What Penn State's Cael Sanderson Said Before the NCAA Wrestling Championships

Over the past decade, no college wrestling team has been better equipped to peak for nationals than Penn State. The Nittany Lions will pursue their fifth consecutive title, and ninth in the past 10 tournaments, this week in Cleveland, which hosts the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships.

Penn State is so heavily favored that DraftKings is taking bets on which team finishes second or in the top five. The Nittany Lions have the top seed in 70 percent of the weight classes and will send six undefeated wrestlers to Rocket Arena for the tournament.

But winning through three days of weigh-ins and downtime wrapped around seven-minute bursts requires tremendous physical and mental stamina. So what's Penn State's secret to peaking for the NCAA Championships? Is it Sanderson's cookie, perhaps? The Penn State coach discussed preparing for his favorite tournament with the local media in State College before heading to Cleveland.

'Peaking is just about ethusiasm'

Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling coach Cael Sanderson encourages his team during the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. — Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling coach Cael Sanderson encourages his team during the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Sanderson, who is pursuing his 13th team title in 17 years as Penn State's head coach, talks about nationals differently than some other coaches. He subscribes to the pressure-is-a-privilege theory that actively encourages his wrestlers to embrace the expectations of the moment.

"Obviously we track everything, and we know what we did at every practice over the last 15 years," Sanderson said. "We reflect back and we learn, and a lot of times you learn by accident and by mistake. The way college wrestlers train has changed over the last 15 years.

"So I think for us, peaking is just about enthusiasm. Being excited about being where you’re at in that moment. It’s a year-long process and a multi-year process. You want your kids to enjoy the sport and enjoy competing more when they leave here than when they got here. That’s something we talk about and pride ourselves in — that when our kids leave the program, they are going to love the sport, the ups and downs, the challenges and opportunities more when they leave."

Sanderson's approach to records

Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Levi Haines raises the championship belt at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships. — Penn State Nittany Lions wrestler Levi Haines raises the championship belt after his team won the team title at the Big Ten Wrestling Championships at Bryce Jordan Center. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State won its 86th consecutive match this season, breaking the NCAA wrestling win-streak record. The Nittany Lions set program records for champions (seven) and team points (184) at the Big Ten Championships. They head to nationals with an opportunity to break their own tournament scoring record along with the NCAA mark for individual titles (five).

"That's the furthest thing from our mind," Sanderson said. "... You're keeping things really simple. You’re focusing on exactly what you can control, the way you’re thinking, and what you can do with your hands and your feet. We want to see 10 guys go out there and be the best versions of themselves and wrestle with gratitude and enthusiasm. And when the dust settles, then we’ll take a look around and see what we can do better."

How Penn State views its opponents

Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling Cael Sanderson talks with PJ Duke. — Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling Cael Sanderson talks with PJ Duke during a match against the Iowa Hawkeyes' Jordan Williams. | Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sanderson positions Penn State as an inward-looking program that scouts for traits and trends but doesn't build strategies around its opponents. The Nittany Lions often are terrific in rematches, particularly after losing.

For instance, freshman PJ Duke lost to Nebraska's Antrell Hardy 2-1 during the regular season. In the rematch, Duke majored Hardy 12-4 in the 157-pound final at the Big Ten Championships to earn the No. 1 overall seed at NCAAs.

"If you see our guys wrestle, we don’t adapt to people that much," Sanderson said. "We try to make our opponents adapt to us. We're not shifting our plan every week based on who we’re competing against. … Of course, you have to be mindful of tactics and strategies and opponents.

"…. But anytime you wrestle somebody, at least the way we hope, we’re thinking about the next time and the next time and the next time. And that’s the way we approach each competition. If you’re wrestling somebody you haven’t wrestled before, wrestling is pretty simple. The strategy is, wrestle in your positions, and if it’s not your position, get out of there. If you approach your matches with that, it doesn’t really matter who you wrestle. But of course you’ve got to know tendencies. Certain kids are better at certain things and are going to force you into certain situations and positions that we’ve got to be prepared for. But ultimately it comes down to us doing what we do and wrestling the match where we’re strong."

The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships get underway Thursday at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. Penn State qualified its entire lineup for the third straight year and seeks to finish with 10 All-American for the second consecutive year.

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