The first USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll was released on Saturday by the National Wrestling Coaches Association and Iowa will start the year ranked No. 1.
Iowa garnered only four of the 12 first-place votes but totaled 286 points, narrowly edging Minnesota for the top spot. Minnesota received seven first-place votes. Three-time defending team champions Penn State received the other first-place vote. The USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll is voted on by a team’s dual strength, not projected tournament points.
Cornell, Ohio State and Penn State round out the top five.
As expected, the Big Ten has nine of its 14 schools ranked in the Top 25. The MAC has four teams ranked as Missouri leads the conference starting the year at No. 6. The rest of the top ten is Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Michigan and Edinboro, the only team from the EWL in the poll.
Rankings are released by the NWCA each Tuesday during the season. The next rankings will be released on November 11.
[eztable width=”500″]
Rank,Team (First),Points,Conference,2013-14 Record
1,Iowa (4),286,Big Ten,15-2
2,Minnesota (7),284,Big Ten,13-1
3,Cornell,270,EIWA,13-1
4,Ohio State,263,Big Ten,13-5
5,Penn State (1),258,Big Ten,15-1
6,Missouri,234,MAC,10-2
7,Nebraska,215,Big Ten,12-2
8,Oklahoma State,214,Big 12,10-5
9,Michigan,211,Big Ten,11-4
10,Edinboro,199,EWL,11-3
11,Virginia,156,ACC,18-3
12,Virginia Tech,155,ACC,18-5
13,Illinois,148,Big Ten,11-7
14,Pittsburgh,146,ACC,13-3
15,Lehigh,127,EIWA,10-6
16,Iowa State,121,Big 12,9-7
17,Northern Iowa,116,MAC,13-0
18,Wisconsin,108,Big Ten,12-6
19,Northwestern,102,Big Ten,9-7
20,Oregon State,68,Pac-12,11-7
21,Oklahoma,55,Big 12,11-5
22,Old Dominion,40,MAC,8-10
23,North Dakota State,24,WWC,11-7
24,Ohio,22,MAC,11-4
25,Wyoming,17,WWC,6-6
[/eztable]
Others receiving votes: Stanford 14, Chattanooga 13, Kent State 10, N.C. State 9, Central Michigan 8, Penn 4, Maryland 3