A wrestler aiming for his fifth NCAA title is a rare feat. But when he faces a reigning champion on the other side, it sets the stage for one of the most anticipated clashes in college wrestling. So, what happens when a major broadcasting platform like ESPN airs this historic showdown at the start of the event rather than saving it for the grand finale? According to Penn State wrestling legend Bo Nickal, it’s a baffling decision. He didn’t hold back when he mocked the move, saying, “The UFC and other sporting events do it wrong. Have your best match of the event on the prelims! Smart.”
Nickal was clearly taking a jab at the NCAA and ESPN for how they structured the event. After all, this wasn’t just any match — it was one of the most historic bouts in NCAA wrestling history. For many, including the wrestlers themselves, the question was obvious: why open with a showdown that could decide the Hodge Trophy winner instead of making it the grand finale? Even Carter Starocci, the Penn State legend who secured his fifth NCAA title, couldn’t help but voice his frustration.
“I’m not sure why ESPN elected for the 184-pound match to be the first one. I mean, you have a guy going for his fifth title, and you have the reigning champ,” Starocci said, openly criticizing the event structure in his post-match interview. It was a direct call-out of both ESPN and the NCAA for a decision that, to many, seemed to rob the moment of its grand impact.
Saturday night’s NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championship Finals kicked off with the highly anticipated clash between Carter Starocci and Parker Keckeisen of Northern Iowa at 184 pounds. With so much at stake, fans expected this historic showdown to be the closing highlight. Instead, it opened the event — a move that left many scratching their heads.
Starocci didn’t hold back in expressing his disappointment: “We’ve been dominant all year. You put that match first, for whatever reason — ESPN or whatever. It just makes me laugh and giggle because some rules that wrestling has in place… things like that, it’s no surprise why wrestling isn’t mainstream.” The decision to air the match so early sparked widespread criticism. Many believed it was poor scheduling for a moment that deserved the brightest spotlight. But was it really a bad decision, or did ESPN have a valid point behind this controversial choice?
Carter Starocci match wasn’t a bad call
While most fans and spectators were frustrated by the event’s structure, not everyone agreed it was a misstep. Jordan Burroughs, the Nebraska wrestling legend, stood up for ESPN, offering a different perspective on the broadcasting strategy. For Burroughs, starting the event with the marquee match allowed the broadcast team to dedicate more time to discussing its historical significance. “If anyone’s watched the entire production at the very beginning, we always have a really long intro. We talk about the city, we talk about the magnitude of the moment — here’s what we get to transition and do,” Burroughs explained.
His point was simple: had the match been placed later in the lineup, it would have been crammed between other bouts. The time to reflect on the importance of Starocci’s fifth title would have been significantly limited. “We’d only have 45 seconds going into the intro to talk about how significant the moment was, and it really wouldn’t do justice to how big a fifth title could potentially be,” Burroughs pointed out. And he had a point — 45 seconds is hardly enough time to capture the weight of such a historic achievement.
While many argued that Starocci’s match deserved the prime-time closing slot, it’s clear there are two sides to the debate. ESPN’s strategy may have unintentionally overshadowed the achievement with the heavyweight finale, but Burroughs’ perspective suggests that airing the match early allowed for a fuller appreciation of Starocci’s historic moment. From a broadcasting standpoint, it could be argued that this decision let the audience savor the victory without the pressure of rushing to the next bout. After all, sometimes it’s not about when the moment happens — it’s about how well the story is told.
So, what do you think? Was ESPN’s decision a broadcasting blunder or a strategic move to give Starocci his well-deserved spotlight?
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