Penn State Wrestling: How to Watch the Nittany Lions' Finale Vs. American

The No. 1 Penn State wrestling team closes the regular season at Rec Hall against American for its annual Senior Day match.

Penn State’s Carter Starocci, top, wrestles Iowa's Angelo Ferrari in the 184-pound bout of their Big Ten dual match at the Bryce Jordan Center. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State wrestling bids a home farewell to one of the most successful senior classes in its history Friday night, when the Nittany Lions host American at Rec Hall. The match is Penn State's last before it begins the postseason chase of its fifth consecutive national championship.

The top-ranked Nittany Lions can conclude their fifth consecutive unbeaten season Friday. Further, with a win Penn State would finish the season with a 71-match win streak, the second-longest in NCAA Division I men's wrestling history. The Nittany Lions then would begin next season needing six wins to break Oklahoma State's record 76-match win streak. Here's what, and how, to watch when Penn State hosts American on Friday night.

Penn State (14-0) vs. American (10-9)

• When: 7 p.m. ET Friday

• Where: Rec Hall

• Streaming: B1G+

How to watch Penn State vs. American

There's no live TV coverage of the Penn State-American match. Instead, B1G+, the conference's subscription streaming service, will carry the match live. Can't watch? Listen to Jeff Byers on the call for the Penn State Sports Network.

About the Penn State Nittany Lions

Senior Beau Bartlett, Penn State's newly minted No. 1 wrestler at 141 pounds, recently reflected on his career with the program. He marveled that Penn State hasn't lost a dual match in his five seasons. And most likely, Bartlett will end his Penn State career without ever losing a team dual.

"I don’t know what it’s like to lose a college dual, and that's an awesome feeling," Bartlett told reporters in State College recently. "You’re never surrounded by 20 people who are upset. You're surrounded by guys who are teching people, pinning guys, having awesome matches and everywhere in between. So it motivates you to keep going so you’re not surrounded by people who are licking their cuts and bruises."

Bartlett will be among the seniors who helped make that true. Penn State's senior class includes Carter Starocci, the top-ranked wrestler at 184 who is going for an unprecedented fifth national title in Division I wrestling. It also includes top-ranked Greg Kerkvliet, the defending national champ at 285 pounds. And it includes a group of wrestlers who don't compete much but remain important to the program's success.

"It's one thing to love the sport when you're doing really well and kicking butt," Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said this week. "You’ve got to really love the sport if you go to practice and you’re getting your butt kicked every day and you keep coming back and you still love it. It takes a special individual."

Aside from the starters competing for the last time at Rec Hall, Penn State could adjust its lineup to get more of those seniors on the mat. Penn State won't compete for the next two weeks until the Big Ten Championships March 8-9 at Northwestern.

About the American Eagles

American is having an impressive season, winning won 10 matches for the first time since 2011. American arrives in State College following a 19-17 victory over George Mason. In that match, the Eagles scored 28 third-period points and won two bouts from behind. That said, American will have a hard time scoring on, much less beating, any of Penn State's starters. One American wrestler is ranked according to InterMat: Will Jarrell (20-9) is 32nd at 285. Redshirt sophomore Caleb Campos (174) is 18-10 on the season, while junior Raymond Lopez (133) is 17-10.