NCAA Division II Wrestling: Rules, Regulations, and Opportunities

For student-athletes embarking on their recruiting journey, the question inevitably arises: what does it take to wrestle in college? The answer, as it often does, depends on the specific division and the criteria set forth by its governing body. This article will delve into the specifics of NCAA Division II wrestling, exploring the rules, regulations, and opportunities available to aspiring collegiate wrestlers.

Transitioning to College Wrestling

The transition from high school to college sports is undeniably challenging. Athletes move from being top performers in their class to constantly vying for a spot on the roster. Understanding the nuances of college wrestling, from weight classes to recruiting timelines, is crucial for navigating this transition successfully.

Weight Classes

One of the first things prospective college wrestlers need to understand is the difference in weight classes between high school and college. For boys’ competition, there are 14 high school weight classes established by the NFHS. In contrast, college wrestling, as established by the NCAA, features 10 weight classes: 125, 133, 141, 149, 157, 165, 174, 184, 197, and heavyweight (183 to 285).

The NCAA has rules to prevent wrestlers from dropping too much weight too quickly. Once the NCAA determines a wrestler’s weight class, the athlete can’t compete below it and can only compete one level above it. Some schools require extensive weight certifications that include body composition and hydration tests. To predict a student-athlete’s collegiate weight class, coaches look at how the recruit has competed over the course of a few years. For example, if a high school wrestler started at 106 his freshman year, then competed at 113 his sophomore year, and netted out at 120 his senior year, the coach will note this athlete’s gradual growth and most likely recruit him for 125. On the other hand, student-athletes who make major jumps from year to year could be considered for higher weight classes than they’re currently competing. Some wrestling coaches may even go as far as to look at the recruit’s parents to gauge where they’ll end up. As a general rule of thumb, college coaches try to predict how much higher a recruit will go in weight classes, not lower.

Many college wrestlers continue to develop and get stronger after high school, which is why redshirting is more common in wrestling than other sports. Redshirting means the athlete can’t compete for one academic year, but they can still participate in practice. By doing so, they gain a fifth year of eligibility.

Roster Distribution

Another important consideration is the distribution of college wrestling weight classes. There’s an average of 29 wrestlers on a team, but they aren’t always distributed evenly. Naturally, many college wrestlers fall somewhere right in the middle-between 149 and 174. So, coaches might only have one or two wrestlers on each end of the spectrum. The easiest way to determine a coach’s recruiting needs is by looking at their roster. How many wrestlers are in your desired college wrestling weight class? Are they upperclassmen who are getting ready to graduate?

Recruiting and Eligibility

What Coaches Look For

When evaluating recruits, college coaches look closely at technical development. They don’t want to bring on someone who needs to be taught the fundamentals. Instead, they seek out technically sound wrestlers who have potential to improve. One way they accomplish this is by seeing how the recruit performs against high quality athletes. In college, student-athletes will be competing against the top wrestlers in the nation and it’s important for coaches to see if they can hold their own. Additionally, they might follow a wrestler’s performance over time. Recruits who continue to rank higher year-over-year show coaches they haven’t yet reached their potential. College coaches want to recruit student-athletes with a strong academic history, leadership qualities and mental toughness. If it boils down to picking between two recruits, coaches will compare transcripts and even network with high school coaches to learn more about a recruit’s character.

Recruiting Tiers

Coaches are selective when offering scholarships. It’s important for recruits to understand the criteria coaches are looking for as well as the experience at each division level. Knowing their best college fit-from athletics to academics to campus life-will increase their chances of getting recruited.

Tier 1: Division 1 - Multiple time State champion and national tournament placement. High national ranking on sites like FloWrestling or InterMat Wrestling. Top 1-5% of high school wrestlers are recruited by D1 schools. Wrestles off-season at a competitive club. Attends FS/GR National Events, Super 32 and NHSCA Nationals. Achieves high placement(s) at those events.
Tier 2: Division 2, 3, and NAIA - High State placement. Nationally ranked on sites like FloWrestling or InterMat Wrestling. Belongs to off-season club program. Attends state championship events and achieves successful results. Attends National level events.
Tier 3: Division 2, 3, and NAIA - State tournament experience. Winning Regional and District Titles. Pre-season club wrestling is a plus. Attends combines and camps to gain exposure with college programs. 3-year Varsity experience.
Tier 4: Low NAIA and Junior College - High District and Regional placements. Attends combines camps and clinics. At least 2 years Varsity experience. Off-season wrestling is encouraged.

NCAA Divisions and NAIA

NCAA Division 1: One percent of high school wrestlers will go on to compete at the Division 1 level. These student-athletes aren’t just the best at their school; they are the top high school wrestlers in the country and oftentimes rank in the top 100 nationally. They consistently win and place at major tournaments and wrestle in the offseason at a competitive club. Division 1 competition is fierce.
NCAA Division 2: This tier of student-athletes may have placed at the state or regional level. They’ve won several tournaments, have experience in Freestyle and Greco and have competed at major tournaments. Opportunity at this level is limited as Division 2 has the fewest number of wrestling programs. Coaches look for recruits who are committed both in the gym and in the classroom.
NCAA Division 3: These athletes probably started on Varsity, won high school tournaments and placed at State. Top Division 3 programs can take on Division 1 and 2 wrestlers. Though, this level offers the most well-rounded experience of all the NCAA divisions, allocating more time for study and internships. Therefore, student-athletes might find that Division 3 coaches focus more closely on recruits who show interest in their school outside of athletics.
NAIA: Made up of mostly smaller, private universities, the NAIA awards close to $500 million in athletic scholarships every year and shouldn’t be overlooked. Top NAIA programs are similar to Division 3 schools and provide student-athletes with a balanced college experience.
Junior college: For some athletes, junior college is the best path to develop their skills and work toward a four-year college roster spot.

Getting Noticed

The best way for college coaches to evaluate wrestling recruits is to watch them compete in-person at tournaments. Here, student-athletes can see how they measure up against the top recruits in the nation, and college coaches can assess a recruit’s athletic ability and demeanor during a tough match.

Recruiting isn’t a linear, clear-cut process. You could be nearing the end of your recruiting journey with one coach, while simultaneously just beginning it with another. But one thing that makes the ups and downs of the process easier is knowing what steps you should take to create a communication strategy and market yourself.

Research and build a target list. Look at the team’s roster to see how you qualify athletically and talk to your high school counselor to learn more about the school’s academic requirements.
Create an online profile. Think about it like an influencer-you need a platform to get noticed.
Meet academic requirements. The NCAA Eligibility Center determines the academic eligibility and amateur status for all NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 athletes.
Contact coaches-and follow up. Student-athletes should never wait to simply “be discovered.” Instead, they need to proactively reach out to college coaches.
Get exposure. Wrestling tournaments are an opportunity for student-athletes to test their skills against top talent from across the country and compete in front of college coaches. If recruits time it right and contact coaches before they attend a tournament or camp, they can improve their odds of being evaluated in-person.
Don’t give up. If you’re an upperclassman who isn’t being actively recruited by college coaches, rework your target list.

Recruiting Timeline and Communication

The NCAA regulates when college coaches can reach out to student-athletes. Generally, wrestling coaches at the Division 1 level can contact recruits beginning June 15 after their sophomore year. NCAA Division 1 and top Division 2 programs usually set the pace for the wrestling recruiting timeline. However, coaches begin building their list of interested recruits even earlier. But there’s no way around it. To get on a coach’s radar, athletes need to proactively contact them. Let’s start with the subject line. To stand out, it shouldn’t be generic, such as “Top wrestling recruit,” and must be tailored to the school instead. For example, a recruit might want to include their GPA and test score in the subject line for high academic colleges, while highlighting championships to Division 1 schools. Lastly, remember to follow up.

There are 245,564 high school wrestlers. Of that number, 7,218-or 2.9 percent-go on to compete in the NCAA and 1,806-less than one percent-move on to the NAIA.

NCAA II Academic Requirements

Unlike Division I, Division II does not use a sliding scale for academic eligibility. The requirements are:

Graduate from high school
Earn a 2.0 GPA or better in these 14 core courses:
- 3 years English
- 2 years Math (Algebra I or higher)
- 2 years Natural/physical science (1 year of lab if offered by high school)
- 2 years Social Science
- 2 years of your choice of additional English OR Math OR Science
- 3 years Any of above OR foreign language OR non-doctrinal religion/philosophy

NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships

The NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships is a double-elimination tournament for individuals competing in ten weight classes. In addition to determining the national championship, the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships also determine the Division II All-America team. Through 1989, the Division II finalists advanced to the Division I championships, held the following week, where many athletes earned All-American recognition in two divisions during the same season.

NCAA Division II vs. Division I

Many Division II teams beat Division I teams. Division II is not inherently worse than Division I. The NCAA's Division II is comprised of about 285 colleges, which makes it the smallest NCAA Division.

As with NCAA Division I recruiting (and unlike NCAA Division III recruiting), NCAA Division II teams are allowed to have athletic scholarships. Another considerable difference between Divisions II and I is the amount of times coaches can spend with their players in the off-season. Division II rules allow college coaches to spend a maximum of 8 hours per week with their players in the off-season. The only things a coach can do with his players are weight training, conditioning, individual skill instruction and, in football, review of game film. And only two hours max can be spent on individual skill training, with a group of no more than four players. The NCAA restricts Division II like this to make sure coaches don't overwork their players. The result is that DII athletes have a lot of time to pursue other activities on campus and to study.

NCAA Division II Men's Sports Scholarships

Baseball: 9
Basketball: 10
Cross Country/Track and Field: 12.6
Football: 36
Golf: 3.6
Gymnastics: 5.4
Ice Hockey: 13.5
Lacrosse: 10.8
Soccer: 9
Swimming and Diving: 8.1
Water Polo: 4.5
Wrestling: 9

NCAA Division II Scholarship Limits - Women

Basketball: 10
Cross Country/Track and Field: 12.6
Field Hockey: 6.3
Golf: 5.4
Gymnastics: 6
Ice Hockey: 18
Lacrosse: 9.9
Soccer: 9.9
Softball: 7.2
Squash: 9
Swimming and Diving: 8.1
Tennis: 6
Volleyball: 8
Water Polo: 8

Understanding Wrestling Scoring

The sport of wrestling has its own language, its own scoring system and its own complex way of assigning point values to actions. Individual wrestlers can earn between one and four points for a given move, and the wrestler with the most points at the end of seven minutes can earn between three and six points for his team.

Here's a breakdown of common scoring elements:

Takedown (2 points): If a wrestler gains control of another wrestler on the mat, he will be awarded two points for a takedown. The exact position of the takedown can vary, but in order to earn the points, a wrestler needs to start in neutral position and take control of both ankles and have his opponent on the mat without being held down by his opponent.
Escape (1 point): An escape is awarded to a wrestler who navigates out of a hold of an opponent. Wrestlers start in neutral positions at the start of a match, but at the beginning of the second and third periods, wrestlers alternate who gets to choose taking the "top" and "bottom" positions. The wrestler on the bottom has a chance to earn an escape if he is able to regain his own control from the hold of his opponent.
Reversal (2 points): A reversal occurs when one wrestler starts underneath an opponent and flips the opponent around so that the wrestler previously underneath is now on top.
Near Fall (2 or 3 points): A near fall is when an offensive wrestler turns his opponent past 45 degrees for a period of time. When the defensive wrestler falls into this position, the referee immediately starts counting the amount of time that the defensive wrestler is being held with his back exposed. If the defensive wrestler's back is off the mat, the count will start. The count ends when the defensive wrestler comes out of this position or if his back ends up flat on the mat. The score is based on the number of seconds a wrestler is held in this position.
Stalling (1 point for opponent): Stalling points are awarded when an opposing wrestler does not make an effort to continue the action of the match. Wrestlers competing too close the edge or being pushed out of bounds while not initiating action can lose a stalling point. Offensive wrestlers can also be docked stalling points for not working on top of another wrestler to turn or score on him. The wrestler on the bottom can be hit with stalling for not working to escape. The first stalling call is a warning with the second call resulting in a point for the athlete displaying action. A third stalling call also results in a point for the opponent.
Unsportsmanlike Conduct (1 point for opponent): Per the table below, an unsportsmanlike conduct results in an immediate point for the opponent. This point can come before, during or after a match and can include everything from throwing headgear, wrestling after the whistle, excessive celebration or frustration, disobeying match procedures, pulling down a singlet during match or blowing a nose or spitting unnecessarily. Unsportsmanlike conduct calls can cost a team a point, or a disqualification, or they can cost a wrestler a team point or disqualification, depending on the time of the call.
Illegal Holds (1 point for opponent): Illegal holds include “any hold with pressure exerted over the opponent’s mouth, nose, throat or neck that restricts breathing or circulation” as well as “any down position leg ride that hyperextends the knee of the defensive wrestler beyond the normal limits of movement.” Pulling back on the thumb or three or less fingers is also illegal. In addition, wrestlers can be docked a point for excessively slamming their opponents on the mat. Illegal holds also include over-scissors, a double arm bar, a rear double knee kickback, a neck bow, a high and outside single leg back trip and locking ones hands around the head of another wrestler until a near fall position.
Riding Time (1 point): A "riding time" point is awarded at the end of a match if a wrestler has over one minute of total time in control. A running clock is kept through the match to keep track of the amount of time that either wrestler is in control. A "ride" typically occurs when one wrestler is controlling another wrestler on the mat. If the wrestler loses control and his opponent escapes, the clock stops. If the opposing wrestler previously on the mat then gains control, the time on the clock will decrease and then switch to his favor. The NCAA rule book defines the awarding of the riding time point as follows: "If one of the competitors has one minute or more of net time advantage, the wrestler is awarded one point. The advantage time point is earned simultaneously with any other points when determining whether a technical fall occurred.

Match Outcomes

Decision: A decision is the most common outcome of a wrestling match. If - through a combination of escapes, riding time, reversals, takedowns, stalling points, violations or near falls - a wrester combines for a point total that is fewer than eight points more than his opponent, he earns a decision win.
Major Decision: A major decision is defined as a win where one wrestler beats another wrestler by a margin of eight to 14 points. This kind of a win earns four points for a wrestler's team.
Technical Fall: According to the NCAA rule book, “A technical fall occurs when one wrestler scores 15 or more points.” As soon as one wrestler scores at least 15 points more than his opponent, the match is over, even if time remains on the clock.
Disqualification: A wrestler can be disqualified from a match for a variety of reasons including excessive unsportsmanlike conduct violations or technical violations like numerous stall warnings. In the case of stalling, five stall warnings leads to a disqualification for a wrestler, and a disqualification ends the match. Disqualification ends the match and is recorded as a loss on the disqualified wrestler's record.
Forfeit: Forfeits occur in college wrestling when a wrestler does not show up for a match. This could occur because of a failure to make the weight required to compete or for an individual reason causing a wrestler to opt out of competition. The NCAA rules require that "in order to receive a forfeit, the non-forfeiting wrestler must be dressed in a competition uniform and appear on the mat.
Medical Forfeit: Similar to a forfeit, a medical forfeit costs a team six points, but unlike a forfeit, medical forfeits only count in the results for the winner. They do not count as a loss for the forfeiting wrestler. Wrestlers opting to medically forfeit do not have to weigh in or dress for the match.
Pin/Fall: The pin or fall is the ultimate way to win a match in college wrestling and the move is appropriately rewarded so by a full six points. A pin/fall ends the match, regardless of the score at the time of the pin. The pin/fall is defined as putting both of an opponent's shoulders on the mat.

Overtime

If an individual match is tied after regulation, the wrestlers will go to a two-minute sudden victory where the first takedown wins. If neither wrestler scores, they will then move to 30-second rideouts where they will attempt to escape from their opponent or score against their opponent in 30 seconds. If both wrestlers, or neither wrestler, escapes or scores, the match will then move to a second round of a two-minute sudden victory. If it's still tied after the second sudden-victory, the match will move to a second round of 30-second rideouts. The wrestler with the greatest amount of riding time after the second rideout wins.

Team Scoring

At the end of a match, the team of the victorious wrestler will earn a set number of team points based on the score of the match. Any win beyond a decision is informally considered a "win by bonus points" because the winning wrestler earned more than the standard three points for a win. The first tie-breaker is pins. At this point, if the teams are still tied, the team with fewer unsportsmanlike conduct calls, wins. College wrestling includes a dual season where teams compete with 10 starters, one at each of the weights, for both in-conference and out of conference competition. Every collegiate wrestling dual includes 10 contested bouts at the following weight classes: 125, 133, 141, 149, 157, 165, 174, 184, 197 and 285 pounds.

Before each dual, a team will weigh in every probable starter one hour before competition. The weigh-in process is private, but formal. Only wresters, coaches, medical staff and a weigh-in supervisor may be at the site of the weigh-in. Duals typically start at 125 pounds, though, technically, the rule book simply says "Immediately after the weigh-in for a dual meet or multiple dual meets conducted on the same day, coaches may mutually agree to determine the starting weight class for the matches." Again, coaches typically agree on 125 pounds, but there's often a strategy behind a coach choosing not to start at 125 pounds. If the coaches do not agree to start at a given weight, they will flip a coin, and the winner of the coin toss can choose the starting weight. Regardless of which weight coaches choose to start at, the weight classes will then proceed in sequential order. Every wrestling bout includes three periods and seven minutes total. The match begins with both wrestlers coming to the center of the circle, facing each other, and shaking hands. They begin the bout in a neutral position, with both of them standing on their feet.

Eligibility and Redshirting

All athletes competing in the NCAA are granted the opportunity to compete in “four seasons of intercollegiate competition in any one sport,” according to the NCAA rules and regulations. Wrestlers, of course, are also granted redshirt seasons in most conferences that allow them to wait a year before competing in the varsity lineup or sit out a year with an injury without burning one of those four seasons of eligibility.

Previously, in men’s wrestling, any time an athlete took the mat as an attached member of a collegiate program, that match would mark the start of a wrestler’s season and count towards eligibility. These redshirt rules can affect all male athletes participating in a redshirt season or just trying to maximize their eligibility, but they disproportionately impact freshmen.

Competing in a few collegiate matches as an attached wrestler of a program during a redshirt season, however, can be good experience, experience that those athletes are denied unless they are willing to declare a year as one of their seasons of eligibility. For older athletes, competing for a few matches during a redshirt season can also allow them to gauge an injury, assess their health or just wear off some rust.

Prior to these new rules, any freshman taking a redshirt season or considering taking a redshirt season had the opportunity to wrestle for his or her school in an open tournament or holiday tournament as an “unattached” wrestler, meaning the wrestler was not affiliated with the school or competing as a member of the varsity lineup. Athletes would be required to wear a singlet other than the one issued by their school, and their points would not count towards a team total in any way. Essentially, these wrestlers would compete as individuals in a tournament surrounded by athletes representing their school, but this “unattached” option allowed redshirt wrestlers the chance to compete. The new NCAA eligibility rules change this system slightly. Now, in men’s wrestling, an athlete can compete in outside competition unattached starting November 1 without those matches counting towards eligibility, except for freshman athletes.

Academic Eligibility

In addition to new rule surrounding freshman athletic eligibility and competition, the NCAA also refined its rules around academic eligibility, requiring any “student-athlete who has completed an academic term in residence at the certifying institution” to show a cumulative GPA of at least a 2.0.

Financial Aid

Athletes receiving athletically-related need-based aid at an institution that offers such funding do not need to receive at least 20% of their costs, but they still must demonstrate financial aid as any non-athlete would be required to do.

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