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Wrestlers in 10 different weight divisions will chase national titles this weekend at the 2018 NCAA Wrestling Championships, which take place at Quicken Loans Arena from Thursday through Saturday.
Coverage of the Wrestling Championships will be on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU (complete schedule and TV listings can be found here). If you don’t have cable or can’t get to a TV, you can watch all of the action live on your computer, phone or other streaming device by signing up for one of the following cable-free, live-TV streaming services:
Hulu With Live TV: In addition to their extensive Netflix-like streaming library, Hulu now also offers a bundle of live channels, including ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU. You can sign up for “Hulu with Live TV” right here, and you can then watch a live stream on your computer via the Hulu website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Hulu app.
DirecTV Now: ESPN and ESPN2 are both included in all of DirecTV Now’s four main channel packages, while ESPNU is in the “Just Right”, “Go Big” and “Gotta Have It” bundles. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial no matter what package you choose, plus you can get a free Amazon Fire TV if you prepay one month. Once signed up, you can watch live on your computer via the DirecTV Now website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the DirecTV Now app.
Sling TV: ESPN and ESPN2 are included in the “Sling Orange” channel package, while ESPNU is in the “Sports Extra” add-on. You can sign up for a free 7-day trial, and you can then watch live on your computer via the Sling TV website, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Sling TV app.
Note: You can also watch all mats for all rounds on your computer via ESPN.com, or on your phone, tablet or streaming device via the WatchESPN app. You’ll need to sign in to a TV provider to watch this way, but you can use your Hulu, DirecTV Now or Sling TV credentials to do that.
Preview
There are four wrestlers who will be looking to cement themselves in the record books as three-time national champions this weekend.
After losing just once in the last two years, Oklahoma State’s Dean Heil is the No. 6 seed in the 141-pound bracket after going 23-5 this season. If he does make it to the final, he’s likely to see top seed Bryce Meredith, who has defeated Heil twice this season, including once at the Big 12 Championships.
Illinois’ Isaiah Martinez is the No. 1 seed at 165 pounds after going 14-0 this season en route to his fourth Big Ten title. If he’s going to win a third national championship, it’ll likely go through either Penn State’s Vincenzo Joseph (20-2), who lost to Martinez in the first-place match at the Big Ten championships, or Virginia Tech’s David McFadden, who is undefeated at 31-0.
Zain Retherford is looking to join Ed Ruth as the only other three-time national champion in Penn State’s storied history. He’s the No. 1 seed at 149 pounds after going 26-0 and bulldozing his way through the Big Ten championships. The No. 2 seed in his division is Iowa’s Brandon Sorensen, who has lost to Retherford twice this season.
Finally, Ohio State’s Kyle Snyder looks to add a third national title to a resume that also includes an Olympic gold medal and two World Championships. The championship at 285 pounds seems likely to come down to an anticipated rubber match between Snyder and Michigan’s Adam Coon, who handed each other their only loss this year. Coon defeated Snyder in February, but the Olympian got revenge in the first-place match at the Big Ten Championships.
The team title is likely to come down to Penn State and Ohio State. Cael Sanderson’s team has won six of the last seven national titles, but the Buckeyes took them down in the Big Ten Championships.