The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) wrestling team, ranked 19th nationally, is set to face off against No. 14 South Dakota State University (SDSU) in a Big 12 Conference dual meet this Sunday. The match will take place at First Bank & Trust Arena in Brookings, South Dakota, with competition beginning at 1 p.m. Central Time.
Fans can watch the event live on Midco Sports Plus with a subscription or follow live results on FloWrestling.
UNI has historically dominated the series against SDSU, holding a 42-6-1 all-time record over the Jackrabbits. The teams last met in January during the NWCA National Dual Meet Championships in Cedar Falls, where UNI secured a 20-14 victory by winning six matches, including Adam Ahrendsen’s decisive win at heavyweight.
After recent losses to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma, UNI aims to recover momentum. Nick Fox was one of the few bright spots for UNI last weekend, earning victories that led to his first Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honor. Julian Farber and Ryder Downey also contributed wins during those duals.
In tournament action at the Loras Open in Dubuque, Garret Rinken and Connor Thorpe each claimed titles in their respective weight classes for UNI. Austin Paradice finished third at 157 pounds while Cameron Geuther took fourth at heavyweight.
Key wrestlers from UNI currently appear in national rankings: Trever Anderson (125 lbs), Julian Farber (133 lbs), Caleb Rathjen (149 lbs), Ryder Downey (165 lbs), Jared Simma (174 lbs), and Nick Fox (184 lbs).
South Dakota State enters Sunday’s matchup with a strong season record of 12-3 overall and 5-2 within conference play. Under head coach Damion Hahn’s leadership, SDSU returns six NCAA qualifiers from last year’s squad that finished just behind UNI at the Big 12 Championships. Notable returning athletes include Bennett Berge—who moved up to compete at 197 pounds—as well as Tanner Jordan, Derrick Cardinal, Julian Tagg, Avery Allen, Drake Rhodes, and Luke Rasmussen.
Projected matchups feature several ranked competitors from both teams across various weight classes.
Supporters can follow UNI wrestling throughout the season via social media platforms such as Facebook (“University of Northern Iowa Wrestling”), X (@UNI_wrestling), Instagram (@uni_panther_wrestling), or by visiting UNIpanthers.com for updates and information.