Ranking the Best NCAA Wrestling Teams of All-Time: How Many Penn State Wrestling Teams Among Them?
The final chapter of the 2023-2024 wrestling season has closed and the Penn State Wrestling team put on a show for the ages. There’s little question this Penn State Wrestling squad ranks among the best NCAA Wrestling teams of all-time.
Over the three days of the NCAA Wrestling Championships, the Nittany Lions compiled a team score of 172.5, breaking the previous record of 170 Iowa scored in 1997.
But the question still remains? Who’s the best team of all time in college wrestling?
Because let’s face it, collegiate wrestling has seen a plethora of changes over the years in both the format of the NCAA Championships as well as the scoring.
Before the early 1950’s it was a monumental feat just to score more than 30 points. Then, following scoring changes in the 1960’s teams were scoring twice as many points. That is until the modern era of wrestling finally started to settle in around the mid-1980s.
So I am going to try and do something very difficult. And that is to go back through the years and try to rank and compare teams from the past 60 years against each other. And when we come out the other end of this journey, I will crown the best NCAA wrestling team of all time.
Honorable Mention
2001 Minnesota
Score: 138.5
Individual Titles: 0
Finalists: 0
All-Americans: 10
Accolades
-Only team in NCAA history to have 10 AA’s
-Set school record for points scored (138.5)
-Third highest team score in NCAA history at that point
2022 Penn State
Score: 131.5
Individual Titles: 5
Finalists: 5
All-Americans: 6
Accolades
-Second Penn State “5 for 5” team
-Fifth team in NCAA history to have five individual champions
1985 Iowa
Score: 145.25
Individual Titles: 2
Finalists: 5
All-Americans: 9
Accolades
-Second highest team score in NCAA history at that point
Yes, I assure you your eyes are not deceiving you.
The only team in NCAA history to have 10 All-Americans, a team with five individual champions, and a team that scored 145+ points with nine All-Americans did not crack the top 10.
But that’s simply a testament to how great some teams were in the 93 years of the NCAA Wrestling Championships. With Penn State’s complete dominance of the sport over the past 13 years it’s easy to forget that Oklahoma State and Iowa had a stranglehold over the sport for over 50 years.
Another factor is that these rankings are looking at the overall team. Yes, the 2001 Minnesota team did have 10 All-Americans. But none of their guys made the finals. The 2022 Penn State team had five individual winners, however, they only had one other guy finish as an All-American.
The team that probably has the biggest gripe about being left out of the top 10 is the 1985 Iowa squad. As they advanced five guys to the finals and had nine All-Americans. But I gave them a slight bump down due to having three of the guys finish runner-up.
So, with all of that said, let’s now unveil the top 10 greatest wrestling teams of all time.
Top 10 Wrestling Teams of All Time
No. 10 – 2018 Penn State
Score: 141.5
Individual Titles: 4
Finalists: 5
All-Americans: 8
141 – Nick Lee 5th
149 – Zain Retherford 1st
157 – Jason Nolf 1st
165 – Vincenzo Joseph 1st
174 – Mark Hall 2nd
184 – Bo Nickal 1st
197 – Shakur Rasheed 7th
285 – Nick Nevills 7th
Accolades
-Tied for most All-Americans in program history (1987)
-One of the best finishes in NCAA history – Bo Nickal’s fall against Myles Martin secured the title for Penn State over Ohio State 141.5 to 133.5
The 2017-2018 college wrestling season had it all. And the rivalry between Ohio State and Penn State had reached new heights.
If you’re interested, TrueTan Wrestling put together a fantastic documentary on Youtube leading up to the thrilling ending.
From the “Dual of the Century” to the Buckeyes winning the Big Ten Championships to Bo Nickal pinning Myles Martin in the most “No, no, no … Yes!!” way possible. The improbable ending then gave the Nittany Lions their third straight NCAA title.
And aside from the fact this team finished with eight All-Americans, the five finalists of Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf, Vincenzo Joseph, Mark Hall, and Bo Nickal were absolutely dominant.
These five Penn State greats piled up three major decisions, five technical falls, and three pins in the 2018 NCAA Championships alone.
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No. 9 – 1991 Iowa
Score: 157
Individual Titles: 2
Finalists: 6
All-Americans: 9
118 – Chad Zaputil 2nd
126 – Terry Brands 2nd
134 – Tom Brands 1st
142 – Troy Steiner 2nd
150 – Terry Steiner 3rd
158 – Tom Ryan 2nd
167 – Mark Reiland 1st
177 – Bart Chelesvig 3rd
190 – Travis Fiser 6th
Accolades
-Second highest team score in NCAA history at that point
Similar to the 1985 Iowa team, the 1991 squad advanced a ridiculous six guys to the finals. But unfortunately for Dan Gable, only two were able to secure individual titles.
However, of the nine All-Americans the Hawkeyes had that year, an astonishing eight of them finished in the top three.
This team was simply stacked. And you could make a strong argument that I should have them slotted even higher. Because in the end, scoring 157 team points in 1991 was an absurd number.
No. 8 – 1969 Iowa State
Score: 104
Individual Titles: 3
Finalists: 4
All-Americans: 9
115 – Steve Lampe 6th
123 – Mike Schmauss 5th
137 – Dan Gable 1st
152 – Carl Adams 5th
160 – Dave Martin 2nd
167 – Jason Smith 1st
177 – Chuck Jean 1st
191 – Jim Duschen 5th
UNL – Wayne Beske 5th
Accolades
-First team to have nine All-Americans (only the top six were All-American’s in 1969)
-First team to ever score over 100 points as the previous record was a tie between the 1964 Oklahoma State and 1965 Iowa State teams (87)
As I already mentioned earlier in this article, the scoring in the NCAA Wrestling Championships had numerous changes throughout the years. The most notable changes that affected the 1969 Iowa State squad was the team scoring changing from 10–7–5–3–2–1 to 12–9–7–5–3–1 (1968) and the addition of three weight classes (1966) which meant there were 11 total weights.
It also didn’t hurt that Iowa State had wrestling legend Dan Gable on the team along with two other individual champions, a runner-up, and five other top six finishers. All of which culminated in them being the first team in NCAA history to crack the 100-point mark.
No. 7 – 1962 Oklahoma State
Score: 82
Individual Titles: 3
Finalists: 6
All-Americans: 7
115 – Mark McCracken 2nd
123 – Masaaki Hatta 1st
137 – Doug Wilson 3rd
157 – Phil Kinyon 2nd
167 – Ronnie Clinton 1st
177 – Bob Johnson 1st
191 – Joe James 2nd
Accolades
-Second most All-Americans on one team at that time (only the top four were All-Americans in 1962)
-Tied the team scoring record previously held by the 1961 Oklahoma State team (82)
-Set record for largest margin of victory (37 points) – record then stood for 14 years
In 1956 the NCAA changed team scoring from 7-5-3-1 to 10-7-4-2. Before the 1956 season, the highest team score in NCAA history was set at 40 as the Oklahoma State squad hit this mark in 1955.
So obviously the scoring increase greatly helped the dominant teams of that era (Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State).
The Cowboys’ team in both 1961 and 1962 seasons were some of the earliest super-teams in NCAA history. The 1961 team had eight All-Americans and took home two individual titles.
However, the 1962 team was even more dominant. Of their seven All-Americans, six finished either first or second. Their 37-point win over second-place Oklahoma was the largest margin of victory in NCAA history. A mark that would be toppled 14 years later, largely aided by additional NCAA scoring changes.
No. 6 – 2017 Penn State
Score: 146.5
Individual Titles: 5
Finalists: 5
All-Americans: 6
149 – Zain Retherford 1st
157 – Jason Nolf 1st
165 – Vincenzo Joseph 1st
174 – Mark Hall 1st
184 – Bo Nickal 1st
285 – Nick Nevills 5th
Accolades
-First Penn State “5 for 5” team
-Fourth team in NCAA history to have five individual champions
-Highest team score in PSU history at that time
Remember when I had the 2022 Nittany Lion team in the Honorable Mention section? On paper the 2017 and 2022 teams look fairly similar, right?
And yes, both teams did go “5 for 5” and both did have “only” six All-Americans. But the sheer dominance of the five individual champions on this team are what separates it from the pack, in my opinion.
The first thing to look at is the fact this team scored 15 more team points than the 2022 squad. And it’s easy to see how they did it.
Zain Retherford – 2017 NCAA Championships
-Technical fall
-Technical fall
-Technical fall
-Fall
-Technical fall
Jason Nolf – 2017 NCAA Championships
-Technical fall
-Technical fall
-Fall
-Major decision
-Major decision
Bo Nickal – 2017 NCAA Championships
-Technical fall
-Fall
-Fall
-Fall
-Decision
And sprinkle in two major decisions, a technical fall, and a fall (Vincenzo’s historic pin over Imar in the finals) from both Joseph and Mark Hall, and you have one of the most dominant runs ever seen in NCAA history.
This team didn’t just beat people. The crushed everyone in their path and barely broke a sweat in the process.
No. 5 – 2005 Oklahoma State
Score: 153
Individual Titles: 5
Finalists: 5
All-Americans: 7
125 – Coleman Scott 8th
141 – Daniel Frishkorn 4th
149 – Zack Esposito 1st
165 – Johny Hendricks 1st
174 – Chris Pendleton 1st
197 – Jake Rosholt 1st
285 – Steve Mocco 1st
Accolades
-Third team in NCAA history to have five individual champions
-Fourth highest team score in NCAA history at that time
While the 2005 Oklahoma State team was the third team to ever win five individual titles in one NCAA Championship, they became only the second program to accomplish this feat. The other program is Iowa.
And this Cowboy team didn’t just win the team title in 2005, they blew the absolute doors off the rest of the competition. Michigan finished second that year and their margin of defeat (70) was almost as many points as the entire team scored in the tournament (83).
But unfortunately for Oklahoma State, their run of titles from 2003-2006 was the last in program history. The stranglehold they had on college wrestling started to wane just as Ohio State and Penn State emerged as the next crop of teams to contend with Iowa for the crown.
No. 4 – 1983 Iowa
Score: 155
Individual Titles: 4
Finalists: 5
All-Americans: 8
118 – Tim Riley 5th
126 – Barry Davis 1st
134 – Jeff Kerber 5th
142 – Harlan Kistler 3rd
150 – Jim Heffernan 4th
158 – Jim Zalesky 1st
177 – Duane Goldman 2nd
190 – Ed Banach 1st
UNL – Lou Banach 1st
Accolades
-Set the team scoring record previously held by the 1982 Iowa team (131.75) – record then stood for 14 years
In the late 1970’s, the NCAA made several scoring changes that ushered in the more modern college wrestling that fans know today.
In 1976 they revised the Superior decision to a win by 12 or more points and made it worth 0.75 team points in tournaments. Then came the massive change in 1979 of awarding eight individual places per weight class. The scoring went from 16-12-9-7-5-3 to 16-12-9-7-5-3-2-1.
The 1983 Iowa team greatly benefitted from these changes. But make no mistake about it, this team and the Iowa program as a whole, were a complete monster. Led by the one-two punch of the Banach brothers at the end of their lineup, the Hawkeyes were insanely deep from top to bottom.
This squad was so good they obliterated the previous scoring record held by the 1982 Iowa team (23.25).
When the Hawkeyes hoisted the team trophy that year, it was their sixth straight national title and it was during a run that saw Iowa win eight of the past nine NCAA Championships.
No. 3 – 1986 Iowa
Score: 158
Individual Titles: 5
Finalists: 6
All-Americans: 8
126 – Brad Penrith 1st
134 – Greg Randall 2nd
142 – Kevin Dresser 1st
150 – Jim Heffernan 1st
158 – Royce Alger 5th
167 – Marty Kistler 1st
177 – Rico Chiapparelli 4th
190 – Duane Goldman 1st
Accolades
-First team in NCAA history to have five individual champions
-Set the team scoring record previously held by the 1983 Iowa team (155)
-Set the record for highest margin of victory in NCAA history (73.75)
When Dan Gable and his Iowa team broke the 150 point barrier in 1983, it seemed almost impossible that another team would match or beat this. Unless another major scoring change was implemented.
And while the NCAA did make one small change in 1986 which allowed wrestlers who lost in the second round to participate in the consolations, it didn’t affect the scoring that much.
The 1986 Hawkeyes team advanced a staggering six guys to the finals and they became the first team in NCAA history to crown five individual champions. Iowa lapped the entire field in that year’s NCAA’s by beating second place Oklahoma by an unfathomable 73.75 points. Furthermore, Iowa’s margin of victory record stood for 38 more years after this.
Their win in 1986 gave the Hawkeye’s their ninth straight team title and they were national champions 11 out of the last 12 years. Teams like Arizona State, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State were forced to up their game so they could even come close to competing with Iowa. And they did this the next four years.
However Dan Gable and the Hawkeyes had one more dominant run left in them.
No. 2 – 2023-2024 Penn State
Score: 172.5
Individual Titles: 4
Finalists: 6
All-Americans: 8
141 – Beau Bartlett 2nd
149 – Tyler Kasak 3rd
157 – Levi Haines 1st
165 – Mitchell Mesenbrink 2nd
174 – Carter Starocci 1st
184 – Bernie Truax 5th
197 – Aaron Brooks 1st
285 – Greg Kerkvliet 1st
Accolades
-Tied for most All-Americans in program history (1987 and 2018)
-First team in NCAA history to have multiple four-time NCAA champions on it (Carter Starocci and Aaron Brooks)
-Set the all-time NCAA team scoring record previously held by the 1997 Iowa team (170)
-Set the all-time NCAA record for the highest margin of victory previously held by the 1986 Iowa team (73.75)
As it stands statistically, there is no better team in the history of collegiate wrestling than the 2024 Penn State Nittany Lions.
They are the first team to supplant the 1997 Iowa squad for team points and they shattered the record for the largest margin of victory. This Nittany Lion team was tied for the most All-Americans in program history and they also became the first team to ever have two four-time NCAA champions on it.
So this should be clear-cut. They’re the best of all time, right?
I mean I get it. Penn State Wrestling had seven of their eight All-Americans finish in the top three and they had the first true freshman in NCAA history lose in the opening round and then storm all of the way back to finish third.
What more can be said?
Well, I’ll say this, the 2024 Penn State Wrestling squad will go down in history as one of the best college sports teams of all time.
And not just in wrestling, but all sports.
Which is saying something considering there is one team in history better than them.
No. 1 – 1997 Iowa
Score: 170
Individual Titles: 5
Finalists: 6
All-Americans: 8
118 – Jesse Whitmer 1st
126 – Mike Mena 2nd
134 – Mark Ironside 1st
142 – Kasey Gilliss 6th
150 – Lincoln McIlravy 1st
158 – Joe Williams 1st
167 – Mike Uker 5th
190 – Lee Fullhart 1st
Accolades
-Second team in NCAA history to have five individual champions
-Set the team scoring record previously held by the 1986 Iowa team (158) – record then stood for 27 years
Prior to 1997 no team in college wrestling had ever scored more than 158 points. Which also meant no other team had scored anywhere in the 160s.
And once the dust had settled on the 1997 NCAA Championships, the Iowa Hawkeyes team blew past 158 points, churned and burned past the 160s, and went straight for 170 points.
Before the 1997 season, the NCAA did make a rule change regarding technical falls. The Technical falls were restored and they required the winner to lead by 15 or more points and to score back points. If a wrestler completes this then they would earn 1.5 team points. A match termination was still in play if a wrestler was up by 15 or more points and they did not score back points. This was worth 1.0 team points.
Did the Hawkeyes benefit from this? Of course they did, but so did every other team in college wrestling.
But look, Iowa sent six guys to the finals with five of them taking home individual titles and they also had eight All-Americans. Additionally, they were the second team in the history of the NCAA to have five individual champions, making them the second Iowa team to do so.
This team had one more NCAA Champion than the 2024 Penn State team, they scored 170 points, and they had just as many All-Americans. Which is why I give them the very, very slight edge over the Nittany Lions.
Another item to consider is that the NCAA changed the team scoring in 2001. It went from 16-12-9-7-5-3-2-1 to 16-12-10-9-7-6-4-3.
Therefore the 1997 Iowa team would have had at least 175 points if they wrestled in today’s scoring system.
And lastly, 1997 was Dan Gable’s final year at Iowa. He rode off into the sunset as the greatest wrestling coach of all-time and one of the best coaches in college history.
In his tenure Gable coached 152 All-Americans, 106 Big Ten champions, 45 national champions, and 12 Olympians (eight were medalists). Iowa won 21 Big Ten titles and 15 NCAA titles.
And the team he had his final year at the helm, just like with the 2024 Penn State team, will go down as one of the greatest college teams of all-time.
MORE: The Definitive Nittany Lion Wrestling Mount Rushmore
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Education: Penn State University
Location: State College, PA
Even though he had no prior journalism experience, Chris has now covered Penn State Wrestling and Penn State Football for the past three years, including as the Penn State Wrestling Beat Writer for VictoryBellRings.com, part of the FanSided network.
And it's clear he also likes constant torture as he's been a PSU Basketball fan for way too long.
Several years back, Chris made the seamless transition from PGA Professional to computer programmer and thoroughly enjoys following and writing about all things related to Penn State sports during his spare time.
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