Penn State Wrestling returns to Allentown’s PPL Center to face Lehigh.
The Nittany Lions will wrestle Lehigh in their annual contest at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms’ home arena.
The Penn State wrestling team returns to Allentown’s PPL Center in December for their annual non-conference showdown against Lehigh. Penn State, the three-time defending NCAA champion, and Lehigh will resume their historic wrestling rivalry at the PPL Center for the first time since 2017.
The 112th Penn State-Lehigh game is set for December 8 at Allentown’s PPL Center, home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the Philadelphia Flyers’ AHL affiliate. Penn State and Lehigh last wrestled at PPL Center in 2017, in front of 9,896 people, setting Lehigh’s home dual-meet attendance record. Penn State, then ranked first, won that game 23-19 on its way to the seventh of coach Cael Sanderson’s 11 NCAA championships with the team.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to return to PPL Center and wrestle Penn State,” Lehigh wrestling coach Pat Santoro said in a statement. “Our match in 2017 was an amazing event and working with the team at PPL Center was an incredible experience for everyone involved.”
Penn State returns a loaded lineup in Sanderson’s 16th season as head coach. The Nittany Lions bring back three NCAA champs, two other finalists and a total of six All-Americans. NCAA champs Carter Starocci, Greg Kerkvliet and Levi Haines return, and Starocci seeks to become the first five-time national champ in college wrestling history.
The Nittany Lions have won three straight NCAA wrestling titles and 11 under Sanderson since 2010. Last season, Penn State set NCAA tournament records for scoring and margin of victory, became the first college wrestling program with two four-time national champions and put eight All-Americans on the podium.
Lehigh placed 15th in the NCAA Wrestling Championships last year and returns three All-Americans: Michael Beard (a former Penn State wrestler), Ryan Crookham, and Luke Stanich. Penn State has won 13 consecutive dual meets over Lehigh and leads the series 74-34-3, dating back to 1911.
Tickets for the Penn State-Lehigh match will go on sale to the general public on September 23. Tickets will be available online at:
Penn State has published a few more facts about its 2024-25 wrestling schedule. The Nittany Lions will host this year’s NWCA All-Star Classic on November 16 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State has also announced their Big Ten opponents for the season. The Nittany Lions will host Iowa, Michigan State, Michigan, and Maryland, as well as pay visits to Nebraska, Illinois, Rutgers, and Ohio State.
Allentown’s PPL Center, which celebrated its tenth anniversary on September 12, will host its second major NCAA wrestling event in December, the Penn State-Lehigh contest. The first match drew one of the biggest crowds in the venue’s history.approximately the past decade, the PPL Center has entertained approximately 4.5 million guests at events.