Minnesota Golden Gophers

Gopher Wrestling: Schedule Announced for 2026-27 Campaign

MINNEAPOLIS – The Minnesota wrestling team has unveiled its 2026-27 schedule, head coach Brandon Eggum announced Tuesday in conjunction with the Big Ten. Match Start times and TV designations will be announced at a later date.

Seven home matches plus a return trip to the National Duals Invitational highlight the schedule for a Gopher team that returns seven starters from last season’s squad, including five that competed at the NCAA Championships, headlined by defending 184-pound national champion Max McEnelly.

In addition, the Gophers bring back reigning All-American Jore Volk (125 pounds), as well as two-time All-American Vance VomBaur (141), plus Charlie Millard (157) and Koy Hopke (285), who both competed in their first NCAA Championships last season.

Minnesota also benefits from the return of starters Ethan Riddle (174) and Gavin Nelson (197).

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Bob Board 1935-2026

Hall of Famer Bob Board passed away on September 5, 2026. He was 90 years old. Board was a long-time coach at Coon Rapids High School, a University of Minnesota wrestler, and a state champion for Anoka High School. He was inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association Dave Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1973 and the Minnesota Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008.

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Big Ten Wrestling Championships head to Columbus in 2027

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference on Wednesday announced that Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, will serve as the host site for the 2027 Big Ten Wrestling Championships.

The 2027 event marks the first time the championships will be held at a neutral site, providing the nation’s most passionate fans a greater opportunity to witness the premier conference in college wrestling. Fans can sign up to be the first to learn about tickets and additional championship information here.

“The growth and dominance of Big Ten wrestling continues to accelerate,” said Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti. “Our fans have shown they will pack any venue for our championships and this move, beginning this winter at the world-class Nationwide Arena, will allow us to accommodate more of them each year at our signature wrestling event. The Big Ten will continue to lead in the investment of time, effort and resources to elevate the experience of our Olympic sports student-athletes across the conference.”

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McEnelly, Steveson Ready for RAF12

MINNEAPOLIS – Reigning 184-pound national champion Max McEnelly and two-time heavyweight champ Gable Steveson will represent the Gopher Wrestling program Saturday night at Real American Freestyle’s RAF12 in Cleveland, Ohio.

McEnelly is scheduled to compete against Bo Nickal in a catchweight matchup, while Steveson faces Anthony Cassioppi in a heavyweight bout. The event starts at 7 p.m. CT at Rocket Arena, the same arena in which McEnelly won his title this past March, and is streamed on FoxNation (subscription required).

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Vega Returns to Gophers as Assistant Coach

MINNEAPOLIS – Former Minnesota All-American Leroy Vega is returning to his alma mater as the team’s newest assistant coach, Gophers head coach Brandon Eggum announced Wednesday.

“Having an alum return to the program with the passion and connection Leroy has for Minnesota is incredibly special,” Eggum said. “We are extremely excited to welcome Leroy back to Minnesota Wrestling. He is a tremendous recruiter, motivator, relationship builder and developer of men.

“His experience leading as a head assistant coach in the Big Ten has prepared him to make an immediate impact. Leroy understands what it means to be a Gopher, and he has a genuine passion for helping young men grow on and off the mat. We’re excited to have him back home and believe he will be a tremendous addition to our staff and our program.”

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Gopher Wrestling: Sanders to Pursue Prep Head Coaching Position

MINNEAPOLIS – After nearly 20 seasons with the Minnesota wrestling program, first as a student-athlete and then a staff member, assistant coach Zach Sanders is stepping down to become a head coach at one of the top prep programs in the country.

Sanders is set to take over as head coach at St. Michael-Albertville High School in St. Michael, Minn. The Knights have won 12 team championships, tied for the second most in state history, including each of the last three Class AAA crowns. Notable Gophers who have competed for the school include the Thorn brothers (Michael, David and Thomas) and the McKee brothers (Mitch and Patrick), as well as current Gophers Jed Wester and John Murphy.

“What can I say? I am a lucky guy,” Sanders said. “I remember being a seventh grader watching the 2002 NCAA Championships and cheering on the Gophers to their second NCAA team title. Then promising myself that I would do whatever it took to wear the Maroon and Gold someday. Representing my home state as an athlete and a coach was an honor I’ll never take for granted. It felt like I had the whole state in my corner.

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Sparks, Laitinen Named Minnesota’s Outstanding Sportsmanship Award Honorees

MINNEAPOLIS – The Big Ten announced today that wrestling’s Andrew Sparks and women’s hockey’s Nelli Laitinen were named Minnesota’s Outstanding Sportsmanship Award honorees. The conference recognized two student-athletes from each school with the honor.

The pair of Gophers were chosen for distinguishing themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior, being fair and respectful to their opponents, being enthusiastic about the game, enjoying playing it, and, win or lose, always doing their absolute best. The recipients also are active within their campus communities. In addition, the student-athletes are in good academic standing and must have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

Sparks is coming off his sixth and final season with the Maroon and Gold, earning All-America honors for the first time in his career. After a loss in the Round of 16, he rattled off four straight victories to become the first Gopher All-American at 165 pounds since 2014. The No. 13 seed, Sparks finished in fifth place, the best by a Gopher at the weight since 2004 and the highest by a Gopher seeded 13th or higher since 2021.

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McEnelly Garners Academic All-America Honors

MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota’s Max McEnelly added another accolade to his standout redshirt sophomore season when he was named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) on Wednesday.

The 2026 national champion at 184 pounds, McEnelly was named to CSC’s At-Large Third Team for his academic success. He becomes the sixth Gopher wrestler to become an Academic All-American and the first since Isaiah Salazar was also a third-team honoree in 2024. McEnelly’s recognition is the eighth in program history, as Michael Kroells and Brett Pfarr were both two-time winners in 2016 and 2017.

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