What time do the NCAA wrestling championships start? Here's a look at the schedule
Matt EyerThe NCAA Division 1 wrestling championships continued Friday night with the semifinals, setting the stage for the finals on Saturday.
Penn State, the defending champion, is going for its eighth national title in nine years - and could make a run at being the greatest team in history.
ESPN provides television coverage of the tournament, hosted in Pittsburgh. More consolation rounds will take place Saturday morning with the finals taking place Saturday night.
More:Follow live updates in the 2019 NCAA wrestling championships
Below is a look at the schedule, according to the NCAA:
Saturday matches
Session 5: 11 a.m., ESPNU (wrestleback semifinals, then third-, fifth-, and seventh-place medal rounds)
Session 6: 7 p.m., ESPN (championship weight-class finals and individual weight-class awards)
How does the NCAA wrestling tournament work?
Double elimination: Every wrestler gets at least two matches. After a loss, each wrestler moves into wrestlebacks in the consolation bracket, either to be eliminated or move up through the bracket, with a chance for a third-place finish. The top 8 wrestlers in each weight class can win All-American status.
Championship bracket: Wrestlers who don't lose a match will move through the championship bracket, with quarterfinals starting Friday morning and semifinals Friday night. Championship matches will be Saturday night.
Scoring: Matches are seven minutes, with athletes scoring points through takedowns, reversals, escapes, riding time and near falls. A technical fall (scoring more than 15 points than the opposing wrestler at any point) ends the bout even if it's before seven minutes is up. A fall, or pin, also ends the match - this is when a wrestler controls his opponent and puts both shoulder blades on the mat for two seconds. Wrestlers score team points for every win. Get a more detailed look at the NCAA website.
