The wrestling mats are sizzling at the University of Northern Iowa as they celebrate a century of grappling greatness. The Panther Train is revved up to tangle with some of the toughest Big 12 rivals on the planet, including Utah Valley, Columbia, West Virginia, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Last season was like a highlight reel for the Panthers, as they nailed down seven dual wins. And guess what? This season, they’re welcoming back five NCAA qualifiers from the previous year.

That’s a recipe for pure wrestling excitement. But here’s the real secret sauce behind UNI’s wrestling coach, Doug Schwab. He is a coach with the mindset of a magician who is turning his athletes into warriors.

ESPN wrestling analyst’s eye-opening visit to UNI

Well known wrestling analyst with ESPN, Rock Harrison, recently made a visit to the UNI wrestling training arena. In a recent tweet, Harrison shared his thoughts on the visit. He took to X to share a few takeaways on his visit. With a few pictures and videos Harrison captioned the post, “Tour Takeaways @UNI_wrestling.”

Harrison explained that people have the biggest resources now. According to him, no wrestler or participant complained about the arena. Whether it’s the staff or the one who is studying wrestling and coaching who has mentioned any sort of difficulty in the area. A few days back, the Northern Iowa wrestling team was forced to vacate their home of almost a hundred years. The walls of the West Gym were showing signs of weakening, and the engineers declared the building unsafe for use. So they had to relocate.

Harrison also mentioned that when he entered, he wondered if it would be a wrestling ramp, but to his surprise, it was. He mentioned that the wrestling environment that was created was because of the people and their values. Harrison proceeded to explain that people can get training under different coaches according to their choices and athletic skills. And what he liked the most was their leisure time, including Clash of Clans, Fortnite, and Frisbee Golf.

UNI’s quest for a new training facility

That’s not enough to get the momentum up for the fans. The University of Northern Iowa is aiming for a grand slam. They want to build a brand-new, state-of-the-art training facility for their wrestling program. They’re just waiting for the Iowa Board of Regents to give it the green light. In the fundraising arena, UNI is throwing a huge shindig with their “Our Tomorrow” campaign.

Also read: University of Northern Iowa Wrestling Coach Dives Into the Significance of “Adversaries” to Elevate Competition on Day One of Training

They’re gunning for $250 million, and they’ve already pocketed an impressive $242 million. That’s all thanks to the support of over 27,000 generous donors. The University of Northern Iowa’s wrestling program is putting on a show for its 100th season, and it’s a celebration you won’t want to miss.

Watch this story: “Never Forgot That”: Hulk Hogan Broke Countless Laws for Dwayne Johnson’s Father Even Before He Started Wrestling