Askren undergoes double lung transplant; Division II Northeastern State (Okla.) adds men's and women's wrestling; Sasso joins Lehigh staff

Catching you up on the day's wrestling news from around the world with Mat Talk Online's Daily Wrestling Newsletter sponsored by @Resilite.

Jul 01, 2025

Ex-MMA champ Askren receives lung transplant - ESPN
Former MMA and wrestling champion Ben Askren has received a double lung transplant, his wife shared on social media.

UFC veteran Ben Askren undergoes double lung transplant: 'Please keep Ben in your prayers' - Yahoo Sports
Former MMA champion Ben Askren has undergone as a double lung transplant as he continues to fight for his life in a Wisconsin hospital.

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Summer Hours

The newsletter will be using what I call “summer hours” until we start the season again. It’ll mostly be in the usual 6 a.m. Central release point, but travel and family obligations will sometimes push the daily release time later in the morning.

New Program Alert

NSU Announces Historic Athletics Expansion With 7 New Teams - Northeastern State University Athletics
Northeastern State University is planning the largest expansion of its athletics department in school history, adding seven varsity teams over the next two years.

College News

VOTE FOR WYATT HENDRICKSON: ESPY FOR BEST MALE COLLEGE ATHLETE

Four-Time All-American Sammy Sasso Joins Men's Wrestling Coaching Staff - Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh head coach Pat Santoro has announced the addition of Sammy Sasso to the Mountain Hawks' coaching staff. A high school standout at nearby Nazareth Area High School, Sasso returns to the Lehigh Valley following an outstanding career at Ohio State where he was the ninth four-time All-American in Buckeye wrestling history.

All-Quarter Century NCAA Wrestling Team: 157-Pound Finalists - FloWrestling
The Flowrestling team took a list of NCAA champs from the last 25 years and pared it down to four after a staff vote. Now you can weigh in with your vote.

Wrestling Announces 2026 ACC Schedule - University of North Carolina Athletics
Entering year three under the direction of head coach Rob Koll, the North Carolina wrestling program has announced its 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference schedule for the upcoming season.

Nick Simmons Set for MSU Hall of Fame Induction - Michigan State University Athletics
Alongside four other standout student-athletes and one iconic coach, Michigan State wrestling alum Nick Simmons has been selected for induction into the Michigan State Athletics Hall of Fame.

‘Surviving Ohio State’ documentary gives chilling reminder of a ‘powerless’ time - The Athletic ($$)
“How could this have happened?”That question is at the center of “Surviving Ohio State,” a documentary released June 17 on HBO and Max.

Fantasy College Wrestling - 2025 Season Top 20 (149 lbs) - InterMat
With the school year over, the end of year awards and accolades start getting passed out for a season well-done.

Miranda elevated to lead Dutch women’s wrestling program - Central College Athletics
The Central College women's wrestling team has its new head coach as assistant coach Jaime Miranda will take over the reins of the young program.

Ithaca Announces 55th Hall of Fame Class - Ithaca College Athletics
The Ithaca College Department of Intercollegiate Athletics has finalized its 55th Hall of Fame class, which will be inducted on Friday, October 24, 2025. The newest class features eight highly successful individuals.

Siena Heights University Announces Closure at the Conclusion of the 2025-2026 Academic Year – Siena Heights University
Siena Heights University, with the full support of the Board of Trustees and General Council of the Adrian Dominican Sisters, will close at the conclusion of the 2025-2026 academic year.

RCTC Wrestling Bolsters Coaching Staff – The Guillotine
The Rochester Community and Technical College wrestling program has strengthened its coaching staff with the addition of two accomplished former collegiate wrestlers, Head Coach Andy Hackenmueller announced.

High School News

Akron's Ken Dies receives honor from National Wrestling Hall of Fame - Akron Beacon Journal
When Ken Dies opened a letter at his Highland Square home on June 25, the message caused his wife, Carol, to shed tears of joy.

Recruiting & Commitment News

Recruiting Lists for Top Class of '27 Recruits - InterMat ($$)
June 15th was New Year’s Day for those college coaches recruiting the Class of 2027 and the student-athletes waiting to plan out their futures. The 15th was the first day that collegiate coaches could officially contact rising juniors and there has been plenty of activity on the recruiting front.

A Pair of Iowa Class of 2027 Wrestling Prospects Reveal Colleges - Sports Illustrated
For two Iowa high school Class of 2027 wrestlers, figuring out where to spend their futures is key right now. Don Bosco High School juniors-to-be Hayden Schwab and Dawson Youngblut have narrowed down their college choices for now.

Wrestling Signs Impressive Recruiting Class - University at Buffalo
Entering their second season at the helm of the University at Buffalo wrestling program, Donnie Vinson and his staff have compiled an impressive signing class ahead of the 2025-26 campaign. The 11-member class is comprised of four transfers and seven freshmen.

Recent Commitment Listings
Transfer Portal (Flo) | InterMat | 2025 Men (Flo) | 2025 Women (Flo) | 2026 Men (Flo)

International News

Wrestling completes tree-planting initiative in Casablanca - United World Wrestling
Another highlight was a symbolic tree-planting initiative, organized in Casablanca in partnership with local authorities. This initiative aimed to raise participants’ awareness of the environmental emergency and the role of sport in combating climate change.

Watch Live: 2025 European U20 Wrestling Championships, Italy - United World Wrestling
The European U20 Championships begins in Caorle, Italy on Monday, June 30 and will run till July 6 with close to 500 wrestling fighting it out for the 30 gold medals on offer.

Podcasts and Video Shows

Is there a wrestling podcast out there that you haven’t seen featured in the newsletter that you think should? I try to find any and all shows, but there’s a lot out there, so if you’ve got one, comment on this post or e-mail me at jason@bryantwrestling.com with the name and a link and I’ll see what I can do. If it passes the smell test, I’ll throw it in there.

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