When it comes to sustained dominance in college wrestling, Penn State under Cael Sanderson isn’t just setting the bar - they’re redefining it.
Since Sanderson took over in State College, the Nittany Lions have built a dynasty that’s as relentless as it is remarkable. Last March in Philadelphia, they added a staggering 12th NCAA team title to their trophy case.
Even more impressive? They did it with 10 All-Americans - one in every weight class - and two individual national champions in Carter Starocci, who became a five-time champ, and Mitchell Mesenbrink.
Fast forward to this season, and there’s been no let-up. In fact, Penn State might be even scarier now.
The top-ranked Nittany Lions are 11-0, and they’ve barely broken a sweat doing it. Across those 11 duals, they’ve given up just 19 team points.
That’s not a typo. Nineteen points - total.
Seven of those wins were shutouts, including four against Big Ten opponents. This isn’t just winning.
It’s domination on a different level.
Their most emphatic statement came earlier this month when they rolled into Iowa City and dismantled a proud Iowa program, 32-3. That kind of result, in that building, against that team? That’s not just a win - it’s a flex.
Next up: No. 6 Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers are 9-5 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten, and they’ll step into the Bryce Jordan Center on Friday night trying to do what no team has done in a long time - snap Penn State’s 82-match winning streak. On paper, the odds are slim.
In reality? Even slimmer.
But that’s why they wrestle the matches.
So how does a program this good stay this locked in? How do you keep pushing when you’ve already climbed the mountain - again and again?
Sanderson was asked about that this week - about the “process” that fuels Penn State’s machine and how his wrestlers manage to stay focused when winning has become the norm.
“Well, I think saying ‘focus on the process’ means different things to different people,” he said. “Even if you ask the kids on your team, ‘Hey, what does this mean?’ You’re gonna get a different answer from each kid.”
That’s telling. Because while the results are consistent, the approach is deeply personal.
“But for us as a staff,” Sanderson continued, “we’re focused on something we feel is more exciting than just trying to win our next match.”
More exciting than winning? That’s not a throwaway line - it’s the foundation of the program’s philosophy.
“That’s the process for us,” Sanderson said. “It’s the details that make that possible. Little things like moving your feet, or whatever it is.”
It’s not about chasing the next trophy. It’s about mastering the craft. The wins are just a byproduct.
“We don’t change because we continue to focus on what we value,” Sanderson added. “And that’s being part of a program that stands for something maybe a little different. That’s what’s important to us.”
That mindset - valuing growth, precision, and identity over just results - is what separates good programs from great ones. And when the results do come, as they so often have for Penn State, they’re earned through a process that’s as intentional as it is elite.
“Obviously, if you do that and you focus on those things, results will come - or they won’t,” Sanderson said. “And if they don’t, well, then you make adjustments.”
That’s the blueprint. And right now, it’s working as well as it ever has.