College wrestling is on the rise, and the NCAA seems more than willing to support its ascent. Just days after adding women’s wrestling as the “91st championship” in the vast roster of NCAA sports, they have turned David Taylor‘s suggestion into reality. What’s more? The decision comes just a day after Penn State coach Cael Sanderson dismissed the idea.

Yes, we’re talking about the National Duals Invitational. Taylor appealed for the tournament’s NCAA return after the NWCA National Duals. “Dual meets are awesome,” said the 34-year-old, and it seems the NCAA agrees with that sentiment. And so the 2025 D1 National Duals are coming to Cowboy wrestling turf at Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a whopping $1 million prize money. While the winning team will have the bragging rights to a $200,000 prize money, every competing team will also take home $20,000. Seems like a good payday. However, there’s a Nittany Lion shaped catch.

While the fan-favorite tournament returns on November 15, only 16 teams will participate in the inaugural dual. Judging by Cael Snaderson‘s words, #1 ranked Penn State might skip it. “You can create a big event without including every team in the country, right?” Sanderson said while discussing the National Duals. However, others feel excited regardless of David Taylor’s former coach’s stance.

“Hosting this event is a game-changer for D1 wrestling and critical for growing the sport’s fanbase,” National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Executive Director Mike Moyer stated. OSU’s Athletic Director, Chad Weidberg also lauded the decision. “Bringing this prestigious tournament to Oklahoma will elevate our programs,” the OSU Vice President added.

However, while the NCAA has announced the venue, date, and prize money, fans are yet to learn of the rosters that’ll compete for glory. Although the possible absence of the most dominant team in college wrestling might affect the overall popularity of the 2025 National Duals, no one could be happier about its return than Magic Man David Taylor.

David Taylor couldn’t have asked for a better outcome

When the 34-year-old wrestling coach made the suggestion, he couldn’t have imagined the NCAA would follow his blueprint to a tee. Yet, that’s exactly what happened. Not only did the NCAA bring back the National Duals, but it did so exactly in the format Taylor had suggested. The three-time world champion had suggested the difficulty of hosting the event during the regular season.

“You (put) it at the beginning of the year before the conference events start, and you get the best teams to come compete,” Taylor theorized. However, the Olympian didn’t mean the beginning of the season literally. Instead, he meant the period ahead of a new NCAA regular season, “You pick the projected best eight or 16 teams, you pick a date in November, and people can prepare for it,” said David Taylor.

The NCAA didn’t just pick November but also matched Magic Man’s suggestion of sticking to the top 16 teams for the premier tournament. Even the NCAA’s motive to bring back the tournament matched Taylor’s. “We have to figure out ways we can continue to market our teams, our programs, and the guys that are on the mat,” said the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist.

It’s unlikely that the NCAA followed David Taylor’s template because it takes a lot more than a few days to plan and approve a million-dollar tournament. However, it shows that despite being in his rookie year as a coach, Taylor has quickly evolved his perspective beyond that of a wrestler concerned with personal glory to one concerned with helping the sport grow.