Head coach Tony Ersland talks about bringing home two All-Americans, the program's first national placewinners since 2013, and all that the Boilermakers were able to accomplish in Tulsa. The usual podcast trio breakdown the tournament runs for the four Purdue wrestlers, all of whom came away with at least one win.

The bulk of the conversation centered around the two podium climbers, Matt Ramos and Parker Filius. Ersland spoke to the work ethic and longevity of Filius, who earned his All-American honors in his sixth and final year with the program. After breaking down Filius' impact, the guys talked about the incredible run to the national finals for Ramos. The cardiac kid put together an incredibly entertaining tournament on his way to becoming the 13th finalist in program history. 

Finally, Ersland and company wrap up with a discussion of the different conversations they've had with fans and strangers alike in the days since the tournament ended. 

Head coach Tony Ersland is joined by supervisor of wrestling operations Tanner Lipsett and director of broadcast services Cory Palm to bounce around on a number of topics inlcuding how Ersland is coaching his young guys and their mentality, Big Ten tournament seeding questions and the national hot button topic of rest and load management. 

In addition to a breakdown of the Purdue entrant at each weight class, the guys wrapped up the pod with an update on how all of the future Boilers are faring in their final runs through their state tournaments.  

In addition to head coach Tony Ersland’s thoughts and impressions on Gardner, the Golden Valley, Minnesota native takes us through his wrestling journey and how he came to accept his new position with the Boilermakers. A three-time All-America honoree and 2004 NCAA Division III Champion, Gardner has spent the last six seasons as the head coach at the University of the Ozarks. 

The return of college football and several other fall sports to the Purdue campus make for an exciting weekend in West Lafayette, and the guys talk about the different events coming this week. 

0:00 – New Staff Additions

5:30 – Introducing Coach Gardner

14:45 – Ersland on Gardner

24:15 – Naval Influence at Purdue

30:00 – College Football is Back

33:18 – Best Team Ever? 

The Boilermakers spent a good chunk of the summer on campus, getting in some training cycles around the U20 and U23 U.S. World Team Trials, hosting camps and settling the team newcomers in West Lafayette. Five of the program’s seven first years were able to start their college experience and get a feel for what the team culture is like. 

Announced a couple weeks ago, the Boilermakers 2022-23 non-conference schedule offers several opportunities to see Purdue compete at home, and introduced a few new tournaments to the schedule. Ersland is excited at the prospect of introducing his young team to the home fans and give them a chance to see the team a few times before heading out on to the road for conference action. 

Ersland and his staff also continue to prepare for on-campus recruiting season, set to welcome several of the nation’s finest high school standouts for official visits this fall. Things get going next week in conjunction with Purdue Football’s season opener against Penn State, set for 8 pm on Thursday, September 1 at Ross-Ade Stadium. 

The show opens with the guys honoring the team’s 2022 graduates as Nate Cummings, Max Lyon, Ethan Smiley and Alec White earned their bachelor’s degree last weekend. 

The U.S. Open was held April 29-30 in Las Vegas, where Ramos topped the field at 57 kg, becoming Ersland’s first Open champion in his Purdue tenure. He went 4-0 at the tournament, facing and defeating his best friend, Anthony Moulton of Campbell, in the finals. 

The tournament win earned Ramos the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Senior World Team Trial Challenge Tournament, set for this weekend, Mat 21-22, at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. The winner of this weekend’s tournament advances to Final X to face reigning world team member Thomas Gilman, while the top-two finishers join Gilman on the 2022 U.S. National Team. 

Copass took fifth in the U20 division of the U.S. Open at 125 kg, earning a bid to the U.S. U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio in June. He was one of four Boilermakers to advance to the championship quarterfinals, leading classmates Stoney Buell, Ben Vanadia and Hayden Filipovich. 

0:00 – Honoring Our Graduates

4:10 – U.S. Open in Review

6:30 – Ramos Interview Skills

11:00 – Semifinal Madness

17:05 – Friendly Foe in the Finals

21:15 – Weight Management

25:35 – Vega’s Experience

33:25 – Young Bucks’ U.S. Open Success

A three-time Olympian and member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Monday hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma and competed collegiately for Oklahoma State University. A three-time NCAA finalist and 1984 national champion, he transitioned into freestyle where he won both Olympic and World gold. 

His coaching career took him from Oklahoma State, to youth and high school club wrestling in Texas, to the mixed martial arts scene, in addition to a stop with the Tar Heel Wrestling Club in North Carolina before heading to SPIRE. 

Monday also weighed in on being the parent of two NCAA Division I wrestlers in his sons Kennedy and Quincy Monday. He has coached both of them on the mat, both as children and Kennedy some at North Carolina, but has also experienced just watching from the stands. 

The Boilermakers will be out to Geneva, Ohio this summer to visit Monday as the SPIRE Academy will play host to the U23 World Team Trials in June. 

0:00 – Welcome Kenny Monday, Beginnings of Wrestling

7:05 – Monday to Oklahoma State

10:15 – Transitioning to Freestyle

23:10 – Coaching Career

28:25 – Stint in MMA, How Monday got to SPIRE

35:40 – Being a Wrestling Father

45:45 – Coming Full Circle

Head coach Tony Ersland reflects on some of the individual performances and the overall toughness of this year’s Big Ten Championships, which advanced 100 of its 140 entrants to the national tournament. Purdue had five placewinners, four automatic qualifiers for nationals and three more earn at-large bids on Tuesday. 

Senior Devin Schroder and junior Thomas Penola both earned top-12 seeds at their respective weights as Schroder earned the No. 9 seed at 125 pounds, while Penola is the No. 11 seed at 197 pounds. Schroder is the fourth wrestler in program history to earn three top-10 seeds at the national tournament. 

0:00 – Look Back at Lincoln

3:00 – B1G Blood Bath

13:10 – The Magnificent Seven

19:05 – At-Large Discussion

24:25 – National Seeds & Brackets

39:00 – Recruiting Travel on Deck

Head coach Tony Ersland takes a deep dive into the 88 NCAA Allocations for the Big Ten, in addition to Purdue’s pre-seeds for this weekend’s conference tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska. Seven Boilermakers earned bids for the conference, securing top-33 ranks in both the coaches panel and RPI, and all 10 aim to grab automatic qualifying bids. 

The first of four sessions will begin Saturday, March 5, at 11 a.m. ET, with full event coverage on the Big Ten Network and B1G+.

0:00 – The postseason is HERE

4:25 – NCAA Allocations

17:05 – B1G Pre Seeds

40:35 – Perspective/Nothing to Lose

45:30 – The Puppy Who Lost His Way… 

The Boilermakers did not have an event on their schedule last weekend, marking the first Super Bowl Sunday without a competition that both head coach Tony Ersland and supervisor of operations Tanner Lipsett can remember. As the show transitioned into discussions regarding the coaches’ rankings and Rating Percentage Index (RPI), it triggered a discussion of scheduling practices and competition workloads for student-athletes in today’s wrestling world. 

All eight Boilermakers who were eligible for an RPI ranking earned one in the initial poll, while seven secured top-33 rankings from the NCAA Coaches Panel. 

Purdue concludes the regular season Saturday, wrestling its final Big Ten dual at Northwestern. The match will air live on the Big Ten Network at 1:30 p.m. ET. 

In addition to Purdue’s final dual, this weekend will be accompanied by state high school wrestling championships in both Indiana and Illinois. The Boilermaker staff will make trips to both tournaments, while juggling training and competition. 

0:00 – Much Needed Break

3:00 – Rankings & RPI

22:00 – Northwestern Notes

26:35 – Good Luck Future Boilermakers

The Boilermakers have won their last two conference duals, and three of their last four, earning a 17-16 win at Indiana and defeating No. 16 Minnesota 18-14 in Purdue’s final home dual of the season. Both wins were significant from a historical perspective as the Boilermakers won their 12th straight over Indiana, while snapping a 12-dual win streak for the Golden Gophers over Purdue and earning the first win over Minnesota since 2004. 

Seniors Max Lyon and Devin Schroder went out of Holloway Gymnasium on an especially high note as Lyon defeated No. 22 Isaiah Salazar at 184 pounds, 4-3, while Schroder knocked off No. 9 Patrick McKee at 125 pounds, 8-3. 

Finally, wrestling supervisor of operations Tanner Lipsett presented Ersland and Cory Palm with an interesting exercise this week, creating blind resumes for two specific sets of rankings. The crew took a look at all the things that potentially influence rankings, and how perspectives change when you strip everything down to wins, losses and head-to-head results. 

0:00 – “Snowpocalypse”

4:40 – Mackey Madness on a Tuesday

9:15 – 12 Straight, But Not Satisfied

22:00 – Seniors, Gophers, Energy, Wins, Gable

42:15 – Rankings Riddles

While bouncing through a variety of topics including Purdue’s duals last weekend against Illinois and Wisconsin, Sparks’ journey into broadcasting, the weekend ahead at Indiana and advice for aspiring broadcast journalists, this week’s show is littered with great conversation lessons and stories. 

Now the host of Big Ten Wrestling and Beyond, Sparks is deeper in the conference wrestling scene than ever before and strives to keep improving his coverage of the sport. 

0:00 – Lighting Up Some Sparks – How it all started

7:10 – Technical Difficulties Sunday

10:00 – Fighting The Illini

17:45 – How Do You Explain How Tough the Big Ten Is? 

24:30 – Rivalry Week

32:00 – Shane on Tony

35:00 – Cory Questions Shane

41:30 – Nobody’s Picking Up My Garbage

The sports adage that “every point counts” came into play for the Boilermakers this weekend as their dual with the Spartans was decided by a single match point in tiebreaker criteria. Ersland talks about how this lesson will resonate with his squad going forward and make a difference with the rest of their season. 

Purdue has a pair of major promotions associated with this weekend’s duals, hosting its annual “Hammer Down Cancer” event Friday against Illinois and the first-ever “Hoops & Headlocks” doubleheader with Boilermaker men’s basketball on Sunday in Mackey Arena. 

0:00 – Sparring with Sparty

11:00 – Friday Night Fights

18:30 – Hoops & Headlocks is HERE

The Boilermakers capitalized on a pair of top-10 ranked upsets against the Huskers to earn an 18-15 win in Lincoln, but followed up with a loss at top-ranked iowa on Sunday. Ersland found a variety of mistakes in the Boilermakers’ performance, but was open with the idea that they were fixable mistakes and is back in the practice room working on those things this week. 

Purdue hosts Michigan State on Saturday for the Boilermakers’ Big Ten dual home opener, set to welcome the 5-1 Spartans to Holloway Gymnasium. 

In closing Ersland and Tanner Lipsett had the opportunity to attend Monday’s CFP National Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and catch Cory Palm up on some of the spectacles of the game, both on and off the field.

0:00 – B1G win at No. 9 Nebraska

13:40 – On to Carver Hawkeye

24:00 – National Rankings

35:30 – Hosting the Spartans

41:30 – CFP Championship Game

Purdue closed its non-conference duals with an event that will always be special to Ersland as the Boilermakers faced No. 13 Iowa State in Ersland’s high school gymnasium, in front of a capacity crowd. Despite the result, Ersland hoped that his squad had some solid takeaways and experiences from the dual and knows it will pay dividends in the rest of the year. 

The holidays brought about some wacky circumstances with the cancellation of the Midlands Championship and replacement of the Matmen Open. With only half their starters in the lineup, Purdue managed a ninth-place team finish with four Boilermakers on the podium. 

Friday marks the start of the 2022 Big Ten dual schedule as Purdue heads to Nebraska for a 7 p.m. CT dual against the ninth-ranked Huskers. The Boilermakers remain on a tour of Ersland’s wrestling past Sunday, heading to top-ranked Iowa for a 2 p.m. CT dual on the Big Ten Network. 

0:00 - There’s no place like home

7:15 - Midlands, Matmen, Madness

18:45 - Team Woulfe

22:40 - B1G Duals are here

26:40 - On to Iowa City

31:30 - The rest of the schedule

The Boilermakers had a program-record seven placewinners at CKLV, finishing sixth as a team with 85.5 points. Senior Devin Schroder and junior Thomas Penola headlined Purdue’s performances, finishing second and third, respectively, at 125 and 197 pounds. 

After finishing up finals this week, the Boilermakers will head to Humboldt, Iowa for a dual against No. 13 Iowa State. Both Ersland and Cyclone head coach Kevin Dresser are alumni of Humboldt High School and bring their squads back for an incredible even in their hometown. 

0:00 - Vegas Recap

3:55 - Schroder's Second-Place Showing

7:25 - Penola's Performance

13:10 - More placewinners

18:35 - Big tournaments to B1G’s

25:40 - Taking Ersland Home

30:00 - Humboldt Highlights

32:00 - More Vegas Odds and Ends

Before the holiday break, the Boilermakers swept three duals at their home opener, defeating Brown, Duke and Northern Illinois and winning 24 of 30 matches on the day. The crew highlights the performances of Devin Schroder, Kendall Coleman, Thomas Penola and more. 

The Boilermakers head west to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this week, and Ersland walks through the preparations for what will be one of the best tournaments in the nation this season. 

0:00 - Thanksgiving

2:40 - Boilermaker Duals Recap

7:47 - Season Takedown Leaders

10:08 - More Boilermaker Duals

17:10 - CKLV Preview

25:10 - Ersland Doesn’t Understand Podcasts

32:35 - Vegas Baby, Vegas

The Boilermakers signed Indiana native Brody Baumann to a national letter of intent Wednesday, inking a key piece of the future of the room. Ersland talks about why Baumann is such a great fit for the program, both in wrestling and culture, and why recruiting has been a different place over the last six months. 

Purdue got 2021-22 off to a 2-0 start over the weekend, earning wins at Drexel and Rider. Ersland breaks down the various matches and pieces of the trip and how the Boilermakers look to benefit from the experience come the postseason. 

0:00 - National Signing Day

7:00 - How has COVID, NIL, etc. Changed Recruiting

19:55 - 2021-22 Officially Underway

25:20 - Individual Highlights

32:00 - Ersland on Woulfe

39:22 - Trains, Planes & Automobiles

Purdue had its annual intra-squad wrestle offs Friday, opening the doors to Holloway Gymnasium for the first time since the end of the 2020 season. Ersland talked through the approach and execution of the team getting down to weight for the first time, and how they all performed. 

In preparation for the weekend, the guys took a quick look at the lineups for Drexel and Rider and some of the fun matchups on tap. Saturday’s nightcap could see a rematch from 2020 between Thomas Penola and Matt Correnti, who met at heavyweight at Rutgers in one of the most exciting duals of the season. 

Finally, the guys paid tribute to the passing of Mike Atwood, former Delphi High School head coach and father of Boilermaker alum Braden Atwood. A regular attendee of Purdue home matches and Boilermaker wrestling events, Atwood will be greatly missed in the Greater Lafayette wrestling community. 

0:00 - Wrestle Off Results

5:50 - Wrestle Off Notes

18:42 - BTN TV Schedule

28:35 - Traveling East

33:27 - Look at Drexel

34:41 - Look at Rider

37:07 - Remembering Mike Atwood 

The gatherings started this past weekend as the Boilermakers hosted a family weekend with all the wrestling parents, which included an open practice on Saturday in addition to a tailgate before the Purdue football game. Many introductions were made as the team has been unable to gather for the last 18 months in an official capacity. 

Things will continue this weekend with the intra-squad wrestle offs, opening the doors to Holloway Gymnasium for a 7 p.m. ET start on Friday. Ersland walks through the various reasons he finds wrestle offs so important to the start of the season. 

The Big Ten Network television schedule is expected to be released in the near future and Ersland reveals some of the details behind the Boilermakers’ “Hoops & Headlocks” event scheduled for Jan. 23 in Mackey Arena. Billed as a first-of-its-kind event, Ersland and Purdue hopes to expose wrestling to one of its biggest crowds ever in Mackey Arena. 

Finally, the show wraps with some discussion over the action at Super 32 this past weekend. An amazing high school event, the guys walk through the importance of the tournament, what they really take stock in and some of the pitfalls in how important it could be. 

0:00 - Parents Weekend

6:05 - Wrestle Offs

11:40 - “Coach Speak”

23:05 - Pending TV Schedule, Hoops & Headlocks

34:35 - Super 32 Takeaways

Ersland remarks on the early action in the Blake Wrestling Room, specifically addressing the quick acclimation of the Boilermaker freshmen and the focus of upperclassmen Devin Schroder and Max Lyon. 

In the coming weeks the Boilermakers will host a camp, parents’ weekend and the 2021 preseason wrestle off, which are pegged for Friday, October 29, at 7 p.m. ET in Holloway Gymnasium. That will be fans’ first opportunity to watch the 2021-22 team and one of two home events left for 2021. 

0:00 - The 2021-22 Season is Here

12:35 - The Evolution of Coaching

15:45 - Wrestle Offs are Coming

23:55 - Alumni Zoom

24:35 - Super 32 Camp

30:00 - Parents Weekend

The Boilermakers have had some fantastic home football games in Ross-Ade Stadium, volleyball in Holloway Gymnasium and a variety of other events and appointments on campus. Ersland talks about everything that goes into it and what it takes to pull off the 48-hour trips. 

The 2021 UWW World Championships are scheduled for this weekend in Oslo, Norway, and the show takes a short look at the USA roster and potential achievements for the team. In addition, they talk about the Boilermakers’ accomplishments and training for freestyle and some of their achievements as they chase the dream of World and Olympic medals. 

0:00 - Recruiting Season

6:13 - Figuring Out Fit

12:20 - Drew Brees on Campus

17:30 - Our Man Mitch

22:15 - World Championships

24:50 - Boilers Pursuing Freestyle Dreams

34:20 - Thank Yous

In addition to the full dual schedule, the crew talked about two events, one coming, one passed, and some of the fireworks involved. Ersland is headed to Who’s Number One, presented by FloWrestling in Dallas this weekend, where he hopes to visit with some future Boilermakers, and the 2021 US World Team Trials were held last week in Lincoln, Nebraska, where the team headed to Oslo, Norway was solidified. 

The show also took a look at the hot start to Purdue athletics this fall as soccer, volleyball, football and cross country are all underway in West Lafayette. 

0:00 - B1G Schedule is here

12:00 - NIL Sidebar

14:55 - B1G on TV? 

18:50 - Who's Number One

23:00 - 2021 World Team Trials Recap

25:35 - Hot start to the fall at Purdue

29:45 - Loyal podcast listeners

34:15 - Ask for guests? Going on a bear hunt 

A member of the varsity basketball team in his undergraduate studies at Ball State University, Stovall jumps into the conversation regarding the athletics department noon hoops game, and talk steers to the concept of lunch-hour wrestling. Stovall also served as the athletics director at Lafayette Jeff and Evansville North High School before coming to join the Boilermakers. 

0:00 - Welcome Peyton Stovall

4:15 - EMPOWER

9:40 - NIL & College Changes

20:20 - Craziest NIL Deal?

26:10 - Intra-department Sports Activities 

33:40 - Purdue Football is Back (and so are recruits!)

38:45 - and a new Twitter Poll… 

Lyon is one-of-two Boilermaker wrestlers using an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is projected as the Purdue starter at 184 pounds again this season. He is a three-time Big Ten Championship placewinner and three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, in addition to earning Academic All-Big Ten, NWCA Scholar All-America and CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. 

On the show Lyon talks through his summer internship with Target, his engagement and his future plans, in addition to a potential book he plans to author with head coach Tony Ersland. 

Having coached several wrestlers who have had success on the Olympic and World Championship stages, Ersland has valuable insight on the journey and experiences of those who brought home medals from Japan. While the masses simply get to watch the handful of matches that are wrestled on television, Ersland looks into the four-year cycle and the lifetime of preparation that goes into those moments. 

In typical fashion, the show closes with a pop culture question that pits Lipsett and Palm on opposite sides, while Ersland stays out of the fray. 

0:00 - Season Three begins with the Olympics

2:57 - Women's Results

7:27 - Boilermaker in Tokyo

9:20 - Is this the launching pad for women’s wrestling?

12:15 - Greco

16:30 - Snoop & Kevin do Greco

17:50 - Ersland, Olympic junkie

18:30 - Freestyle

27:25 - Most Impressive Performance?

30:15 - Olympic commentators

37:40 - Coaching Olympic/World Champions

40:00 - Hat tip to the coaches

44:35 - The Black Album?

Sophomore Thomas Penola and senior Max Lyon led a group of Boilermakers to Lincoln, Nebraska for the U23 nationals, both earning spots on the podium. Ersland spoke on the efforts of several other Boilermakers at the event and to the nature of how offseason freestyle competition helps the team in their training. 

Purdue’s non-conference schedule for 2021-22 was announced in recent weeks, unveiling six dates for the Boilermakers to conclude 2021. Ersland walks through the schedule with various notes about the scheduled duals and tournaments

The NCAA’s recruiting dead period finally came to a close on June 1, meaning that Ersland and his staff could resume both on-campus and off-campus recruiting. The Boilermakers are already hard at work, searching for the next group of wrestlers to join the roster in 2022.

In addition, the newest group of Boilermakers are set to come to campus this weekend as summer school starts Monday. Ersland speaks to their recruitment under COVID restrictions over the past year and how excited the Boilermakers are to have them come to campus. 

The show closed with a hat tip to Big Ten Network standout Shane Sparks, who came to West Lafayette to call some baseball recently, and a side-by-side comparison between Ersland and a WWE star. 

0:00 - Welcome back, U23 Nationals

17:00 - 2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule

24:45 - NCAA Dead Period is over

28:45 - Freshman report to campus

32:25 - Thank you Shane Sparks

34:20 - What WWE Star does Ersland look like? 

Before the seniors set sail from West Lafayette to start life, the Boilermakers took one last opportunity to enjoy a meal together, and Ersland presented the team with their letter awards as well as the honorees from the 2021 season. 

The transfer portal has become a permanent fixture in college athletics, and the squad takes some time to go through the positives and negatives it has to offer sports, specifically wrestling. Like any situation it has multiple points of view and sides to it, but Ersland and Co. 

The Boilermakers are set to compete again, taking five individuals to Coralville, Iowa for a chance at making a world team. Purdue will have two entries in the junior division and three in the senior division. 

0:00 - 2021 Purdue wrestling team awards

13:40 - the transfer portal, the good and the bad

27:25 - the Boilermakers get to wrestle again

32:20 - the dead period is almost over

34:50 - Mizzou back to the Big 12

36:50 - Purdue Day of Giving

The main theme of the show was to reflect on the successes of the 2021 season, the historical achievements of this group, while still not being satisfied with the progress to date and still pursing the team’s ultimate goals. 

The Boilermakers had eight NCAA qualifiers for the third straight year, the fourth time in seven years under Ersland and just the sixth time in program history. The consistency in getting the majority of the team to the national tournament is the first step in getting guys on the podium and chasing top placements at NCAA’s. 

Senior Devin Schroder and sophomore Thomas Penola advanced to the Round of 12 at 125 and 197 pounds, respectively, but fell one win shy of All-America status. All eight qualifiers won at least one match, and senior Max Lyon, junior Parker Filius and freshman Gerrit Nijenhuis all added bonus points to some of their victories. 

Palm closed the show with an outstanding hypothetical: in the movie that portrays the rise of Purdue wrestling, what actor would play Ersland? 

0:00 - 2021 NCAA’s happened, and we’re thankful

4:38 - Establishing consistency, progress

10:48 - Schroder's showing

17:03 - Big Ten at NCAA’s

21:00 - Penola's performance

24:15 - Freshmen Finishes

28:14 - Appreciating progress while chasing goals

41:55 - Who's playing Ersland? 

While Lyon has been consistent in his intentions for 2021-22, Schroder walked a very different road this season. Having wavered between his desire to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native made a definitive decision to remain on the Boilermaker roster on Easter Sunday, and announced his decision via Twitter on Tuesday evening. 

Ersland and Schroder opened up about some of the varying challenges that the 2021 season brought to the table, including multiple extended layoffs from practice and competition, the all-Big Ten regular season schedule and inability to know day-to-day which training partners and coaches would be available. 

As announced Wednesday, Indiana natives Hayden Filipovich and Tristan Ruhlman officially joined the Boilermaker family, and Ersland and Schroder reflected on the recruiting process of the two, the importance of their addition to the roster and contributions to the team and culture. Schroder spoke about the team’s geographical diversity, what it lends to the program and some of the ways it has influenced him during his time in West Lafayette. 

0:00 - Welcome back, Devin Schroder

4:35 - COVID Challenges

11:34 - Schroder’s Announcement

13:21 - The two newest Boilermakers

14:56 - Introducing new kids to the culture

20:10 - Geographical diversity in the program

26:30 - Etc.

The Boilermakers placed eight individuals at the Big Ten Championships for the second straight year and finished in the top-six for the second straight season as well, scoring 76.0 points. Senior Devin Schroder reached the finals for the second year in a row, wrestling five places ahead of his No. 7 seed with a runner-up showing. Purdue saw three individuals place fifth, one take six and three others place seventh. 

Ersland goes through each guys’ performance and looks ahead at the opportunity that awaits the group in St. Louis at the Enterprise Center. Seedings and brackets for the NCAA Championships will be announced Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET at NCAA.com, and the show will return Monday with a look at the Boilermakers’ seeds and path to the championship at each weight. 

0:00 - B1G Overview

5:11 - Devin Schroder, B1G Runner Up

9:30 - Fantastic Freshmen

18:10 - Fifth-Place Finishes

25:20 - Seventh-Place Standouts

30:49 - At-Large Announcements

34:20 - Seeding Situations

39:52 - Starting Fast, Finishing Strong

Senior Griffin Parriott is the Boilermakers’ overall top seed, earning the No. 3 spot at 149 pounds. He will open tomorrow’s tournament against No. 14 seed Michael North of Maryland. Sophomore Kendall Coleman secured the No. 4 seed at 157 pounds, where he’ll match up with No. 13 seed Luke Baughman of Indiana.

Sophomore Thomas Penola was named the No. 6 seed at 197 pounds, where he draws No. 11 seed Garrett Joles in the opening round, and seniors Devin Schroder and Max Lyon earned the No. 7 seeds at 125 and 184 pounds, where they’ll wrestle No. 10 seeds Justin Cardani of Illinois and Rocky Jordan of Ohio State, respectively. 

Rundell jumped up to the No. 8 seed due to Rutgers replacing their original entry at 133 pounds, and he’ll now face No. 9 seed Kyle Burwick of Wisconsin. Nijenhuis and junior Parker Filius are both No. 9 seeds, matching Nijenhuis against No. 8 seed Jake Tucker of Michigan State at 165 and Filius against No. 8 seed Drew Mattin of Michigan at 141. Nijenhuis moved up a spot due to a clerical error in Tuesday’s pre-seeds.

Freshmen Emil Soehnlen and Dorian Keys wrap up the list of Boilermakers as No. 12 seeds at 174 and 285 pounds. Soehnlen will wrestle No. 5 seed Donnell Washington of Indiana, while Keys draws No. 5 seed Christian Lance of Nebraska.  

Action starts Sunday at 10 a.m. ET, with the entire championship set to air on the Big Ten Network. 

A former employee of The Open Mat and FloWrestling, Saylor currently runs his own site through Rokfin.com, and offers content that varies from high school wrestling to NCAA predictions to his own podcast show, “The First Word.”

Ersland and Saylor dive into the Big Ten Championship Pre-Seeds, which were announced Tuesday and look at some of the potential matchups for the Boilermakers. The conversation digressed into a variety of topics, including a new signee for the Boilermakers, the concepts of “busts” and “surprises” as kinds progress from high school to college and some potential upsets this weekend in State College. 

0:00 - Welcome Willie

1:00 - Origin of MatScouts

7:20 - B1G Pre-Seeds

9:52 - Did he wrestle too much? 

12:22 - Purdue's Pre Seeds

16:00 - Willie asks questions, who’s coming back?

20:13 - The newest Boilermaker and Willie’s thoughts on the class

24:14 - The evolution from high school to college

30:00 - The margin of error in wrestling

31:58 - Willie's look at Big Ten’s

39:37 - Etc.

Head coach Tony Ersland and co-hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett devote specific attention to the victories by senior Griffin Parriott and freshman Gerrit Nijenhuis, who both won by fall Monday and picked up signature victories on their respective resumes. Six of the Boilermakers’ nine wins came with bonus points, as Purdue finished the Big Ten dual season at 4-5 and will now begin preparation for the 2021 Big Ten Championships, scheduled for March 6-7 at Penn State. 

The Purdue wrestling program has seen a pair of its members featured in the past week with feature stories produced on juniors Parker Filius and Jared Florell. The crew takes a look at some of the Boilermakers as more than just wrestlers, but takes a peek at them as individuals as they tell their respective stories. 

A few short notes at the end of the show on the extension of the NCAA recruiting dead period, the Big Ten Championships and a special guest on next week’s show. 

0:00 - Purdue over Indiana

2:12 - Historical implications

3:30 - Coaching insight in a win

10:53 - Parriott & Nijenhuis

19:24 - More IU Notes

31:00 - Boilermakers in the spotlight

42:50 - NCAA recruiting dead period extended

44:58 - Etc.

In addition to the latest national issue, Ersland reflects on the Boilermakers’ dual win at No. 22 Michigan State last Friday, where Purdue took 6-of-10 matches in a 21-12 win over the Spartans. Ersland takes us match-by-match through the dual, with specific attention to seniors Griffin Parriott and Max Lyon in their big wins. 

It’s rivalry week for the Boilermakers as they host Indiana on Monday in Holloway Gymnasium at 8 p.m., live on the Big Ten Network. The crew looks at some of the matchups in the dual and the significance of facing your in-state rival. 

0:00 - NCAA Allocations

7:00 - What Could Be Done Different? 

16:15 - Coaches Rank vs. Media Rank

20:05 - Look Back at MSU Dual

35:45 - Rivalry Week

43:20 - Boilermakers in the First NCAA Coaches Panel Rankings 

Ersland expresses his distaste for “moral victories,” but was willing to acknowledge the progress his squad is showing and put on display Sunday, taking four of 10 matches from both the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes, including big wins for seniors Devin Schroder and Max Lyon. While he would prefer to win the dual outright, the goal remains peaking in March at Big Ten and NCAA Championships and building towards those performances. 

Purdue continues its dual schedule Friday at No. 22 Michigan State, set for 6 p.m. ET on BTN+. The contest is slated to have several top-tier matchups, notably at 125, 157, 184 and 197 pounds. 

The show wrapped up with mentions of the inaugural NCAA coaches panel rankings, which will debut this week, and the merger of FloWrestling and TrackWrestling, which was announced late last week. 

0:00 - Tri-Dual Wrap Up

33:15 - Boilers at MSU

37:45 - NCAA Coaches Rankings

45:00 - FloWrestling +TrackWresting = ???

A native of Virginia and the editor for The Open Mat since 2018, Smith has been involved in covering wrestling since 2007, and has tried to be a steady influence in the sport. He takes the crew through a bit of his background with the sport and how he came to land in his current position. 

Purdue split duals at Rutgers on Sunday, and head coach Tony Ersland dives into the ins-and-outs of the day with some of the Boilermakers’ successes and shortfalls at the RAC. Sophomore Thomas Penola was a standout of the day, going 2-0 and improving his overall season record to 5-0. 

The Boilermakers take part in their second-straight tri-dual this weekend, hosting top-ranked Iowa and No. 11 Ohio State at Holloway Gymnasium on Sunday. Purdue and Iowa matchup at 11:30 a.m. ET, live on the Big Ten Network, followed by another BTN dual with the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes at 2 p.m. Purdue and Ohio State will wrap the day, live on BTN+ at 4 p.m. 

0:00 - Welcome Earl Smith

6:13 - Rankings, Rankings, Rankings

11:58 - 2021 Seeding Implications

20:18 - Why is Earl a Purdue Fan? 

27:37 - Purdue at Rutgers Recap

39:28 - Thomas Penola

47:18 - Purdue Tri-Dual vs. Iowa/Ohio State 

The weekend saw several season debuts, including freshman Gerrit Nijenhuis, junior Parker Filius and senior Max Lyon. Nijenhuis started his collegiate career 2-0, with a pair of dominant wins, while Lyon knocked off a highly-ranked opponent at Illinois and Filius put some points on the board at Wisconsin. 

Head coach Tony Ersland dove into the steep learning curve that some of the Boilermaker newcomers have had to face as they’ve started their college careers, and some of the bright spots that rookies like Nijenhuis have brought to light. 

There will be no rest for the road weary as the Boilermakers head right back on the road for a tri-dual at Rutgers on Sunday, where they’ll face the host Scarlet Knights and Minnesota. 

This week’s show also touches on some of the differences the Boilermakers are facing on the road due to COVID and checks in on some of our future teammates with their high school seasons. 

0:00 - Weekend on the Road

4:55 - Newcomer Situation and Highlights

9:21 - Lineup Mainstays

11:27 - More Extra Matches & Dual Energy

15:15 - Dual Point Importance

24:16 - Back to Rutgers, More Guys Back

27:50 - Travel with COVID Protocols

32:52 - Getting to the Finish Line / B1G Coaches

38:41 - Recruit Shout Outs

The Boilermakers got sad news yesterday with the passing of former head coach Dr. Don Corrigan. Corrigan was the head coach at Purdue from 1969 to 1975, and was a Boilermaker assistant from 1965-69. After coaching he went on to officiate in the Big Ten and NCAA over the next 10 years and continued working at Purdue in the kinesiology department, where he served as the department head until 2002. Corrigan was a fixture in Purdue athletics and the Boilermaker wrestling room until the recent events began preventing his visit. He will be forever remembered and treasured by the Purdue family. 

The Boilermakers’ 28-8 victory over Northwestern on Friday was a great start to 2021, and Ersland takes a closer look at several specific weight classes within the dual. He digs in on freshman Macartney Parkinson’s upset win at 184 pounds, a couple Boilermakers who wrestled up a weight, and the dominant tech-fall wins by senior Devin Schroder and sophomore Thomas Penola. 

Purdue continues its Big Ten dual season this weekend, heading on a Midwest swing to Illinois and Wisconsin. The Boilermakers face the Fighting Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m. CT, live on BTN+, and follow Sunday at 1 p.m. against the Badgers. 

0:00 - Remembering Dr. Don Corrigan

3:15 - Purdue vs. Northwestern recap

4:55 - Four Freshmen

8:20 - #BoilerNotes

10:17 - Macartney Parkinson Revisited

15:36 - Choice/Be Accountable to Yourself

17:40 - Dominant Wins

21:51 - Both Sides Missing Bodies/Everyone Be Ready

25:13 - Illinois and Wisconsin

35:29 - Extra Matches

While the Boilermakers have to wait until Friday to start, several other Big Ten schools opened their seasons last weekend. The crew all watched some wrestling last weekend for the first time in months, and all had some takeaways. One of the most notable things was the abundance of new faces around the conference and true freshmen competing. 

Expect to see some new faces in the Purdue lineup this weekend against the Wildcats. Ersland said that most notably we would see senior Devin Schroder, sophomore Kendall Coleman and freshman Emil Soehnlen on the mat. 

The crew wrapped up the show looking at Monday night’s College Football Playoff Championship game between Alabama and Ohio State. While everyone remarked on certain aspects of the game, Ersland focused on football being able to complete their season and crown a national champion and looked at it as a win for college sports. 

0:00 - B1G Opening Weekend

4:46 - Lots of New Faces

9:20 - Extra Matches

14:09 - Purdue vs. Northwestern

16:10 - Expecting the Unexpected and Facing Adversity

21:28 - More Purdue vs. Northwestern

29:55 - CFP Championship Game: A Victory for College Sports

With the Boilermakers set to start competing in just over a week, Ersland dives into the team’s five duals and two tri-duals for the regular season, specifically commenting on how the structure of the slate worked out. 

When asked if he has ever had a season this tough to prepare for, Ersland had a very simple answer: “No.” They look at some of the challenges coming at them this season and how every member of the Purdue roster will need to be ready to go this year. 

Purdue has seven individuals with preseason rankings this season, headlined by senior Devin Schroder and sophomore Kendall Coleman. Ersland talks through what preseason rankings mean and how they are viewed by his team. 

Finally with the recently published documentary film of Dan Gable, Palm and Lipsett take a moment to look at Ersland’s cameo appearances and some of the odd behavior of wrestlers. 

0:00 - B1G Schedule is here!

21:05 - Season Challenges

27:34 - Preseason Rankings

36:30 - Ersland's Famous Blue Garments

Ersland dives into the format of the pending Big Ten schedule, along with some of the potential additions and match structures of the coming season. The conference is tentatively planning to open action on the weekend of January 9, and feature a seven-week format with nine events. 

The crew looks back on another outstanding semester in the classroom for the Boilermakers, which kept the squad’s cumulative grade point average north of the 3.0 mark and saw 19 individuals earn honors on the coaches’ and AD’s honor roll. 

The likely-to-be final show of 2020 wouldn’t be complete without a little holiday fun as Ersland and co-host Cory Palm tell stories of their “elf on the shelf” escapades. 

0:00 - 2021 Schedule Stuff

6:21 - NCAA Qualification Criteria

9:34 - RPI?

16:41 - More Schedule Questions from Cory

21:40 - Why is the Schedule Taking So Long? 

26:33 - Boilers in the Classroom

29:38 - Merry Christmas / Elves on Shelves

Ersland often mentions his opportunity to work with Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs during his tenure at Nebraska, and Burroughs had his skills on full display over the weekend against NCAA Champion Zahid Valencia. The guys touch on several of the things that continue to make Burroughs great, and how Ersland continues to try and take from Burrough’s performances and translate them to his Boilermaker wrestlers. 

The Boilermakers’ newest recruiting class continued to get attention over the weekend as The Open Mat tagged Purdue has having the best social media announcements for the signing period. Ersland recognizes the variety of people involved in this year’s efforts and the importance of celebrating the occasion. 

0:00 - U23 & UWW Junior Nationals Recap

3:35 - Thomas Penola

8:15 - Max Lyon

11:25 - Parker Filius

15:20 - Weight Classes

20:18 - Gerrit Nijenhuis

30:35 - Burrough vs. Valencia

40:25 - What's on TV?

43:00 - Boilermaker Recruiting Honors

Coach and the guys also speak at length about the John Purdue Club's "More Than a Game" campaign and the importance of supporting the larger mission of collegiate athletics.  

And finally, Coach Ersland talks about the several wrestling showcases that took over the sport in recent weeks and mentions his favorite matchup of the summer.

The Boilermakers killed it in the classroom this season, earning NWCA Scholar All-America team honors for the second straight season, grabbing three individual NWCA academic awards and tying the program record with 13 Academic All-Big Ten selections. The team had a 3.29 grade point average (GPA) during the spring semester, and pushed the squad’s cumulative GPA over a 3.0. Dylan Lydy put a cherry on top of the academic recognition Wednesday, receiving Purdue’s Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship honor.

Unable to hold the team’s 2019-20 postseason banquet, the Boilermakers announced their team award for the season via social media. Ersland handed out eight honors for the season, recognizing Lydy, fellow senior Christian Brunner, junior Devin Schroder, sophomore Parker Filius and freshmen Thomas Penola and Kendall Coleman.

A native of Indiana, Edds played for Kirk Ferentz at Iowa and then was picked by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons in the league, despite tearing both of his anterior cruciate ligaments, and then has begun a second career in athletic administration with the Big Ten Conference. Edds reflects on some of his time in the NFL, lessons he learned, coaches he played for and how it all impacted his current role at the conference office.

Edds also talks about his role with the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which he calls one of the most impressive athletics events he’s ever attended. He goes behind the scenes to discuss a variety of things it takes to put on such a monumental event, and how he navigates the challenges of making it a success for the coaches, wrestlers and fans.