- Rio’s Stars: Ohio State’s Kyle Snyder Becomes First Ever Gold Medalist to Compete at NCAAs; Missouri’s J’den Cox (Bronze) Attempts to Win Third NCAA Championship
- Penn State’s Streak of Dominance Tested; Ohio State and Oklahoma State among Top Competitors
- All 10 No. 1 Seeds Enter Undefeated
- ESPN Televises Every Session; Streams Every Mat, Every Match
The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships provides nearly 20 hours of high-intense action over three days (March 16-18) with all three prime-time sessions aired on ESPN, all early afternoon sessions on ESPNU and every mat, every match streamed on ESPN3. The sport’s pinnacle event, including both the television and digital streams, are available on WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Complete details on ESPN’s coverage can be found here.
Olympic Medalists Lead Key Storylines
Rio Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder (Ohio State) and bronze medalist J’den Cox (Missouri) vie for NCAA Championships after capturing international fame last summer. Snyder was the youngest USA freestyler to win Olympic gold and will be the first Olympic gold medalist to compete in the NCAA Championships. The Buckeye is undefeated this season and looks to add to his already impressive career which includes three additional gold medals (World Championships, Pan American Games and Junior World Championships) and an NCAA Championship (2016).
Cox is already a two-time NCAA Champion (2014 and 2016) and a three-time All American. Additional storylines expected to play out from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis:
- Penn State’s Dominance: The Nittany Lions have won five of the last six championships, including last year, and are once again thought to be the favorite heading into the weekend. Ohio State, which won the Big Ten Championship, and Oklahoma State should challenge Penn State. Overall, the Big Ten has won the last 10 championships
- Undefeated No. 1 Seeds: In a championship known for top seeds losing, the No. 1 seed in all weight classes (10 in total) are undefeated going into the weekend.
- Three Time Champs: Cox of Missouri is one of three wrestlers going for their third NCAA Championship, with Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) and Gabe Dean (Cornell) also attempting the feat.
More information on what to watch for this weekend can be found here.
Wrestling Icons Turn ESPN Analysts
ESPN’s coverage will be anchored by wrestling icons Jim Gibbons, Tim Johnson, and Anthony Robles. Billy Baldwin will once again be a guest analyst and Quint Kessenich returns as a reporter. Mike Couzens makes his debut this year calling the play-by-play.
For more information on the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships: https://www.ncaa.com/wrestling
2017 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Schedule
| Date | Time (ET) | Session | Network/ WatchESPN Link |
Number of ESPN3 Mat Feeds |
| Thu, March 16 | Noon – 3:30 p.m. | First Round | ESPNU/ https://es.pn/2lUiswa | Eight Mats |
| 7 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. | Second Round | ESPN/ https://es.pn/2mFH61O | Eight Mats | |
| Fri, March 17 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Third Round – Quarterfinals | ESPNU/ https://es.pn/2lzz7T7 | Eight Mats |
| 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. | Fourth Round – Semifinals | ESPN / https://es.pn/2mLtIbO | Six Mats | |
| Sat, March 18 | 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Fifth Session – Medal Round | ESPNU/ https://es.pn/2meB76V | Three Mats |
| 8 p.m. – 11 p.m. | Sixth Session – Championship Finals | ESPN/ https://es.pn/2meuUYA | One Mat |
Please Note: WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN and ESPN app will have links for individual mat feeds throughout the Championship
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Media contact: Derek Volner at 860-384-9986; Derek.Volner@ESPN.com and @DerekVolner
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