gmail.com or direct message us on social media.