Ranked as Intermat's No. 10 dual team in college wrestling (No. 13 as a tournament team), the Fighting Illini present a worthy challenge for the No. 2 Hawkeyes with nine-ranked wrestlers, eight of whom are ranked 20th or higher.

The 2nd-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes kick off a big Friday night of wrestling on BTN with a top-10 Big Ten battle with the No. 9 Illinois Fighting Illini at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Wrestlers at a central Iowa club said the NCAA's decision to incorporate women's wrestling as a championship sport changes the potential for their wrestling careers.

The NCAA approved the addition of women’s wrestling at the Division I, II and III levels as a championship sport, it announced Friday. The sport’s first NCAA women’s championship will take place in 2026.

The NCAA’s addition of women’s wrestling as a championship sport at the Division I, III and III levels will impact all corners of the United States, and Southwestern Pennsylvania is no exception, as the sport has grown immensely the past decade.