Five reasons to attend No. 8 Hokies vs No. 5 WolfpackFive reasons to attend No. 8 Hokies vs No. 5 Wolfpack
Wrestling

Five reasons to attend No. 8 Hokies vs No. 5 Wolfpack

  1. Friday Night Duals. Friday's match begins conference competition in what is the first ACC Friday Night Duals of 2023. This will be the 16th all-time meeting between the Hokies and the Pack – Tech leads the series 9-6. Tech returns a national champion, two-time finalist, four NCAA All-Americans, four conference champions, and nine NCAA qualifiers to their lineup. NC State returns eight qualifiers to their lineup with five conference champions and one national finalist. The past eight ACC Dual Meet Titles are split between the two programs, each claiming four during that span and the last ten ACC Tournament Champions also being claimed by the two programs.
     
  2. Top-Ten Battle. In the latest National Wrestling Coaches Association poll, Tech ranks at No. 8 while NC State enters the bout No. 5. This will be the fourth year in a row that the two programs meet while ranked in the top-10. Both squads boast a full lineup of ranked wrestlers with a full list of credentials up and down the lineup. There will be a total of one NCAA champion, three NCAA finals appearances, nine conference champions, five All-Americans, three world medalists, and 15 NCAA qualifiers taking the mat on Friday night.
     
  3. The Rivalry. In one of the most heated rivalries across college wrestling, the Hokies and Pack are appointment viewing, taking home Dual of the Year in two of the past three years. The road to ACC glory runs between Blacksburg and Raleigh with the last nine conference titles owned by either program and this year looks to be the same.
     
  4. Marquee Rivalry at 184. An individual rivalry also circles the dual between No. 7 Hunter Bolen and No. 3 Trent Hidlay. Both two-time All-Americans and conference champions, the rivals will meet for the sixth time in their careers with Bolen holding the advantage 3-2. Only two takedowns have been exchanged between these two competitors and the largest margin of victory has been two points. Another hotly contested bout is sure to be in store on Friday night.
     
  5. Student Appreciation. As with all wrestling matches in Cassell, admission is FREE! The dual will start at 7 p.m. EST with doors opening at 5:30 p.m. EST. Fans are encouraged to Maroon Out for Friday night's huge match. The first 175 fans and the first 75 students will receive a maroon script "Hokies" shirt, Hokie Student Club raffle for JBL Speakers, $500 Hokie Shop voucher, and raffle for Tech vs Duke Men's Basketball tickets – a pair to a student and a pair for general admission fans.