2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
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 | |
| Teams | 63 |
|---|---|
| Format | Knockout |
| Finals site | St. Louis Enterprise Center |
| Champions | Iowa Hawkeyes (24th title) |
| Runner-up | Penn State Nittany Lions |
| Semifinalists | |
| Winning coach | Tom Brands (4th title) |
| Attendance | 25% capacity |
| Television | ESPN Networks |
The 2021 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships took place from March 18–20, 2021, in St. Louis, Missouri at the Enterprise Center. The tournament was the 90th NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship, following the cancellation of the 2020 edition, and featured 63 teams across that level.[1][2]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the event was forced to occur with modifications. Fans were permitted at Enterprise Center, however the number of tickets issued was limited to 25% of its listed capacity and social distancing/masking requirements were enforced.[3] The Ivy League as a whole did not compete in any sport for the 2020-21 season due to COVID concerns, leaving out notable teams like Cornell and Princeton as well as notable wrestlers such as two-time NCAA champion Yianni Diakomihalis and returning All-American Vito Arujau.[4]
In the tournament, Iowa clinched its first NCAA title since 2010 and finished with one individual national champion, while defending team champions Penn State became the runner-up of the tournament with four individual national champions.[5][2] Little Rock made its NCAA tournament debut with one national qualifier, while it was also the last year for Stanford and Fresno State.[6][7] Shane Griffith became the second ever NCAA champion from Stanford, and as a response to the cut of the school's wrestling team (which was eventually reversed following the tournament), he wore a black singlet with no logo during the finals match, took the podium wearing a "Keep Stanford Wrestling" t-shirt, and was named the Outstanding Wrestler afterwards.[8] North Carolina also saw its first National champion since 1995, with Austin O'Connor at 149 pounds.[9]