Manheim, Pennsylvania – Penn State, winners of the last seven contested NCAA Division I national championships, starts the year where it left off last season, a unanimous No. 1 as the NWCA released its first Division I Coaches Poll of the season on Tuesday.
The Nittany Lions finished last season 16-0 and the only undefeated team in Division I. The Big Ten has five teams overall in the Top 10 with Iowa starting off the year second, Michigan sixth, Ohio State eighth and Nebraska ninth. The Hawkeyes are coming off a 15-1 dual meet season.
Overall, nine of the 14 current Big Ten schools start the year in the Top 25.
The ACC has two teams in the top five to start the season, led by third-ranked NC State. The Wolfpack ended last season 14-1. Rival Virginia Tech starts the year ranked fifth after a 10-3 season. Fourth-ranked Missouri leads a field of five Big 12 schools in the rankings to start the season. Iowa State also starts the year in the Top 10. The Cyclones went 16-3 last season.
Oklahoma State and South Dakota State also sit in the Top 15. The Cowboys start the year at No. 11, while South Dakota State starts the year ranked 12th, tying its highest ranking in school history. The Jackrabbits were previously ranked No. 12 for five weeks during the 2017-18 season.
Cornell is one of three EIWA teams ranked in the Top 25. The Big Red start the season at No. 7, followed by No. 19 Lehigh and No. 22 Penn.
Arizona State starts the year at No. 13 and is the top Pac-12 squad to start the Sun Devils’ final year in the conference. Oregon State begins the year tied for 20th with Oklahoma of the Big 12.
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
Preseason – October 31, 2023
| Rank | Team (First) | 22-23 Record | Points | Conf. | Final Poll Rank 22-23 |
| 1 | Penn State (14) | (16-0) | 350 | Big Ten | 1 |
| 2 | Iowa | (15-1) | 311 | Big Ten | 2 |
| 3 | NC State | (14-1) | 296 | ACC | 3 |
| 4 | Missouri | (8-3) | 294 | Big 12 | 9 |
| 5 | Virginia Tech | (10-3) | 281 | ACC | 10 |
| 6 | Michigan | (11-4) | 276 | Big Ten | 11 |
| 7 | Cornell | (12-3) | 274 | EIWA | 8 |
| 8 | Ohio State | (13-3) | 262 | Big Ten | 6 |
| 9 | Nebraska | (12-3) | 256 | Big Ten | 4 |
| 10 | Iowa State | (16-3) | 251 | Big 12 | 5 |
| 11 | Oklahoma State | (14-3) | 222 | Big 12 | 7 |
| 12 | South Dakota State | (12-4) | 172 | Big 12 | 14 |
| 13 | Arizona State | (7-5) | 171 | Pac-12 | 19 |
| 14 | Minnesota | (12-3) | 163 | Big Ten | 12 |
| 15 | Rutgers | (10-7) | 138 | Big Ten | 22 |
| 16 | Pittsburgh | (10-4) | 134 | ACC | 15 |
| 17 | Northern Iowa | (7-5) | 120 | Big 12 | 16 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | (8-8) | 93 | Big Ten | 17 |
| 19 | Lehigh | (9-9) | 62 | EIWA | NR |
| 20 (tie) | Oklahoma | (9-8) | 52 | Big 12 | NR |
| 20 (tie) | Oregon State | (8-7) | 52 | Pac-12 | NR |
| 22 | Penn | (9-5) | 43 | EIWA | 24 |
| 23 | Illinois | (6-7) | 41 | Big Ten | 21 |
| 24 | Northwestern | (7-3) | 36 | Big Ten | 13 |
| 25 | North Carolina | (6-9) | 32 | ACC | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Appalachian State 19, Lock Haven 19, Purdue 17, West Virginia 17, Michigan State 15, Stanford 15, North Dakota State 14, Maryland 11, Campbell 9, Cal Poly 8, Indiana 8, Air Force 7, Columbia 6, Northern Colorado 3.