Penn State Wrestling Coach Blasts Big Ten Preseeding Process

Cael Sanderson says "What happened isn't going to work" after controversial preseeds revealed.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson is highly critical of the new Big Ten Championships preseeding process, which used a third-party algorithm to determine initial bracket placements. Sanderson says the results "don't make sense" and that there needs to be a "common sense application" of seeding criteria, citing issues like defending NCAA champion Lucas Byrd being seeded behind Penn State freshman Marcus Blaze at 133 pounds.

Why it matters

The Big Ten wrestling championships are one of the most prestigious events in college wrestling, and the seeding process is crucial in determining the path to individual titles. Sanderson's comments highlight concerns that the new automated preseeding system is producing results that don't align with the actual performance and accomplishments of the wrestlers over the course of the season.

The details

Sanderson did not say whether he voted for the Big Ten to use the WrestleStat Tournament Seeder Program to create the initial championship brackets, but he is clearly unhappy with the outcome. Issues include Nittany Lion Levi Haines being seeded second at 174 pounds behind Nebraska's Christopher Minto, whom he has already beaten this season, as well as Penn State freshman Marcus Blaze being placed at No. 1 at 133 pounds over defending NCAA champion Lucas Byrd of Illinois, who is also unbeaten this year.

  • The Big Ten Network revealed the preseeds on Monday, shortly before Sanderson's pre-Big Ten Championships news conference.
  • The coaches can challenge the seeding of their wrestlers if they were within 15 points of the next highest-seeded wrestler, but the full points criteria has not been released by WrestleStat or the Big Ten.
  • The final seeds will be determined at the Big Ten coaches meeting on Friday.

The players

Cael Sanderson

The head wrestling coach at Penn State University, a perennial national powerhouse program.

Levi Haines

A top-ranked wrestler for Penn State at 174 pounds.

Marcus Blaze

A Penn State freshman wrestler who was controversially seeded No. 1 at 133 pounds over defending NCAA champion Lucas Byrd of Illinois.

Lucas Byrd

The defending NCAA champion at 133 pounds, who wrestles for the University of Illinois.

Christopher Minto

A wrestler from the University of Nebraska who was seeded ahead of Penn State's Levi Haines at 174 pounds, despite Haines having beaten him earlier this season.

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What they’re saying

“In the past, our coaches spent a lot of time seeding the tournament and the bracket. So, we thought if a third party could do a good job [that would help], but obviously, what happened isn't going to work right? There needs to be, like, a common sense application.”

— Cael Sanderson, Penn State Wrestling Coach (on3.com)

“I think the coaches all thought it would be a little bit better than what they came up with, unfortunately. It just doesn't make sense. I mean, anybody can look at it and say you have an undefeated national champion or a top-ranked guy who won head-to-head.”

— Cael Sanderson, Penn State Wrestling Coach (on3.com)

What’s next

The final seeds will be determined at the Big Ten coaches meeting on Friday, where the coaches will have the opportunity to challenge the initial preseeds.

The takeaway

Sanderson's strong criticism of the new automated preseeding process highlights the importance of human judgment and experience in properly seeding a prestigious wrestling tournament like the Big Ten Championships. The results so far have drawn widespread confusion and frustration, raising questions about whether the conference will continue using this system going forward.