24 Must-Watch Matches at the 2023 Collegiate Duals

We’re only two days away from one of the best events on the collegiate wrestling calendar, the Collegiate Duals. 2023 marks the third year that the Duals have taken place in mid-to-late December in an area of the country that is generally starved of collegiate wrestling. 2021 was in the Florida panhandle, 2022 was in New Orleans, and this year’s duals take place in Nashville. Oh yeah, and there are some excellent teams in the field. 

This year’s field includes four top-ten dual teams (#2 NC State, #3 Cornell, #7 Iowa State, and #8 Ohio State), along with two other ranked squads (#16 Pittsburgh and #21 Northern Iowa). MAC champion Lock Haven and a rapidly improving Little Rock team round out the field of eight. 

There is a slight change to the format for the 2023 Duals. One pool of four teams (Cornell, Iowa State, Little Rock, Pitt) will each wrestle each other on Monday. Tuesday will see the remaining four teams square off against each other (Lock Haven, NC State, Northern Iowa, Ohio State). 

The first two iterations of the Collegiate Duals have provided us with some of the most memorable duals and individual matches (more on that in another article) from their respective seasons. 2021’s Iowa/NC State dual was voted the best of the year by the InterMat staff and 2022’s event had some upsets and the “Dresser Bump,” when he bumped up the wrestlers at the end of his lineup to help Iowa State knock off Cornell. 

As you prepare for the Collegiate Duals, here are 24 matches you need to look out for. Since this isn’t an individual tournament or a team-advancement event, we know the teams will clash, so these are easier to identify. 

The Collegiate Duals will be broadcast live on Rokfin on the page dedicated to the duals. The first set of dual matches will start at 3pm (EST) on Monday. 

Day One Round One

197 lbs: #7 Jacob Cardenas (Cornell) vs. #13 Stephen Little (Little Rock)

This is one of the most important matches of the day featuring one of the most overlooked wrestlers in the nation.

To see the full article purchase an InterMat Premium membership for $10 per month or $50 per year. This gives you access to the top coverage of wrestling throughout the season.
Click here to purchase your Premium membership today!