PASSHE Institutions Merging

[iupgroundhog]

Is wrestling all jacked up like football and basketball, portal-wise?

Maybe not quite as much but portal transfers are really common. Interestingly, 2 out of the 3 top Bloomsburg wrestlers this year transferred from the Haven, where they would not have started. Also, Lock Haven's heavyweight is a transfer from Edinboro.

Over the weekend, AJ Ferrari (the most hated college wrestler) lost in the heavyweight finals at the Big 10 championships sending the crowd into a frenzy. He is at Nebraska now which is his 3rd school after starting at Oklahoma State, transferring to Cal-Bakersfield and ending up at Nebraska. The college wrestling portal is very active.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

To me, it's always interesting in wrestling how there almost always are a couple of kids each year at the high school level who clearly differentiate themselves from the rest. I got up to the state meet a few years when I was covering high school sports. I remember a kid from our local HS who had over 100 career wins going up to states, winning his first match, and then get handled like a toy iin the next match. I think he ran into Kevin Darkus, a kid from Erie who was being recruited by Iowa. Another I remember was Jack Cuvo from Easton, who'd win matches simply by taking a kid down, letting him up, and then taking him down again. He'd do that time after time. I think he won one of the matches I saw by something like 18-9.

The regular season in PA high school wrestling seems to have more blowouts than even football does, but when two good teams finally go head-to-head, it's quite the atmosphere.

For whatever the reason, high school wrestling crowds are very different than high school basketball crowds.

[Ship69]

To me, it's always interesting in wrestling how there almost always are a couple of kids each year at the high school level who clearly differentiate themselves from the rest. I got up to the state meet a few years when I was covering high school sports. I remember a kid from our local HS who had over 100 career wins going up to states, winning his first match, and then get handled like a toy iin the next match. I think he ran into Kevin Darkus, a kid from Erie who was being recruited by Iowa. Another I remember was Jack Cuvo from Easton, who'd win matches simply by taking a kid down, letting him up, and then taking him down again. He'd do that time after time. I think he won one of the matches I saw by something like 18-9.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Not nearly as bad. Less coaching turnover helps.

Last question: Obviously when it comes to NIL, I'm sure Penn State to opening the checkbook pretty wide.

1) How does major D1 wrestling NIL compare to, say, major D1 men's basketball
2) Are the PSAC D1 programs involved in NIL, and, if so, what kind of scratch are we talking?

[Fightingscot82]

Is wrestling all jacked up like football and basketball, portal-wise?

Not nearly as bad. Less coaching turnover helps.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I'd also say there are some pretty good D2 programs. Nebraska-Omaha had a very strong program when they were still D2 (football & wrestling were cut to reallocate funds for D1 movement) and Mercyhurst did just fine against old EWL schools. I'm interested to see just how long it takes for Slippery Rock to become relevant when wrestling returns in a couple years. They've been very clear, though, that they are firmly competing in D2.

Is wrestling all jacked up like football and basketball, portal-wise?

[Fightingscot82]

There is a huge gap. It would be like IUP playing Pitt in football. Keep in mind there are only 78 D1 Wrestling programs. That's about 2000 rostered D1 wrestlers nationwide across 5-6 years of eligibility, so D1 wrestlers are mostly all really good. I would say LHU and Boro (this year) might shut out all the PSAC D2 teams. Clarion and Bloom, because they are both floundering, would be interesting. If you look at Bloom's schedule, they wrestle dual meets against a number of D2 teams. They win almost all of them and Bloom isn't very competitive in D1.

I'd also say there are some pretty good D2 programs. Nebraska-Omaha had a very strong program when they were still D2 (football & wrestling were cut to reallocate funds for D1 movement) and Mercyhurst did just fine against old EWL schools. I'm interested to see just how long it takes for Slippery Rock to become relevant when wrestling returns in a couple years. They've been very clear, though, that they are firmly competing in D2.

[iupgroundhog]

How would UPJ and Gannon do against these D1 PSAC teams?

There is a huge gap. It would be like IUP playing Pitt in football. Keep in mind there are only 78 D1 Wrestling programs. That's about 2000 rostered D1 wrestlers nationwide across 5-6 years of eligibility, so D1 wrestlers are mostly all really good. I would say LHU and Boro (this year) might shut out all the PSAC D2 teams. Clarion and Bloom, because they are both floundering, would be interesting. If you look at Bloom's schedule, they wrestle dual meets against a number of D2 teams. They win almost all of them and Bloom isn't very competitive in D1.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I'll put this here since all 4 D1 Wrestling programs come from the 2 triads, PennWest and Commonwealth. The MAC conference championship gives the best overall indication of where the 4 programs stand.

Lock Haven failed in its bid to win their 4th of the last 5 conference championships, getting edged out by Rider 102-100. Second place (out of 12 schools) isn't bad but is a little disappointing for LHU. They had 2 individual champions. Both came into the tournament as 2nd seeds. Their lone #1 seed unfortunately was concussed in the semifinals and had to default down to 6th place, medically forfeiting the semi and 2 consolation bouts. He was dominating at the time of the concussion. Had that not happened, LHU would have repeated as conference champs. LHU qualified 3 wrestlers for the NCAA tournament. It's possible the wrestler who got a concussion will be selected for one of the 42 at-large bids given by the NCAA for the national tournament.

Edinboro is much improved this year, coming in 4th as a team. Boro also qualified 3 wrestlers for the nationals.

Bloomsburg is also improved under their new coach. Bloom rose from the MAC cellar to place 10th overall and qualify 2 wrestlers for nationals. That is a positive showing for a program which had nowhere to go but up.

Unfortunately, Clarion took a dive this year. the Golden Eagles finished the MAC's in 12th and last place. They did not qualify any wrestlers for the NCAA tournament.

The 4 PSAC schools have a legendary combined history in the sport of college wrestling but it's a difficult task to maintain a D1 Wrestling program. Of the 4, LHU has a lot of support. It's good to see Edinboro rebound and Bloom making progress. Clarion, which seemed to be rising the last couple of years, will look to regain that momentum going into 2026-27.

Note: The MAC loses a member next year as Northern Illinois will join the PAC-12 in wrestling. NIU is also moving to the Mountain West in football.

Final MAC Tournament Standings

1 Rider 102.0 2 Lock Haven 100.0 3 SIU Edwardsville 88.0 4 Edinboro 83.0 5 Northern Illinois 75.5 6 Central Michigan 65.5 7 Ohio 64.5 8 George Mason 61.5 9 Kent St 43.0 10 Bloomsburg 39.5 11 Buffalo 24.5 12 Clarion 22.0

How would UPJ and Gannon do against these D1 PSAC teams?

[boatcapt]

Played his college ball at Maryland, where his team famously lost a 103-100 overtime game to a David Thompson-led North Carolina State team in 1974. It's considered one of the classic college games of all time. In that era, the ACC only got one bid to the NCAA tournament, so the defeat eliminated Maryland, which probably was the second-best team in the country.

That game actually changed college basketball. Used to be that only conf tourney champs got bids. After this Maryland Screw Job, the NCAA added at-large teams to the tourney mix and allowed the whole "March Madness" thing to evolve into what it is now.

[Fightingscot82]

Perhaps Cal State Sacramento can restart wrestling.

[iupgroundhog]

I'll put this here since all 4 D1 Wrestling programs come from the 2 triads, PennWest and Commonwealth. The MAC conference championship gives the best overall indication of where the 4 programs stand.

Lock Haven failed in its bid to win their 4th of the last 5 conference championships, getting edged out by Rider 102-100. Second place (out of 12 schools) isn't bad but is a little disappointing for LHU. They had 2 individual champions. Both came into the tournament as 2nd seeds. Their lone #1 seed unfortunately was concussed in the semifinals and had to default down to 6th place, medically forfeiting the semi and 2 consolation bouts. He was dominating at the time of the concussion. Had that not happened, LHU would have repeated as conference champs. LHU qualified 3 wrestlers for the NCAA tournament. It's possible the wrestler who got a concussion will be selected for one of the 42 at-large bids given by the NCAA for the national tournament.

Edinboro is much improved this year, coming in 4th as a team. Boro also qualified 3 wrestlers for the nationals.

Bloomsburg is also improved under their new coach. Bloom rose from the MAC cellar to place 10th overall and qualify 2 wrestlers for nationals. That is a positive showing for a program which had nowhere to go but up.

Unfortunately, Clarion took a dive this year. the Golden Eagles finished the MAC's in 12th and last place. They did not qualify any wrestlers for the NCAA tournament.

The 4 PSAC schools have a legendary combined history in the sport of college wrestling but it's a difficult task to maintain a D1 Wrestling program. Of the 4, LHU has a lot of support. It's good to see Edinboro rebound and Bloom making progress. Clarion, which seemed to be rising the last couple of years, will look to regain that momentum going into 2026-27.

Note: The MAC loses a member next year as Northern Illinois will join the PAC-12 in wrestling. NIU is also moving to the Mountain West in football.

Final MAC Tournament Standings

1 Rider 102.0 2 Lock Haven 100.0 3 SIU Edwardsville 88.0 4 Edinboro 83.0 5 Northern Illinois 75.5 6 Central Michigan 65.5 7 Ohio 64.5 8 George Mason 61.5 9 Kent St 43.0 10 Bloomsburg 39.5 11 Buffalo 24.5 12 Clarion 22.0

[Ship69]

He made the cover of SI and he was from Mansfield, PA!

Played his college ball at Maryland, where his team famously lost a 103-100 overtime game to a David Thompson-led North Carolina State team in 1974. It's considered one of the classic college games of all time. In that era, the ACC only got one bid to the NCAA tournament, so the defeat eliminated Maryland, which probably was the second-best team in the country.

[iupgroundhog]

I actually saw McMillen play in high school in a state playoff game at the Farm Show Arena in 1968. I was attending Ship at the time and went to the game with a couple of friends because we were interested in seeing McMillen. Middletown at the time was a good basketball school and played in the former Capital Area Conference where my old HS, Mechanicsburg, competed against them.

McMillen lived up to his billing; he wasn't a great leaper, but he was agile for such a tall kid and had a good shooting touch. Middletown's strategy was to sag in on McMillen and double him when they could, taking the chance that Mansfield couldn't beat them from outside. McMillen got 20 points, but he didn't get it easily, and the Middletown gamble paid off. One of Mansfield's guards (can't recall whom) was noted as a pretty effective outside shooter, but he had an off game. It should be pointed out that one of the players doubling up on McMillen was Dave Twardzik. Twardzik wasn't as publicized as McMillen at the time, but he was an outstanding player who went on to an NBA career with Portland. Middletown won the game, 65-53, and went on to win the Class B state championship that year.

He made the cover of SI and he was from Mansfield, PA!

[Ship69]

FWIW, the town of Mansfield produced former basketball star and 8 term U.S. Congressman Tom McMillen. An interesting character, at 6'11", he was the #1 high school basketball player in the country coming out of Mansfield HS. After starring at Maryland, he was the 9th overall pick in the '74 NBA draft, but opted to go to Oxford for 2 years as a Rhodes Scholar. After returning, he played 11 years in the NBA. After basketball, he served 16 years in Congress. Apparently, his name also appears in the Epstein files.

I think I first heard of Mansfield because of McMillen, even though I lived about an hour from Mansfield as a kid. There was a feature article in Sports Illustrated about him when he was still in HS. At that time, that was the pinnacle of sports notoriety.

I actually saw McMillen play in high school in a state playoff game at the Farm Show Arena in 1968. I was attending Ship at the time and went to the game with a couple of friends because we were interested in seeing McMillen. Middletown at the time was a good basketball school and played in the former Capital Area Conference where my old HS, Mechanicsburg, competed against them.

McMillen lived up to his billing; he wasn't a great leaper, but he was agile for such a tall kid and had a good shooting touch. Middletown's strategy was to sag in on McMillen and double him when they could, taking the chance that Mansfield couldn't beat them from outside. McMillen got 20 points, but he didn't get it easily, and the Middletown gamble paid off. One of Mansfield's guards (can't recall whom) was noted as a pretty effective outside shooter, but he had an off game. It should be pointed out that one of the players doubling up on McMillen was Dave Twardzik. Twardzik wasn't as publicized as McMillen at the time, but he was an outstanding player who went on to an NBA career with Portland. Middletown won the game, 65-53, and went on to win the Class B state championship that year.