 | |
| Teams | 63 |
|---|---|
| Format | Knockout |
| Finals site | St. Louis Enterprise Center |
| Champions | Iowa Hawkeyes (24th title) |
| Runner-up | Penn State Nittany Lions |
| Semifinalists | |
| Winning coach | Tom Brands (4th title) |
| Attendance | 25% capacity |
| Television | ESPN Networks |
The 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships took place from March 18–20, 2021, in St. Louis, Missouri at the Enterprise Center. The tournament was the 90th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, following the cancellation of the 2020 edition, and featured 63 teams across that level.[1][2]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the event was forced to occur with modifications.[3] Due to the same reason, the Ivy League was unable to compete through the season, leaving out notable teams like Cornell and Princeton, therefore notable wrestlers such as two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis and returning All-American Vito Arujau.[4]
In the tournament, Iowa clinched its first NCAA title since 2010 and finished with one individual national champion, while the defending Penn State became the runner-up of the tournament with four individual national champions.[5][2] Little Rock made its NCAA tournament debut with one national qualifier, while it was also the last year for Stanford and Fresno State.[6][7] Shane Griffith became the second ever NCAA champion from Stanford, and as a response to the cut of the school's wrestling team (Stanford eventually decided to keep the program), he wore a black singlet with no logo during the finals match, and was named the Outstanding Wrestler afterwards.[8] North Carolina also saw its first National champion since 1995, with Austin O'Connor at 149 pounds.[9]
- ^ Scovel, Shannon. "2021 college wrestling championship: Selection show time, key dates | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2021-03-09.
- ^ a b "Penn State steals show in NCAA finals, Iowa claims 24th team title". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "What to expect from the 2021 college wrestling season | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "College Wrestling 2021: RTCs could help programs in shortened season". WIN Magazine. 2020-12-01. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "Iowa clinches team title during Saturday's medal round". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "Historic Second Season Comes to a Close for Little Rock Wrestling". Little Rock Athletics. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "Fresno State to drop wrestling program". InterMat. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ Falk, Steven. "Shane Griffith enables Stanford wrestling program to go out on top with NCAA Tournament title". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved 2021-03-21.
- ^ "Mission Complete: Austin O'Connor Wins 149-Pound National Championship". University of North Carolina Athletics. Retrieved 2021-03-21.