Ohio State will get the next Big Ten Wrestling Championships in its own building, with the conference announcing Wednesday morning that the 2027 event will be held at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena.
The tournament is set for Saturday, March 6, through Sunday, March 7.
That news lands with Penn State still in the middle of a dominant run. The Nittany Lions hosted the Big Ten Championships this past season and are chasing a fifth straight conference tournament title, something no Penn State team has ever done. Iowa’s record in the event remains the benchmark: 25 straight titles from 1974-1998.
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, look built to matter again. Ohio State spent much of last season ranked No. 2 in the country before finishing tied for fourth at the NCAA Championships, and a big chunk of that roster is back.
At 125 pounds, Ohio State returns Nic Bouzakis, who is described as arguably the second-best wrestler in the country at that weight behind Penn State’s Luke Lilledahl. Ben Davino is back at 133 after finishing as the national runner-up there last season. At 141, Jesse Mendez could return as a two-time national champion, though that remains tied to the eligibility situation that has become one of the biggest stories in college sports this summer.
The Buckeyes also have several more pieces in place. Maddox Shaw is projected to start at 149 and could be ready for a breakout.
Brandon Cannon is set to wrestle at 157 and is one of the best in the sport when healthy. E’Than Birden is another breakout candidate at 165.
At 174, Ohio State brings in All-American Jaxon Smith as a transfer from Maryland. Dylan Fishback is back at 184, Seth Shumate returns at 197, and Nick Feldman is back at heavyweight, where he ranks among the Big Ten’s top big men.
The question now is the one that hangs over the conference: is Ohio State a real threat to Penn State wrestling?
In Other News...
Penn State Wrestling Looks Even More Loaded Than Fans Expected
FloWrestlings 2026-27 preseason rankings only added to the feeling that Penn State wrestling is heading into another heavyweight year. The outlets top 20 pound-for-pound list includes seven Nittany Lions, and three of them are returning NCAA champions, a reminder of just how much proven talent this lineup already has before the season even gets rolling.
The individual weight-class rankings tell a similar story, with Penn State sitting in position to stack wins all over the bracket. Even in a hypothetical team tournament, the Nittany Lions are projected to finish first, which is not exactly a surprise for a program that has made overpowering depth feel routine. The bigger question now is how all that talent sorts itself out once the matches actually begin. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Commits Bring Weekend Buzz With Two New Concerns
The calendar is turning toward another busy weekend for Penn States Pennsylvania high school commits, and there is plenty for fans to track beyond the usual scoreboard watching. The group includes several names already familiar to recruiting followers, from Ryan Robbins and Stanley Montgomery to Deonte Flemings Jr. and James Armstrong, giving the Nittany Lions a chance to see how their in-state class is stacking up as the season moves along.
There is a little more uncertainty, too, starting with Jon Sassic, who is dealing with a lower body injury and will not be available. Montgomery also remains a player worth monitoring after drawing praise from his coach, while Flemings continues to attract interest from other programs even as he stays part of Penn States class. For a recruiting cycle built on keeping top Pennsylvania talent home, the weekend offers both a showcase and a reminder that the work is never quite finished. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Are Split Over A New Pricey Game Day Push
Penn States latest game-day addition is built around exclusivity, with the school rolling out a new loyalty program called Penn State Experiences. The setup lets fans earn and spend points on premium offerings tied to football weekends, with partnerships helping supply a menu that ranges from locker room walkthroughs to visits from the Nittany Lion mascot.
The reaction has already been split online, which is hardly a surprise given that some of the packages carry price tags in the thousands. Some fans see the program as a creative way to buy into memorable access, while others view it as another reminder of how expensive the modern game-day experience has become, even as similar efforts have already shown up at Big Ten peers like Michigan and Ohio State. [Read more 🡒]