UNIVERSITY PARK — The big questions surrounding the Big Ten Wrestling Championships this weekend revolve around how many instead of who might.

The “how many” is in reference to the number of champions three-time defending champion Penn State might crown and the winning point total the Nittany Lions may amass. As to the “who might” challenge Penn State?

Probably no one. The rest of the field is most likely fighting for second.

The Nittany Lions are heavy favorites to make it four in a row. Penn State finished the Big Ten dual season 8-0, winning 74 of 80 individual bouts and outscoring opponents 328-23.

That domination predictably has produced a host of high seeds. The Big Ten released pre-seeds Monday and the coaches made adjustments early Friday afternoon. The tournament, which is scheduled for today and Sunday in the Bryce Jordan Center, will feature seven Penn State wrestlers seeded No. 1. One other is seeded second. The other two Nittany Lions were seeded fourth and sixth, respectively.

Luke Lilledahl (125), Marcus Blaze (133), Shayne Van Ness (149), Mitchell Mesenbrink (165), Levi Haines (174), Rocco Welsh (184) and Josh Barr (197) are all top seeds. P.J. Duke (157) is seeded second. Cole Mirasola (285) was fourth and Braeden Davis (141) was sixth.

If all 10 wrestle to their seed or better, they will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Championships on March 19-21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The Big Ten received 87 automatic qualifiers, broken down by weight, as follows: 125 (9), 133 (8), 141 (7), 149 (9), 157 (8), 165 (9), 174 (10), 184 (8), 197 (10), 285 (9).

The eight Nittany Lion first or second seeds will receive first-round byes when the first session starts at 10 this morning. Davis faces Maryland No. 11 seed Dario Lemus in the first round. Mirasola meets No. 13 seed Gabe Christenson of Northwestern.

In the end, Penn State coach Cael Sanderson said Monday during the team’s media availability he wasn’t too worried about the seeds, but he wanted to “make sure these guys get the seeds that they earned through the season.”

The most talked about pre-seed, Haines initially being seeded second behind Nebraska’s Christopher Minto, who Haines defeated in the dual meet, was fixed in Friday’s coaches meeting.

And, despite the seeds and the setting, the coach said he expects his Nittany Lions to perform like they always do.

“We don’t change a whole lot. It’s going to be the same energy whether it’s the day before the Big Tens or the day after or in the middle of the summer or whatever,” he said. “The energy is going to be the same. Our approach and perspective and our focus is pretty similar. I think it’s pretty easy in this program to just kind of be yourself and go do what you do.”

That seemed to be the message that Mesenbrink delivered Monday about the purpose the Big Ten tournament serves.

“I guess it helps in constantly getting better at wrestling. Not only that, I think it’s an opportunity to kind of keep getting better and seeing the things that I’m working on, I want to be able to implement those into my competition. I want to see that, maybe not pay off is the right word, but I want to see those techniques come into fruition that I’ve been working on for a while,” he said.

Not even a huge partisan crowd in the BJC seems to matter for the defending 165-pound champ.

“I don’t know. I kind of enjoy being on the road, too. It doesn’t really matter where it is. It’s just kind of like, either way it’s a wrestling mat and either way you throw someone up there and we’re gonna wrestle. So, it’s kind of a regardless thing. I’ll do it regardless of where it is,” he said.

The same can be said for the Nittany Lions’ approach to scouting opponents. Sanderson said it’s an individual thing of whether a guy wants to watch video of his opponent or receive a scouting report.

“Our job, as coaches, it to be prepared and make sure our guys are prepared. Some kids want to study film and now more about their opponents and others. That’s more of an individual basis,” Sanderson said.

Mesenbrink said he has no interest.

“I’m gonna be honest, I don’t even look at the bracket. Even after I wrestle, I don’t look at the bracket. Finals, sometimes I’ll know,” he said. “There’s obviously a balance with that. Coach Casey (Cunningham) will be like right leg lead or left leg lead, but that’s all I really need to know. Then it’s game time.”

And, barring a rash of titanic upsets, it’s game over for the rest of the conference.

INFO BOX

2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships

When: Today and Sunday

Where: Bryce Jordan Center

Schedule

Today

Session I, 10 a.m. (first round, quarterfinals, wrestlebacks)

Session II, 5 p.m. (consolation matches, wrestlebacks)

Session III, 7 p.m. (Semifinals)

Sunday

Session IV, noon (consolation semifinals, seventh-place bouts)

Session V, 4:30 p.m. (first-, third- and fifth-place bouts)