Penn State wrestling fans might get to watch their two-time heavyweight champ Greg Kerkvliet take on an Olympic Gold Medalist.
Gable Steveson isnโt done with folkstyle wrestling yet.
Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that the two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner and 2020 Olympic Gold Medalist will use his final year of collegiate eligibility at the University of Minnesota.
๐๐'๐จ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ !
2x National Champion and Hodge Trophy winner, @GableSteveson, will wrestle one final season for the #Gophers.
Full story: https://t.co/Zp4JM1YPze pic.twitter.com/bBOqBp0eNb
— Minnesota Wrestling (@GopherWrestling) November 12, 2024
Steveson is one of the best wrestlers weโve seen in the past decade. Heโs already won two national titles and may have had a third in 2020 if the NCAA Championships werenโt postponed due to COVID-19 taking over the world. It feels like Steveson started his college career a while ago, so how is he still able to wrestle?
WHY STEVESON IS STILL ย ELIGIBLE
It feels like Steveson has been part of NCAA Wrestling since Penn State coach Cael Sanderson was still at Iowa State, so many are wondering: how is he not done yet? Well, hereโs a breakdown.
For those wondering how, Gable is allowed to retroactively take an Olympic redshirt.
His 19, 20, 22 years count
21 was COVID year
23 was his redshirt and 24 was an Olympic redshirtHe's eligible for 2025
— ๐ (@TheGOATFollower) November 12, 2024
Steveson wrestled full seasons for Minnesota in 2019, 2020 and 2022. The 2020-21 season doesnโt count against his eligibility due to COVID. In 2022-23, Steveson redshirted, and the next season, he took an Olympic Redshirt due to it being an Olympic year, ย which his different from a normal redshirt.
In the meantime, Steveson has tried to catch on with WWE and the NFL, spending time with the Buffalo Bills over training camp. Now, heโs back in the singlet.
GABLE VS GREG?
Photo by Penn State Athletics: Greg Kerkvliet
Penn State has the two-time defending national heavyweight champ back in Kerkvliet returning for his last season of eligibility. PSU doesnโt take on Minnesota during the dual meet season, but whoโs to say Kerkvliet wonโt wrestle Steveson at either the Big Ten or national championships?
Penn State begins its dual meet season Sunday against Lehigh in Bethlehem. The meet is scheduled to begin at 2.
