Manheim, Pennsylvania – It’s been 18,934 days since the Bears of the University of Northern Colorado were ranked in the NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll. After opening up their season with a victory on the road against Wyoming, coach Troy Nickerson’s squad entered at No. 25 in the latest Top 25, released Tuesday.
The school was known as Colorado State College the last time it appeared in the rankings and for decades, the Greeley, Colorado school was the flag-bearer for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference wrestling scene. The 1968-69 team finished the regular season ranked No. 6, which was the last time the school spent time in the rankings.
With a moderate portion of Division I wrestling squads taking the mats for the first time last weekend, there was minimal movement in the poll as just 14 duals were contested. Missouri (3-0) moved into the top 10 after sweeping South Dakota State, Oregon State and North Dakota State in Fargo.
No. 4 NC State (1-0) blanked Gardner-Webb 42-0 in a matchup of North Carolina schools, while No. 8 Virginia Tech (1-0) stopped Campbell 28-6 in Blacksburg. No. 9 Iowa State (1-0) opened up its regular season by topping Division III power Wartburg 35-6 in Ames.
Arizona State (1-0), Pittsburgh (1-0) and Central Michigan (1-0) were the only other ranked teams in action. The host Sun Devils topped Little Rock 39-3, while Pittsburgh rallied past Navy 22-14 in Annapolis. Central Michigan shut out Division III Olivet 44-0.
Methodology: The NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll is voted on by two coaches from each Division I wrestling conference. Each first-place vote is worth 25 points, 24 points for a second-place vote, 23 for a third-place vote and so on through to one point for a 25th-place vote. The poll is based on dual meet results. Teams who are not competing this season are not included in the voting process.
NWCA Division I Wrestling Coaches Poll
January 5, 2021
| Rank | Team (First) | Record | Points | Conf. | Previous |
| 1 | Iowa | (0-0) | 350 | Big Ten | 1 |
| 2 | Penn State | (0-0) | 329 | Big Ten | 2 |
| 3 | Michigan | (0-0) | 322 | Big Ten | 3 |
| 4 | NC State | (1-0) | 308 | ACC | 4 |
| 5 | Nebraska | (0-0) | 287 | Big Ten | 5 |
| 6 | Oklahoma State | (0-0) | 285 | Big 12 | 6 |
| 7 | Ohio State | (0-0) | 262 | Big Ten | 7 |
| 8 | Virginia Tech | (1-0) | 246 | ACC | 8 |
| 9 | Iowa State | (1-0) | 223 | Big 12 | 9 |
| 10 | Missouri | (3-0) | 217 | MAC | 12 |
| 11 | Arizona State | (1-0) | 209 | Pac-12 | 11 |
| 12 | Minnesota | (0-0) | 176 | Big Ten | 13 |
| 13 | Pittsburgh | (1-0) | 163 | ACC | 14 |
| 14 | North Carolina | (0-0) | 160 | ACC | 10 |
| 15 | Rutgers | (0-0) | 145 | Big Ten | 15 |
| 16 | Purdue | (0-0) | 137 | Big Ten | 16 |
| 17 | Lehigh | (0-0) | 130 | EIWA | 17 |
| 18 | Stanford | (0-0) | 111 | Pac-12 | 18 |
| 19 | Oklahoma | (0-0) | 85 | Big 12 | 20 |
| 20 | Wisconsin | (0-0) | 76 | Big Ten | 19 |
| 21 | Central Michigan | (1-0) | 69 | MAC | 21 (tie) |
| 22 | Northwestern | (0-0) | 54 | Big Ten | 23 |
| 23 | Northern Iowa | (0-0) | 46 | Big 12 | 24 |
| 24 | Army West Point | (0-0) | 45 | EIWA | 25 |
| 25 | Northern Colorado | (1-0) | 39 | Big 12 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Michigan State 34, Appalachian State 9, Illinois 7, Virginia 7, Campbell 5, Hofstra 5, Rider 5, Wyoming 4
Dropped Out: Michigan State (0-0)
2020-21 Poll Dates: January 12, January 19, January 26, February 2, February 9, February 16, February 23.