DI Board of Directors formally adopts changes to roster limits
The Division I Board of Directors on Monday adopted additional changes to NCAA rules to implement the court-approved House settlement. The changes — which codify roster limits, including legislated exceptions for current student-athletes whose roster spots would have been impacted by those limits — are effective July 1.
“With the court’s approval of the House settlement, college sports are entering a new era of increased benefits for college athletes,” said Tim Sands, chair of the board and president at Virginia Tech. “Today’s vote to codify the roster provisions of the settlement formally removes limits on scholarships for schools that opt in, dramatically increasing the potential available scholarships for student-athletes across all sports in Division I.”
Moving forward, NCAA rules for Division I programs will no longer include sport-specific scholarship limits. Instead, schools in the defendant conferences and others that opt in to the settlement rules and associated benefits to student-athletes will have roster limits, and schools will have the option to offer scholarships to any and all of those student-athletes. This change will dramatically increase the number of scholarships potentially available to Division I student-athletes, including more than doubling the possible number of scholarships that can be offered to women. NCAA schools have a deadline of June 30 to indicate whether they intend to opt into the settlement for the 2025-26 academic year.
The rules changes include legislated exceptions for current student-athletes with remaining eligibility whose roster spots would have been impacted by immediate implementation of the roster limits. Those designated student-athletes will be identified by their current or former schools, and regardless of the school for which they participate, they will not count toward that school’s roster limits for the duration of their eligibility.
The division’s core guarantees — which include scholarship protections — are not impacted by the rules changes. If a student-athlete receiving athletics aid loses a roster spot for roster management, … more at … https://www.ncaa.org/news/2025/6/23/media-center-di-board-of-directors-formally-adopts-changes-to-roster-limits.aspx
Wrestling with the American Dream
lham Jalak and Mustafa Pashtoon met for the first time on a flight from Kabul in February 2016. Jalak was 6 years old, Pashtoon just 8. Their fathers had known each other in the Afghan Army, and their families came to the United States through the Special Immigrant Visa program, which has helped resettle Afghan citizens who worked with the United States during the war. In America, their dads hoped to find better jobs and education for their children.
It was a big plane, an Emirates double-decker, and the two boys sat next to each other. They didn’t know what to expect once they landed, aside from what they had seen in the movies, and neither spoke English. “Not even one word,” Pashtoon later told the Texas Observer. “I didn’t even know how to write my name.” After the 16-hour flight to Houston, they flew to San Antonio, their new home, where they settled in a northwest neighborhood known for its diverse immigrant communities. A couple years later, their families relocated to San Antonio’s West Side.
The pair started playing sports. “I played soccer, cross-country, track, golf, tennis, soccer, and then I did football and basketball,” Jalak proudly recounted. “We played together.” They sometimes speak about their experiences unemotionally, as if every teenager were forced to flee a war-torn country. Occasionally, they break into Pashto with each other, then switch back to English.
When I first met them at an away junior varsity tournament at Legacy of Educational Excellence (LEE) High School, they were wrestling. In the gym bleachers, Jalak and Pashtoon, now 15 and 17, were waiting for their next matches along with Saifullah Gul, another Afghan immigrant. Altogether, they were among five Afghan wrestlers on Sidney Lanier High School’s team at that point in the season, about a quarter of the entire team.
Traditional Afghan wrestling—known as Pehlwani—is a popular pastime for boys in the south-central Asian nation, so many Afghan refugees find a natural home on high school wrestling teams in America. This phenomenon is prevalent in California and Virginia, the states with the largest populations of Afghan immigrants. … more at … https://www.texasobserver.org/afghan-refugees-san-antonio-high-school-wrestling/
New wrestling books out for fans, history buffs
There are several books that have recently come out that many fans will find intriguing, and for a variety of reasons. What I like most is that all have strong historical impact.
Pat Kelly, a WIN contributor for several years, has produced a terrific book entitled “K-State’s Wrestling Legacy,” with the subtitle “Stories, Stats and Personalities That Shaped the Sport in Kansas and Beyond.” Pat brings an extensive pedigree to his work, having been a two-time Iowa high school state champion, a two-time Division II All-American at Nebraska-Omaha, and built a long high school coaching career in Kansas.
WIN contributor Pat Kelly
The book is loaded with fascinating stories from an important area of wrestling’s past that has been largely forgotten. “For over 50 years, Kansas State University offered a wrestling program that became the state’s flagship at the collegiate level,” reads the back cover. “However, K-State wrestling has now been dormant for half a century. ‘K-State’s Wrestling Legacy’ gives readers a comprehensive look at the program’s history and connects it to the sport’s growth in the Sunflower State and its national influence.” Many important figures from the past parade through the pages, in particular Ed Gallagher, Myron Roderick and Fred Fozzard, all who became legends at Oklahoma State. Gallagher was born in Perth, Kansas, and graduated from high school there before moving on to Oklahoma State and leading the Aggies to 11 NCAA team championships in the 1920s-1930s era.
Roderick is a native of Wellington, Kansas, who won three NCAA titles as a wrestler at OSU and coached the team to seven NCAA team titles in the 1950s and ‘60s.
I saw Fred Fozzard wrestle during his glory years at Oklahoma State and had great respect for his aggressive style on the mat. He was NCAA champion at 177 pounds in 1967 and placed second and third, as well. In 1969, he and fellow Oregonian Rick Sanders became America’s first world champions ever. Fozzard was K-State’s last head wrestling coach, … more at … https://www.win-magazine.com/2025/06/24/several-must-read-books-for-wrestling-fans-history-buffs/
N.C. State Wrestling Alumnus Makes 2025 U.S. Senior Freestyle World Team
NEWARK, N.J. – NC State wrestling class of 2024 alumnus Trent Hidlay has earned a spot on the 2025 U.S. Senior Freestyle World Team at 92 kg and is set to represent the United States at the Senior World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, September 13-21.
The two-time NCAA Finalist for the Wolfpack has torn through the freestyle circuit this season. Hidlay made his way to Newark after winning the U.S. Open in Las Vegas in April, automatically punching his ticket to compete at Final X. The series was best two-of-three at the Prudential Center but it only took the Lewistown, Pa. native the first two bouts to knock out current Penn State wrestler Josh Barr.
Hidlay becomes just the second alumnus of the NC State wrestling program to make the U.S. Senior Freestyle World Team. Two-time heavyweight national champion for the Pack Nick Gwiazdowski was the first … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2025/6/16/wrestling-alumnus-makes-2025-us-senior-freestyle-world-team
N.C. State Wrestling Adds Malik McDonald as Assistant Coach
RALEIGH – NC State wrestling head coach Pat Popolizio has added former Wolfpack wrestler Malik McDonald to his staff as an assistant coach.
The Hope Mills, N.C. native wrestled for Popolizio from 2014-2019, qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the 2017 and 2019 seasons at 197 lbs. During the 2018 season he competed at the U23 World Team Trials, garnering All-American honors with a fourth place finish at 97kg. In 2019 he won the ACC title for his weight class, helping the squad earn the 2019 ACC team trophy. After graduating from NC State with a degree in Social Work, McDonald has continued to pursue his passion for wrestling. McDonald first worked as a volunteer coach for Clarion for the 2019-20 season, followed by taking the head assistant role at Long Island for the 2020-21 season. The Pack alumnus rejoins his alma mater after spending four seasons as an assistant coach at Kent State from 2021-25 where he also gained his Master of Arts in Sport and Fitness Administration/Management.
While wrestling for Popolizio he finished his career with 83 wins and two 20-win seasons. … more at … https://gopack.com/news/2025/6/24/wrestling-adds-malik-mcdonald-as-assistant-coach
Kent State Names Josh Moore as Wrestling Program’s Seventh Head Coach
KENT, Ohio – Kent State Vice President and Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond announced today the hiring of Josh Moore as the seventh head coach in Golden Flashes wrestling history. Moore, who previously served as head coach at Cleveland State University for seven years, returns to Kent State, where he began his coaching career as an assistant coach from 2004-2015.
“We are very excited to welcome Josh and his family back to Kent State,” said Richmond. “His deep connection to our program and his proven track record of developing championship caliber wrestlers on the mat, in the classroom, and throughout the community makes him the ideal leader for the next era of Golden Flashes wrestling.”
Moore brings 21 years of Division I coaching experience to the position, including impressive achievements at Kent State and Cleveland State. During his tenure as head coach at Cleveland State, he guided the program to national recognition, helping the Vikings achieve one of the top team GPAs in the nation over the past five years while leading the MAC in Individual Academic All-Americans.
His coaching accomplishments include mentoring 10 All-Americans and 69 NCAA Division I qualifiers throughout his career. At Kent State, Moore was instrumental in developing the program’s first-ever NCAA champion, Dustin Kilgore, and helped guide the Golden Flashes to four top-25 team finishes at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. “Coming back to Kent State as the Head Coach is truly a dream come true for my family and me,” said Moore. “I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity and fired up to bring the energy, passion, and purpose every single day. Ohio wrestling family, Let’s build something special-together!”
Beyond his coaching success, Moore has demonstrated exceptional leadership in academic achievement and community engagement. He helped Cleveland State Wrestling earn a perfect 1000 Academic Progress Rate (APR) in 2023-2024 and has been instrumental in maintaining team GPAs above 3.25 throughout his career. His fundraising efforts have generated significant support for wrestling programs, including leading Cleveland State as the top Giving Day Ambassador and securing over $200,000. … more at … https://kentstatesports.com/news/2025/6/13/kent-state-names-josh-moore-as-wrestling-programs-seventh-head-coach.aspx
Former Duke Coach & Cowboy Wrestler Clar Anderson Inducted to Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Former Oklahoma State wrestling national champion Clar Anderson was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame Wednesday.
In Anderson’s time with the Cowboys, he was a 1983 national champion, a two-time All-American and tallied an impressive 73-17-4 record. Anderson played a key role on Oklahoma State teams that posted back-to-back conference championships in 1983 and ’84, as well as 44 straight victories and 22 consecutive home wins.
Prior to his decorated career at OSU, Anderson garnered All-America honors at Auburn in 1981.
After his career on the mat, Anderson took an assistant coaching job with the Cowboys and would later join N.C. State’s staff in the same role. After his three-year stint with the Wolfpack, Anderson picked up the head coaching job at Duke in 1997, where he led the Blue Devils for the next 15 seasons.
Anderson brought the Blue Devils’ program to new heights as he led Duke to its winningest season in school history in just his third season, additionally giving the Blue Devils their first All-American in 2009. Anderson was the ACC Coach of the Year in 2004 and earned the Bob Bubb Excellence Award for mentoring student-athletes both on and off the mat and in 2007.
This event marks the 35th class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since its inception in 1991 and brings total membership to 415. This year’s class includes Anderson, Mike Buczkowski, Joey Giambra, Jack Jurek, Tom Montemage, John Murphy, Paul Owens, Jim Peelle, Meaghan Sittler, James Starks, Kathy Sweet, and Jillian Vogtli. … more at … https://okstate.com/news/2025/6/11/cowboy-wrestling-former-cowboy-wrestler-anderson-inducted-to-greater-buffalo-sports-hall-of-fame
Akron’s Ken Dies receives honor from National Wrestling Hall of Fame
By Nate Ulrich, Akron Beacon Journal
When Ken Dies opened a letter at his Highland Square home on June 25, the message caused his wife, Carol, to shed tears of joy.
Dies learned he will have a place in the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The letter from the Hall of Fame’s executive director, Lee Roy Smith, states the hall’s Ohio chapter nominated Dies to receive the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award, and the national HOF’s board selected him for the honor. “It’s just overwhelming,” Dies told the Beacon Journal by phone. “I did not expect this.” More on the Dies family: Akron Public Schools gives wrestling enthusiasts proper recognition
An Akron native, Dies is the face of a wrestling royal family Northeast Ohio has known for decades.
The Dies family started running high school and youth tournaments in the late 1970s. After Bill Dies died in 1987, Ken Dies inherited his father’s role as tournament director. His involvement with Ohio Youth Wrestling, the Walsh Jesuit Ironman tournament and the Bill Dies Memorial Wrestling Tournament held at Firestone CLC made him a popular figure in the sport throughout the state.
Now Dies, 81, is being honored at the national level. “My one brother, Steve, he’s a nut,” Dies said with a laugh. “He’s putting me in the same category as Dan Gable. He said, ‘You’re in the same hall of fame as Dan Gable.'” … more at … https://www.newsbreak.com/share/4075349339325-akron-s-ken-dies-receives-honor-from-national-wrestling-hall-of-fame?_f=app_share&pd=0IMTzHkC&lang=en_US&send_time=1750951613&s=i16&trans_data=%7B%22platform%22%3A0%2C%22cv%22%3A%2225.25.0.37%22%2C%22languages%22%3A%22en%22%7D&sep=ns_foryou_rank_exp_25q2-v7%2Cns_foryou_blend_exp_25q2-v7%2Cns_foryou_recall_exp_25q3-v4%2Cns_foryou_model_exp_25q2_v2-v8
Everything You Need To Know About The NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships
Here is what the 2026 NCAA Championship format means for women’s wrestling
The NCAA approved its format for the inaugural 2026 NCAA Women’s Freestyle Wrestling Championships. NCAA Division I, II, and III programs will compete at the NCAA Championships.
There are 112 NCAA programs that offer women’s college wrestling, with the following breakdown. Division I: 6
Division II: 36
Division III: 70
Division I and II programs offer athletic scholarships, and Division III programs do not.
The 2025 National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships — a precursor to the 2026 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Championships — allowed a maximum of 15 national qualifiers per team, with 32-woman brackets for each of the 10 weight classes (320 total).
The NCAA rejected the recommendation of 210 national qualifiers and established that the championships will include 180 participants in 10 weights (18 per category), with a maximum of one qualifier per weight per school.
Under the new format, each team can send a maximum of 10 wrestlers per region. There will be six regions, with three qualifiers from each region, two weeks before the NCAA Championships.
The 2026 Women’s Wrestling Championships will be held at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
Below is a graph charting the maximum number of qualifiers for the national championships since NCAA programs hosted their championships for the first time in 2020. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/14331608-everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-ncaa-womens-wrestling-championships
John Parker Named Conference Carolinas Scholar-Athlete of the Year For Men’s Wrestling
John Parker has been named the Conference Carolinas 2024-25 Winter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Presented by Hudl for men’s wrestling.
John was the NCAA Super Region 2 Champion at 197 pounds, advanced to the NCAA Championships, posted a 27-9 record, with five wins against nationally ranked opponents and ranked #11 in his weight class.
It was the second consecutive season he was the Super Region title and advanced to nationals. … more at … https://newberrywolves.com/news/2025/6/11/john-parker-named-conference-carolinas-scholar-athlete-of-the-year-for-mens-wrestling.aspx
TDR blog
After 20 seasons of publicizing wrestling The TakeDown Report’s (TDR) focus has changed to the collecting of college coaching records from North America since 1903. We will continue to recognize and reward successful wrestlers in eastern North Carolina (east of Raleigh & Fayetteville), assist with schools in starting or re-starting a team and this blog. Join us on our FaceBook Page – “The TakeDown Report” for photos and news. Please send results, stories, links and news to pass along. E-mail us at takedownreport@gmail.com
Martin Fleming, Editor
Takedown Report
Takedown Report 