Dan Gable is a wrestling legend, plain and simple.

He found success as a competitor on the mat, and then as a coach, and while the foundation of his legacy was built within the state of Iowa, his reputation is known far beyond the borders of the Hawkeye State. 

Gable, now 76, wrestled collegiately at Iowa State, enjoyed a short international career and then settled in as the head wrestling coach at the University of Iowa – which is why it’s impossible to talk about the upcoming Big Ten Wrestling Championships without mentioning his name.

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While at the helm at Iowa, Gable coached more than 100 Big Ten champions and 50 national champs. 

Gable has been written about countless times across many platforms and has been the subject of multiple documentaries, including “THE DUAL,” a six-part docuseries by FloWrestling (2024) about an epic battle between Iowa and Iowa State that aired live on Iowa Public Television in 1986.

At the time of the meet, Iowa had won eight consecutive Division I team national titles under Gable and 10 of the last 11 overall (Gary Kurdelmeier won the other two). 

The only other team to win the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship from 1975-1985 was Iowa State.

Oh, and Iowa went on to win a ninth straight later in 1986.

On the other side of the gym for the all-Iowa regular season-ending showdown was first-year Iowa State head coach Jim Gibbons, who was 26 years old at the time.

The event still is talked about often, nearly 40 years later.

As the excitement builds for the 2025 college wrestling postseason, including the star-studded Big Ten Wrestling Championships, it’s the perfect time to celebrate the anniversary of the famed match (Feb. 23) and get ready to see who this year’s Big Ten and national champions will be.

What’s the best way to celebrate the milestone? Watch all six episodes (including all 10 matches) of “THE DUAL” before the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championship, scheduled for March 8-9.

Watch All Six Episodes Of “THE DUAL”

• Trailer
• The Dual: Prime Cut Episodes
• Episode 1: Wrong Place, Wrong Time
• Episode 2: Great Call, Phil
• Episode 3: Falderal
• Episode 4: Best Show On Earth
• Episode 5: You Gotta Love It
• Episode 6: Bonus Points

Who Won The Unforgettable Battle Between Iowa And Iowa State In 1986?

No. 2 Iowa State defeated No. 1 Iowa 19-16 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, on Feb. 23, 1986, ending a two-year, 36-meet winning streak for top-ranked Iowa.

Prior to the win, Iowa State had lost 10 consecutive dual meets to the Hawkeyes.

Do Iowa And Iowa State Wrestle In The Same Conference?

No, the teams hail from difference conferences.

Iowa is part of the powerful Big Ten Conference, where the Hawkeyes own the most Big Ten team titles with 37. The most recent was in 2021. They are followed by Illinois (17) and Indiana (14).

Iowa has won 24 team national championships (15 under Gable) and finished second 16 times.

Iowa State now competes in the Big 12 Conference. The Cyclones previously wrestled in the Big Eight Conference. They own 14 Big Eight team titles and four Big 12 wins, including 2024.

Iowa State has won eight national championships, with the most recent coming in 1987.

About Dan Gable

Gable was a three-time state champion while wrestling for Waterloo West High School in Waterloo, Iowa, going 64-0 in his career.

He went on to star for Iowa State and added two NCAA national titles to his growing resume (1968, 1969). 

After college, Gable enjoyed a short career on the international stage, winning gold at the Pan American Games and World Championships in 1971 and a gold medal at the Munich Olympics in 1972.

Coaching became Gable’s calling, and he debuted at the University of Iowa in 1976. He remained there through 1997, coaching more than 100 Big Ten champions and 50 national champions, while guiding the Hawkeyes to 15 of the 24 team national titles. 

When Are The 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships?

The 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be held March 8-9 at the Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Illinois, the home of Northwestern basketball, volleyball and wrestling.

On the line, will be a coveted Big Ten title in each weight class and the opportunity to move on to the 2025 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship.

The 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships will be held over two days and four exciting sessions at the Welsh-Ryan Arena. 

The first-rounds, quarterfinal, semifinal and wrestleback matches all will take place during Session I and Session II. 

Consolation semifinals and seventh-place matches will happen during Session III. 

The event will conclude with the first-, third- and fifth-places matches during Session IV.

What Teams Compete In Big Ten Wrestling?

The Big Ten Wrestling landscape includes 14 teams:

• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Michigan State
• Minnesota
• Nebraska
• Northwestern
• Ohio State
• Penn State
• Purdue
• Rutgers 
• Wisconsin

What Team Won At The 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships?

Penn State, before going on to win a third consecutive national title, outdistanced Michigan (170.5-123.5) for the Big Ten team title.

The event was held at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland.

Revisit the FloWrestling coverage from the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships.

How To Watch The 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships

The Big Ten is the premier conference in collegiate wrestling, and the conference’s talented teams are a big draw for viewers on the Big Ten Network and the FOX Sports App, which are scheduled to air two dozen duals and the Big Ten Wrestling Championship during the 2024-2025 season.

More than 80 additional contests will be broadcast on BIG+ (the Big Ten Network’s subscription service for non-televised events). 

The Big Ten Wrestling Championships, specifically, on March 8-9, will air on the Big Ten Network.

Big Ten Wrestling Championships Television Schedule

The Big Ten Network air three segments of coverage from the 2025 Big Ten Wrestling Championships on March 8-9.

All Times Eastern

March 8

• 11 a.m. – Session I
• 8 p.m. – Session II

March 9

• 5:30 p.m. – Championships

When Are The 2025 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships?

The 2025 collegiate wrestling season will come to a close with the 2025 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, set for March 20-22.

The event will take place at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. 

Penn State is the three-time defending national team champion in Division I wrestling and has won the title 11 of the 13 times the competition has been held since 2011. The Nittany Lions won in four consecutive times twice during the streak. 

A team from the Big Ten has won the team title 17 consecutive times. The last non-Big Ten team to win was Oklahoma State, which won four straight championships from 2003-2006.

Free From FloWrestling YouTube: Iowa Has To Do THIS To Beat Oklahoma State

FloWrestling Archived Footage

Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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