GRAPPLING FOR GLORY BOK CENTER HOSTS BIG 12, NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS MONTH

BY TIM LANDES

If college basketball considers March madness, what do we call the amount of wrestling occurring in downtown Tulsa this month?

For the sixth consecutive year BOK Center hosts the Big 12 Wrestling Championship and the Cox Business Convention Center hosts the World of Wrestling National Youth Duals on March 4-5.

“There is no doubt Tulsa will be the center of the wrestling universe this March,” says Joel Koester, director of sports sales for the Tulsa Sports Commission. “These side-by-side events attract thousands of wrestlers from around the country and provide a unique opportunity for the young athletes competing at World of Wrestling to see what the sport is like at the collegiate level.”

Two weeks later, on March 16-18, 330 of the nation’s top collegiate wrestlers take over BOK Center for three days to grapple through the NCAA Wrestling Championships brackets in pursuit of individual and team glory as 18,000 fans cheer on their favorites each day.

It’s the first time Tulsa has hosted the NCAA Wrestling Championships, and it’s the first time since 2006 it’s happened in Oklahoma, when the event was held in Oklahoma City.

“With thousands of fans expected to take over downtown, this is a chance for Tulsa to showcase why we’ve been receiving so much national attention,” Koester says. “A lot of people heading into town for this tournament don’t know what to expect — and we can’t wait for them to discover what our city is all about. From our world-class chefs, bars and restaurants, to our constantly growing collection of state-of-the-art attractions like the Bob Dylan Center and

Aaru Entertainment’s VRcade, Tulsa always has a way of leaving people wanting to come back for more.”

To help provide additional amenities for the surge of fans in downtown for the NCAAs, ASM-Tulsa (who manages Cox Business Convention Center and BOK Center) is working with Tulsa Sports Commission and Downtown Tulsa Partnership along with the NCAA to host a fan fest at the Cox Business Convention Center that will include food and beverage, vendors and live demonstrations. It will be open between and after every session.

Additionally, Tulsa Sports Commission and Downtown Tulsa Partnership are working together to help prepare nearby businesses for the increased traffic, along with planning further downtown activities to keep fans entertained between sessions.

According to Tulsa Regional Tourism, the combined economic impact for the Big 12 Wrestling Championship and the NCAA Wrestling Championships is nearly $22 million.

On The Mats

Oklahoma State University is hosting this year’s event. It has been 17 years since the Cowboys last won the team title, then capping a four-year championship run that concluded in Oklahoma City. Currently, the Pokes are ranked No. 7 (NCWA Coaches Poll) and No. 16 (InterMat) in the country. They are coached by legend John Smith, who has been in charge since 1992. The Del City native and twotime Olympic gold medalist has led five teams to championships and coached wrestlers to 33 individual titles.

OSU should qualify most of the starting lineup, and all eyes will be on junior Daton Fix of Sand Springs. Fix is currently ranked No. 2 in the country at 133 pounds with a 20-0 record at press time. He has finished as a national runner-up three times, including two straight finals losses to Penn State’s Roman Bravo-Young. The No. 1 ranked graduate student hasn’t lost a match since his sophomore season in 2019-2020. At press time, he’s 12-0 with a current win streak of 48.

As for the University of Oklahoma, the unranked Sooners have a handful of wrestlers who should qualify for the NCAAs. They are led by junior Mosha Schwartz, who is ranked No. 9 at 141 pounds.

In the team battle, it hasn’t been much of one for over a decade. The defending champion Penn State enters Tulsa as the top-ranked team in the country. The Nittany Lions, coached by legend Cael Sanderson, have been the most dominant force in the sport for over a decade, winning nine of the last 11 championships. There was no tournament in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. TP

March 16-18

Oklahoma State University Fan Fest

Between and after every session until 11:30 p.m. Pepsi Exhibit Hall C, Cox Business Convention Center, 100 Civic Center. Find inflatables, food trucks, TVs, cash bar, merchandise and more. Free admission.