MEET THE NITTANY LIONS
Josh Barr
197
Sam Beckett
174
Marcus Blaze
141
Elijah Brown
285
Dawson Bundy
285
Asher Cunningham
184
Hayden Cunningham
141
Sean Degl
174
Nate Desmond
133
PJ Duke
165
Mason Ellis
197
Kyison Garcia
141
Sam Herring
141
Tyler Kasak
157
Luke Lilledahl
125
Mitchell Mesenbrink
174
Connor Mirasola
285
Cael Nasdeo
149
Masanosuke Ono
133
Dalton Perry
149
Connor Pierce
149
Joe Sealey
165
Shayne Van Ness
149
Ty Watson
165
Braiden Weaver
133
Brock Weiss
141
Rocco Welsh
184
Branden Wentzel
125MATCH NOTES
SETTING THE SCENE
Penn State wrestling kicks off its 119th varsity season and the 18th year of the Cael Sanderson era this Thursday, November 12 as the Nittany Lions play host to the Bloomsburg Huskies at 7 p.m. (ET) inside Rec Hall. The dual meet will stream live to a worldwide audience of authenticated subscribers via B1G+ and the B1G+ app.
2025-26 IN REVIEW
Penn State remained atop the collegiate wrestling world in the 2025-26 season, with the Blue & White surging to their fifth-consecutive NCAA Championship crown and 13th in the prior 15 contested events. The Nittany Lions reset the NCAA Championship scoring record for the third year in a row, registering 181.5 points inside Cleveland’s Rocket Arena. PSU crowned four individual national champions in the postseason, with sophomore 125-pounder Luke Lilledahl, redshirt junior 165-pounder Mitchell Mesenbrink, senior 174-pounder Levi Haines and redshirt sophomore 197-pounder Josh Barr standing at the top of their respective podiums. An additional group of four more Penn Staters garnered All-America laurels, with national runners-up Shayne Van Ness (149) and Rocco Welsh (184), third-place finisher PJ Duke (157) and fourth-place finisher Marcus Blaze (133) rounding out PSU’s eight-member All-American corps. In recognition of his dominant 2025-26 individual season, Mesenbrink took home the Dan Hodge Trophy, becoming the sixth Nittany Lion to win a Hodge while netting PSU its eighth win of the award all-time. Penn State turned in an unblemished 15-0 overall dual schedule with an 8-0 mark in Big Ten contests, claiming the league’s regular season crown in the process. The Blue & White additionally played host to the 2026 Big Ten Championships, mustering a program-record seven conference champions while amassing 184.0 points inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
OPEN SEASON
Penn State christens its 119th varsity season of wrestling on Thursday night against Bloomsburg inside Rec Hall. Penn State has been stellar in its opening dual meet competition of the year, registering a 92-24-2 team record in season-opening dual meets, good enough for a .788 winning percentage. Under the direction of 18-year head coach Cael Sanderson, Penn State is 16-1 in regular season openers. The Blue & White open their dual slate at home in Happy Valley for the fifth year in a row when they face off against Bloomsburg. PSU is unbeaten in its last five home-opening matchups, outscoring opponents by a 160-16 margin in that span. Penn State will open its season inside Rec Hall for the first time since November 17, 2024, when PSU booked a 41-3 result against Drexel. Last year's home opener against Oklahoma came inside the Bryce Jordan Center, where the Nittany Lions published a 45-0 shutout. The Nittany Lions hit the road to battle No. 13 Oklahoma on Sunday, marking PSU's first road dual meet of the year. Under Sanderson, Penn State is 15-2 when facing off against an opponent in the Nittany Lions' first road dual of the season.
THE OPPOSITION
Bloomsburg is off to a strong start in the 2026-27 campaign, with the Huskies rattling off a pair of early dual meet victories en route to a 2-1 start. The Huskies started the season with a 32-7 loss to B1G-rival Wisconsin before rattling off back-to-back wins over Sacred Heart (45-0) and Duke (41-0) at Wrangle Mania in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Huskies have one ranked wrestler per InterMat in their most recent starting lineup, with No. 28 Mason Rebuck leading the way at heavyweight.
STORY OF THE SERIES
Penn State prepares for its 23rd all-time meeting with Bloomsburg on Thursday night in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions boast a 16-5-1 lead overall and have won each of the last six dual meets. PSU most recently faced the Huskies on November 13, 2011, during Sanderson's third season at the helm for PSU. The Blue & White registered a 39-3 victory inside Rec Hall powered by a trio of pins from Ed Ruth, David Taylor, and then-true freshman Nico Megaludis in his Penn State debut appearance at 125 pounds.
TICKETS
SINGLE-DUAL TICKETS
Single-dual tickets for Penn State wrestling matches are available through Ticketmaster via the link below, while supplies last. Tickets are subject to variable pricing, with options available for assigned seating through the verified resale marketplace in the Rec Hall bowl or standing room availability on the upper level.
GROUPS
Ticket discounts are available for groups of 20 or more at all ticketed Penn State Athletics events. Fans interested in bringing their group of 20 or more to a Penn State wrestling dual meet are encouraged to visit the Ticket Interest Form link below or call 1-800-NITTANY.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Rec Hall is subject to Penn State Athletics' Clear Bag Policy. View specific information on Penn State's Clear Bag Policy by visiting GoPSUsports.com/clearbagpolicy or by clicking the link below.
STUDENTS
STUDENTS
The student section for Penn State Wrestling is known as the RECkoning. Students get into all regular-season home wrestling matches for free with their student ID, while space remains. The student section inside Rec Hall is limited to 200 students, with student seating inside the Bryce Jordan Center reserved for 500 students.
Students should plan to arrive early to ensure they’re one of the first few-hundred students to gain entry to the venue.
PARKING
GAMEDAY PARKING LOCATIONS
Parking on the Penn State University campus requires a valid university permit or payment of an applicable fee. Parking for Penn State wrestling matches is available two hours prior to the scheduled start of the match in the Nittany Deck, West Deck and Eisenhower Deck. There will be a complimentary shuttle every match from the West Deck to Rec Hall. ADA parking spaces are located near Rec Hall and the Nittany Lion Shrine (valid state-issued ADA parking placard or license plate required, spaces not purchasable through ParkWhiz/HONK - see Accessibility & ADA section below for more details)
PARKING PAYMENT OPTIONS
Free Parking:
- No charge with a valid Penn State faculty/staff or student parking permit.
Prepaid Parking via ParkWhiz:
- Reserve online at ParkWhiz (Link below)
- Rates:
- $5.60 if purchase virtually by 11:59 p.m. the day before the event
- $10 if purchased virtually past midnight on the day of the event
- View the purchased ParkWhiz pass for the available parking times for each match.
Day-of-Event Payment:
- Available via pay stations inside the Nittany, West and Eisenhower Decks (see in-deck signage for instructions, or speak with a parking representative upon entry) beginning two hours before the start of each match. Take your entry ticket and pay at one of the ground level pay stations before returning to your vehicle.
PROMOTIONS
Penn State wrestling will celebrate Bobblehead Night on Thursday against Bloomsburg, with the Nittany Lions distributing bobbleheads of PSU's 2025-26 individual national champions to the first 1,000 fans in attendance at Rec Hall. Bobbleheads include all four Nittany Lion national champions from 2026: 125-pounder Luke Lilledahl, 165-pounder Mitchell Mesenbrink, 174-pounder Levi Haines and 197-pounder Josh Barr.
The Blue & White will also hoist the 2026 NCAA Championship banner to the rafters inside Rec Hall prior to the start of the dual meet against the Huskies. Fans are encouraged to arrive to the venue early and be in their seats at least 20 minutes prior to the opening bout to take part in the pre-match ceremony.
CONCESSIONS
FOOD & BEVERAGE OPTIONS
Penn State Athletics is proud to partner with Oak View Group to offer various concession offerings at Rec Hall! Please note, concessions at Rec Hall are available for purchase via credit/debit card only.
Concessions stands are located behind sections 105, 114, 117 and 121 with offerings such as hot dogs, Bavarian pretzels with cheese, popcorn, candy and more. Cinnamon roasted nuts are available on the main concourse behind section 207. Be sure to visit all of the Rec Hall concessions stands, as featured items may vary at each stand. Additional beverage and snack carts are located throughout Rec Hall on the main concourse and event levels.
As a reminder, outside food and beverage is PROHIBITED at Rec Hall.
ACCESSIBILITY & ADA
ADA COMPLIANCE AT REC HALL
Fans with a valid ADA parking placard who prepay for Nittany Deck or West Deck parking through ParkWhiz or have a valid Penn State parking permit may also park at the ADA spaces near Rec Hall and the Nittany Lion Shrine. Fans with an ADA placard who have not prepaid for parking may also park in these spaces if available by paying for time using the HONK app (zone No. 95105). If these spaces are unavailable, fans in need of ADA parking should park at the Nittany Deck.
Fans requiring ADA access may enter through the ADA entrance located off Curtin Road. ADA seating is located on the West Mezzanine above sections 108-110. Guests interested in other ADA seating options should visit the Ticket Office for assistance. For companion seating on the West Mezzanine, please speak with an usher or security staff member upon arrival.
If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please do not hesitate to ask event staff.
FOLLOW THE NITTANY LIONS
Visit GoPSUsports.com for more information on Penn State wrestling. Fans can keep up to date with the Nittany Lion wrestling team on X and Instagram @PennStateWREST, in addition to the team’s Facebook page at /PennStateWrestling.