Penn State Wrestling Has a Deadline for the 2025 National Duals Invitational

Penn State wrestling has an automatic bid waiting to the inaugural National Duals Invitational, a $1 million college wrestling showcase that will kick off the 2025 season. The sport will learn by April 15 whether the four-time defending NCAA champion wants to participate.

The National Duals Invitational released its criteria for qualification to the 16-team duals tournament scheduled for Nov. 15-16 at the Bok Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The top 12 teams at the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships received invitations. Penn State won the NCAA Tournament with a record 177 team points, claiming its fourth straight NCAA title and 12th in the last four events.

“While we know this is not an accurate representation of dual team rankings, we believe it will ensure that the event features some of the best competition in the country,” tournament director Matt Surber said in a statement. “I’m excited to see additional participation as we grow the sport of wrestling.”

Teams planning to participate in the National Duals Invitational have until April 15 to accept their bids. The most intriguing response will come from Penn State coach Cael Sanderson, who was non-committal earlier this year about participating in the event.

“I saw that coming around again,” Sanderson said in January. “I mean, they have somebody that’s trying to host the event down in Oklahoma. I think that’s just kind of always been what people think the answer is the national duals. I don’t really feel any differently now than I do about it 10 years ago, right? I mean, I think you can create a big event without including every team in the country, right?”

Whether Penn State competes in the National Duals Invitational remains the debut tournament’s most intriguing question. Penn State has won 71 consecutive dual matches over the past five years and could break Oklahoma State’s win-streak record (76) in NCAA Division I wrestling next season.

Penn State could get four wins closer to that record, and claim the $200,000 top prize in the process, by winning the tournament. The Nittany Lions certainly would be favorites, as they return seven All-Americans, including two national champions, from the 2025 roster. Penn State also has added 2024 NCAA runner-up Rocco Welsh and 2024 Japanese world champion Masanosuke Ono.

The top eight finishers in the National Duals Invitational’s will earn prize money ranging from $20,000 to $200,000. Each team will receive $20,000 for participating. The National Duals Invitational is sponsored by Paycom.