National Duals, '25, thread

SRATH

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
2,452
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I see your point, but I wouldn't mind it around the 3rd week of December. There is a lot of duplication with the big ten schedule though.
Do you mean the Collegiate Wrestling Duals in Nashville where PSU is wrestling NDSU and Stanford?

I don't mean to sound like a smart ***, because I am more *** than smart, but there is already and event that weekend. What is going on this weekend is a bunch of asshats, with a corporate sponsor so they think they have money and because of that they are better than everyone else, want a "look at me" event.

We all know people like this........so it isn't surprising we find them in the wresting community.
 

PUR158

Junior
Feb 11, 2025
87
210
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Pitt should be great and at one point was pretty darn good, Rex Perry era. However, other than having a wrestling program the Pitt administration, nor Athletics leadership and obviously the monied alumni don't give a hoot about wrestling. Rutgers with their attendance numbers seem to actually care about wrestling.
I would bet the Rutgers attendance boost is due to a high number of fans who are curiously interested in the final line of the match.
 

jstross

Redshirt
Oct 28, 2005
22
39
13
Do you mean the Collegiate Wrestling Duals in Nashville where PSU is wrestling NDSU and Stanford?

I don't mean to sound like a smart ***, because I am more *** than smart, but there is already and event that weekend. What is going on this weekend is a bunch of asshats, with a corporate sponsor so they think they have money and because of that they are better than everyone else, want a "look at me" event.

We all know people like this........so it isn't surprising we find them in the wresting community.
If there was a true collegiate dual championship I'd want it the 3rd week of December. Obviously wouldn't be this year. Wrestling Stanford and SD State doesn't do much for me, that's all.
 

SRATH

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
2,452
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If there was a true collegiate dual championship I'd want it the 3rd week of December. Obviously wouldn't be this year. Wrestling Stanford and SD State doesn't do much for me, that's all.
I am just not a fan of the the idea of a true dual championship. A few reasons. One, there is an established process, which is great, for determining the best team. Two, someone more knowledgeable than I on wrestling history might be able to answer the question, but for the vast majority of the time, folks know who has the best dual team. It is probably a team coming out of the BT. Sure, Okie State, Cornell, Mizzu and others can put good teams together. Plenty of opportunities to be tested.
 
Dec 31, 2021
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I’ll add, Ryan should check his mouth at the door. No sport with any coverage on any channel will grow going up against the NFL. Fact. Our participation becomes irrelevant in that condition. Maybe he should consider WHEN to have it as part of growing the sport.

Whinin' Ryan. Every time I want to respect him, he engages mouth before brain.
 

jstross

Redshirt
Oct 28, 2005
22
39
13
I am just not a fan of the the idea of a true dual championship. A few reasons. One, there is an established process, which is great, for determining the best team. Two, someone more knowledgeable than I on wrestling history might be able to answer the question, but for the vast majority of the time, folks know who has the best dual team. It is probably a team coming out of the BT. Sure, Okie State, Cornell, Mizzu and others can put good teams together. Plenty of opportunities to be tested.
Oh trust me, NCAA wrestling championships is by far my favorite championship tourney. Just tired of the whining, but a 70+ dual win streak when competing in the #1 conference by far pretty much says who the dual team champion is. Think about that streak. Injuries, flu outbreak, skin disease and so many other obstacles and they just keep winning. Special.
 

watoos

Senior
Oct 31, 2021
458
610
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I do Fan Experience for nationals and Tulsa was the worst experience. We were fed refried beans and Frito Lays for meals.

I went to nationals many years ago at the Myriad in Oklahoma City, that was a better time. Sight seeing not so hot, the Cowboy hall of fame had a sign that said Wildfire, the only bronc not to be ridden. I couldn't find Wildfire, here he was dead and buried, I guess I was supposed to say a prayer at his grave.
 

Misalorales

Junior
Jun 3, 2025
125
360
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So far the national duals has yielded twice as many 15 points or more margin of victory for the dual winner (10 duals) as it has single digit dual victories(5). 15 out of the 20 duals were decided by at least 10 points. I don't see a true national duals taking off until parity in wrestling is real and I don't think wrestling has ever had what i call parity. It will always be this, 16 teams at the dual tournament and 1-3 teams with an actual shot at winning (unless PSU goes then 1). And I'm sorry a bunch of blowout duals isn't going to bring the ratings like they hope. W'ell still watch but to keep the concept going for the future it's not the message board crowd they need to get to tune in.
 

PSUcup

Junior
Nov 6, 2012
172
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Fair enough, I’m not gonna pretend to know what’s going on behind the scenes, but hard for me to believe that coaches don’t know what they have in the NCAA event. I don’t think there is a collective effort to replace it. Tom Ryan is very obviously a mental case and I doubt anyone is looking to him as some ambassador for the NCAA product, but maybe I’m naive. To me, this event is nothing more than a revenue experiment with the added value of bringing eyes to Okie St.

They are probably losing money on this,
so I’m Interested to see where they go from here, but i still want to see PSU have a part in it.
This is like the PSU vs Pitt football rivalry for me. While I wish the game were an annual occurrence… I also completely understand why Penn St doesn’t play it every year.
 

HikeNatParks

Sophomore
May 12, 2023
25
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I couldn't include Brands with that group because other than his refusal to compete against PSU other than when mandated he does put his best team on the mat to accept their beatdown. Also, in Brands eyes it is his fault the Hawks can't beat the Nits. Ryan, Koll and at least in Mike Grey's spokesperson's opinion, Mrs. Grey, the reason their teams can't compete with Cael's teams is because it is Cael's fault. Ryan, Koll and Mrs. Grey always cause me to wonder if they post on HR because they whine and utter words of stupidity as frequently and as impassioned as some of the most ridiculous HR posters.
I really enjoy making fun of TnT, but they compete and accept their *** kicking with the understanding that if they want to make it stop it is on them. I can't say that about Ryan, Koll or Mrs. Grey. Goodale doesn't usually whine, but since he felt a need to jump in - well Goodale's coaches a program that sits in the middle of the same gold mine of talent as Cael does. There is no reason for Rutgers to not be a freaking wrestling power, and if they were the Rutgers' fan following would rival PSU's and Iowa's.
You make the case why I like Tom Brands. From the little I’ve read or seen, he takes his coaching results like a man, not a whiny, teenage girl. It’s his responsibility to make his wrestlers capable of beating a Lion, or any other opponent. When it doesn’t work, he owns it. Unlike Ryan & Co, he doesn’t pass notes in class saying he would’ve been prom queen if Missy hadn’t cheated.
 

dicemen99

All-Conference
Nov 15, 2005
3,114
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Curious, since both of these match-ups will be repeated during the season, will a different result render these results null and void? :unsure:
Yeah. Kind of like (not exactly, but close enough) if they moved the Cliff Keen to a month after Nationals and invited the top 20 teams to compete there.

Nothing about holding a National Duals championship in November makes sense. Doesn't even make sense in late December like some are pushing as long as the current setup with conference duals in January and February is in place. If Tom Ryan has his way and Ohio State beats PSU (or any other team) on November 17th or December 22nd for the championship in 2029 - let's say PSU is still figuring out their RSs or has some guys recovering from competing internationally that fall - and then gets smacked by PSU (or some other team) 27-9 on January 31st in a conference dual, just how credible will the event be then?????

I said it before, either stupid or self-serving - you make the call.
 

Aardvark86

Junior
Oct 12, 2021
278
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You make the case why I like Tom Brands. From the little I’ve read or seen, he takes his coaching results like a man, not a whiny, teenage girl. It’s his responsibility to make his wrestlers capable of beating a Lion, or any other opponent. When it doesn’t work, he owns it. Unlike Ryan & Co, he doesn’t pass notes in class saying he would’ve been prom queen if Missy hadn’t cheated.
Yeah, it’s sorta like this vid represents the brandses before the match and Ryan after.
 
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JoeBagobagels

Sophomore
Jun 24, 2025
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You make the case why I like Tom Brands. From the little I’ve read or seen, he takes his coaching results like a man, not a whiny, teenage girl. It’s his responsibility to make his wrestlers capable of beating a Lion, or any other opponent. When it doesn’t work, he owns it. Unlike Ryan & Co, he doesn’t pass notes in class saying he would’ve been prom queen if Missy hadn’t cheated.
Agreed. I really like the guy, I like to rip on them as a Penn State fan in rivalry anyway but I think he's a solid coach who cares about making his guys better.
 

dicemen99

All-Conference
Nov 15, 2005
3,114
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BTW, I am not advocating to get rid of a dual event like this. Definitely is enjoyable and adds to the season - just like the B1G tournament, the Iowa - Oklahoma State dual, the Cliff Keen, the Scuffle (in the past), etc.

Just stop calling for it to be a National Championship. Yeah, it might be nice for Ryan to hang up in his rafters (and to ask for a raise), but nobody outside of Columbus is going to think he won one.
 

dicemen99

All-Conference
Nov 15, 2005
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Agreed. I really like the guy, I like to rip on them as a Penn State fan in rivalry anyway but I think he's a solid coach who cares about making his guys better.
Unlike Cael, who is currently being because he just sat in his chair when the doctor's looked at Levi over on the HR. Because he just doesn't give a **** about him. By guys who supposedly are connected with the Iowa program. In their mind, I guess Levi must stay at PSU because of the compromising pictures.

Cael is so much in those guys heads - Nichols, Novak, Gobblin - it's comical.
 

BaccaFarmer

Junior
Aug 20, 2018
100
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I am just not a fan of the the idea of a true dual championship. A few reasons. One, there is an established process, which is great, for determining the best team. Two, someone more knowledgeable than I on wrestling history might be able to answer the question, but for the vast majority of the time, folks know who has the best dual team. It is probably a team coming out of the BT. Sure, Okie State, Cornell, Mizzu and others can put good teams together. Plenty of opportunities to be tested.
Agree >> after watching wrestling for 50+ years that by mid-February we all know the best team in duals. Maybe one out of 5 years there is a bit of doubt, but, that gets sorted out in March. For a wrestling junkie, I like a quad meet like you see in smaller HS settings. Say PSU, Cornell, Pitt, and NC State over a Friday night to Sunday afternoon.
 
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Unlike Cael, who is currently being because he just sat in his chair when the doctor's looked at Levi over on the HR. Because he just doesn't give a **** about him. By guys who supposedly are connected with the Iowa program. In their mind, I guess Levi must stay at PSU because of the compromising pictures.

Cael is so much in those guys heads - Nichols, Novak, Gobblin - it's comical.
Which of those booster/social media loudmouths is the dentist by trade? The guy is a respected professional with a family and he whines like an 8 year old girl who lost her favorite Barbie. Plus, concocts all kinds of conspiracies and excuses because Iowa is prevented from dominating the sport as God intended by evil Cael.

its embarrassing

Yeah, and lauding Brian Daboll for supposedly caring so much about Dart he had to go into the tent to check on him. Uh, dumbasses, you don’t meddle with the concussion protocol given the massive conflict of interest it poses - why the **** do you think the NFL fined his fat ***.
 

o_BruceK-PSU83

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Oct 31, 2021
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BTW, I am not advocating to get rid of a dual event like this. Definitely is enjoyable and adds to the season - just like the B1G tournament, the Iowa - Oklahoma State dual, the Cliff Keen, the Scuffle (in the past), etc.

Just stop calling for it to be a National Championship. Yeah, it might be nice for Ryan to hang up in his rafters (and to ask for a raise), but nobody outside of Columbus is going to think he won one.
Kind of like how Tan Tom and anOSU consider that Luke Pletcher and Kolin Moore are 2020 NCAA champs.

I know the photo linked below has been shown before in this forum, but it just doesn't get old.

 
Jun 23, 2025
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BTW, I am not advocating to get rid of a dual event like this. Definitely is enjoyable and adds to the season - just like the B1G tournament, the Iowa - Oklahoma State dual, the Cliff Keen, the Scuffle (in the past), etc.

Just stop calling for it to be a National Championship. Yeah, it might be nice for Ryan to hang up in his rafters (and to ask for a raise), but nobody outside of Columbus is going to think he won one.
Oh and he’ll do it if he wins these next two lol
 

jack66

All-Conference
May 29, 2001
3,159
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Not going to grow it,like I said months ago, if you have to subscribe to flo or any pay to view!I don't see what's so hard to understand
.

Flo's entire business model is anti-growth. They want PSU because it might generate more members for their site, but those fans would not be new to wrestling.

Two rounds of blowouts, followed by 4 teams that will meet during the season, won't draw new fans away from NFL/college football, even with PSU in the field.
 

Anon1683312534

Freshman
May 5, 2023
49
53
18
Non-wrestling fans are almost never watching wrestling. Anytime anyone talks about growing a sport they are an idiot or they would benefit financially from what they're pushing for.

The Olympic sports were a huge thing very early in my life, I was born in 1963. They've been on the down slide since then.

Wrestling has grown nicely recently but it's always going to be a niche sport.
The Olympics started the downward spiral when they replaced sports with pickup sticks and the likes. I probably shouldn't have used pickup sticks they might think it's a good idea!
In reality, that would have been a colossal waste of money. The sport of wrestling "is what it is".
It's pay TOO view. Flo isn't free.
 

Misalorales

Junior
Jun 3, 2025
125
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The average score of the 20 duals that have taken place is 26.25 to 10.6...The teams everyone expected to make the semi finals made it. The vast majority tuning in are doing so for particular individual matchups, not to see if Missouri can hang with Iowa. Let's focus on getting CKLV, Southern Scuffle and other tournaments back to peak participation and scrap the "national duals" idea. There will never be more than 4 or 5 teams capable of winning a national tournament and honestly, the majority of the time it's one or two at most. Let's embrace what wrestling is, a collection of individual talents that come together to improve and grow. Okay I'm done sorry. Just got tired of the talk all off season about how amazing this would be when we all knew it would be a bunch of blowouts and then a few decent duals and we'd all just be watching the individual matchups anyways
 

Ruby Tues

Redshirt
Oct 29, 2021
24
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And when do the matches start back up today?

edit: I just found it, disregard….
 
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Aardvark86

Junior
Oct 12, 2021
278
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Flo's entire business model is anti-growth. They want PSU because it might generate more members for their site, but those fans would not be new to wrestling.

Two rounds of blowouts, followed by 4 teams that will meet during the season, won't draw new fans away from NFL/college football, even with PSU in the field.
It’s really the same model Martin shkreli used in pharma. Identify niche market products that a solid but smallish core of people needed or wanted, but not so many that the market could sustain competitors, monopolize the rights in that market, and then charge monopoly prices and provide monopoly service to consumers.
 

JoeBagobagels

Sophomore
Jun 24, 2025
134
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Yeah. Kind of like (not exactly, but close enough) if they moved the Cliff Keen to a month after Nationals and invited the top 20 teams to compete there.

Nothing about holding a National Duals championship in November makes sense. Doesn't even make sense in late December like some are pushing as long as the current setup with conference duals in January and February is in place. If Tom Ryan has his way and Ohio State beats PSU (or any other team) on November 17th or December 22nd for the championship in 2029 - let's say PSU is still figuring out their RSs or has some guys recovering from competing internationally that fall - and then gets smacked by PSU (or some other team) 27-9 on January 31st in a conference dual, just how credible will the event be then?????

I said it before, either stupid or self-serving - you make the call.
Both is the third choice.
It’s really the same model Martin shkreli used in pharma. Identify niche market products that a solid but smallish core of people needed or wanted, but not so many that the market could sustain competitors, monopolize the rights in that market, and then charge monopoly prices and provide monopoly service to consumers.
nailed it
 
Feb 6, 2018
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If it's such a legit event, with the objective of determining the real duals national champion, why 16 teams?

Honestly 8 have zero chance even of an aberate upset, one could argue 12. I get not insulting the minor conferences, but the reality is they are a cut below and stand no chance, and their performance at Nationals clarified the point.

Is it just about money or filing a bracket to look like a real tourney? Is Wyoming's presence growing the sport, or do the sponsors and Flo want the small cadre of Wyoming fans and family members to pony up the $ to travel or buy a month subscription to flo.

College football doesn't have a16 team bracket for obvious reasons despite the reality that football actually does have upsets.

The final 4 was pretty much a forgone conclusion, certainly an 8 team bracket is more real, but that hurts revenue.

From a team standpoint would Tom Ryan be crying if the event were for free. As impressive the title of a national duals champion sounds, without the purse, how many teams would they have drawn? Let's all admit, the teams are being paid to attend. Follow the money.

Then you have the obvious flaw, a season start window where virtually no team has determine their best starting lineup, let alone most squads aren't even in tourney shape yet by any stretch.

Having a home team is unnecessary and unfair. Despite the obvious benefits of the home team kids sleeping in their own beds, with a disproportionate number of home team fans in the arena, is Oky State sharing the gate and other revenue (after the purse) with the other 15 teams equally? If it is to be considered legit, either a neutral site or rotating venues seems to be reasonable.

It's a dog and pony show, that's all. Entertaining? Hell yes! Good for the fans, and growing the sport? Sure. Structured, scheduled, and designed to determine the true national champion? Sorry, nope.

On balance, after such a tirade, I like that they have the event and teams should be free to participate or not. I hope it had legs and continue. It is good for the sport. It's just not what the title says it is.
 
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