How to Watch No. 1 Penn State Wrestling's Big Ten Opener vs. Rutgers

The unbeaten Nittany Lions can set another major win-streak record when they host the Scarlet Knights.

Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Mitchell Mesenbrink takes control against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights' Anthony White in a dual match at Rutgers. | Peter Ackerman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The top-ranked Penn State wrestling team can break the NCAA win-streak record Saturday when it hosts Rutgers in its Big Ten opener. The Nittany Lions (6-0) seek to win their 78th consecutive match, which would set the all-time record among NCAA wrestling programs.

Penn State likely will be without a top-10 wrestler at his weight class but still is a heavy favorite over No. 14 Rutgers. Here's what to know about the Penn State-Rutgers wrestling match.

How to watch Penn State vs. Rutgers wrestling

The Nittany Lions host Rutgers for a 4 p.m. ET match at Rec Hall. Big Ten Network will televise, with the top-line broadcast team of Shane Sparks and Jim Gibbons on the call. Streamers can watch on the Fox Sports app.

Can't watch? Listen to Jeff Byers live on the Penn State Sports Network.

RELATED: Cael Sanderson provides positive update on Masanosuke Ono

Penn State looks to make more history

Team	Consecutive Wins	Years Recorded	Division
Grand View	117	2013-22	NAIA
SUNY Delhi	92	1979-83	NJCAA
St. Cloud State	77	2017-22	NCAA Division II
Penn State	77	2020-present	NCAA Division I
Oklahoma State	76	1937-51	NCAA Division I
Oklahoma City	76	2008-12	NAIA Women
Iowa	69	2007-11	NCAA Division I
Oklahoma State	69	1996-99	NCAA Division I

Penn State in December won its 77th consecutive match, breaking Oklahoma State's record-long win streak in NCAA Division I men's wrestling. With a victory over Rutgers on Saturday, the Nittany Lions would set the all-time NCAA wrestling record for consecutive wins, topping St. Cloud State's Division II record set from 2017-22.

Penn State coach Cael Sanderson, usually reticent to discuss major streaks, did say this week that breaking Oklahoma State's 75-year-old record was "a pretty cool thing."

"I'm really excited for Penn State to have that now," Sanderson told reporters in State College. "I think that's a cool thing and something that should mean a lot to the program and our alumni and the kids."

Jason Bryant of Mat Talk Online has compiled an exhaustive list of records at his site, including the top win streaks in college wrestling history.

About the Penn State Nittany Lions

Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Braeden Davis has his hand lifted after a win at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

NCAA All-American Braeden Davis likely will return to Penn State's lineup Saturday despite a planned redshirt season. Davis, who wrestled at 133 pounds last year, is expected to take over at 141, where ninth-ranked Aaron Nagao is injured.

Nagao was forced to take a medical forfeit at the Jan. 3 Southern Scuffle, where he wrestled for the first time in more than month. Nagao, who has had faced injury issues during his time at Penn State, also took a medical forfeit at the Army West Point Invitational in November.

"He just wanted to get back on the mat and see how he would feel, that was kind of the idea," Sanderson said this week. "Things didn't go as well as we hoped for him."

Sanderson said that Davis, who placed fifth nationally at 133 pounds last season, returned to action in early January as a contingency. Davis went 4-0 at 141 pounds, with two pins and two major decisions, at the Kauffman Open at Edinboro. Freshman Nate Desmond, who is 6-0 this season and 3-0 at 141, could slot in as well.

"That's definitely an option," Sanderson said of Davis taking over the weight class. "We have a lot of options there. ... We have some kids there we believe in and we have a decision to make."

Penn State enters the match with eight wrestlers ranked in the top 5 at their weight classes, according to InterMat Wrestling. That includes freshmen PJ Duke (fourth at 157) and Marcus Blaze (fifth at 133) who are a combined 18-0 this season with 16 bonus-point victories.

About the Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers Scarlet Knights wrestling coach Scott Goodale instructs his team during a match vs. Lock Haven. | Peter Ackerman/Asbury Park Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sanderson called Rutgers a team that "always brings fire and passion" to its matches vs. Penn State. However, the Nittany Lions are 26-0 against Rutgers and defeated the Scarlet Knights 35-3 last season, when the teams were ranked first and 14th, as they are now.

Rutgers (6-2) lost 19-14 in December to Oklahoma, which the Nittany Lions shut out 45-0 in their opener. Still, the Scarlet Knights have 10 ranked wrestlers, though its standout could miss the match.

Joseph Olivieri (9-0 and ranked fifth at 141) did not wrestle in Rutgers' the last two matches and is not listed in the team's projected lineup. Thus, a top-10 bout between Nagao and Oliveri is unlikely to materialize.

Rutgers' other top-10 wrestler is Lenny Pinto, who is 7-3 and ranked ninth at 174 pounds. Penn State's Levi Haines (No. 1 at 174) defeated Pinto twice last season, including a 12-1 decision in the Big Ten final when Pinto was wrestling for Nebraska.

Heavyweight will be a top-25 bout as well, with Penn State's Cole Mirasola (15th at 7-2) taking on Rutgers' Hunter Catka (21st at 11-4).

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