For the first time in 21 years, Mott Athletics Center has been called on to host the Pac-12 Wrestling Championships, according to an announcement from Cal Poly Athletics.
The Pac-12 wrestling conference is currently one of the smallest in the NCAA with only four teams, as the Mustangs will welcome in Little Rock, Oregon State and Cal State Bakersfield in the first week of March.
This is only the third time in program history that the event will be held in San Luis Obispo.
“We’ve never had it in a tournament setting,” senior wrestler Zeth Romney said. “I think it’s going to be super cool to see how that goes and just have that support there.”
The full Cal Poly Wrestling schedule has hit the books, featuring multiple nationally ranked preseason opponents including No. 11 Stanford, No. 16 Duke and Pac-12 rival No. 28 Oregon State.
The Mustangs, meanwhile, check in at No. 29 on the preseason rankings, returning three of their four wrestlers who competed at last year’s NCAA Championships.
Hosting the Pac-12 Championships
Cal Poly traveled to Oregon State for the Pac-12 Championships last year, placing second and tying the highest finish in program history.
Now, when early March rolls around, the team will be able to stay in San Luis Obispo for the four-team conference championship.
“There’s something to be said about wrestling in front of a home crowd, sleeping in your own bed, having just control over your weight set,” head coach Jon Sioredas said.
Since the Pac-12 passed legislation to host affiliates in 2021, Cal Poly wrestling has been pushing to host the event.
“There’ve been some hiccups with Covid at first, and then with the Pac-12 losing some programs, some legacy members, and trying to rebuild the conference,” Sioredas said. “We’re finally in a good spot now.”
The 2025-26 season will be the final year with four members in the conference before rebuilding once again. Northern Illinois is set to join the Pac-12 in wrestling for the 2026-27 season, according to an Oct. 1 announcement on the conference website.
New lineup ahead of 2025-26 season
With the season opener right around the corner on Oct. 31, the Mustangs will open on their home mats against No. 16 ranked Purdue with a new-look lineup.
Last year was the final year of eligibility for three-time NCAA qualifier and senior Legend Lamer, but his two brothers departed for new schools via the transfer portal.
Redshirt senior Chance Lamer – a three-time NCAA qualifier who finished 14th at the NCAA Championships last season – transferred to Nebraska, while the redshirt sophomore Daschle Lamer returned to Oregon State to wrestle in his family’s hometown of Corvallis.
With all three of the Lamer brothers leaving, the Mustangs picked up three transfers from Power Four schools to help fill the gaps.
149-pound graduate student Andre Gonzales joins the team from Ohio State, where he posted a 46-21 record in four years. Last year, he held a 16-5 record, recording six technical falls.
Gonzales will be moving up to 149 pounds as a Mustang even though he wrestled at Ohio State in the 141 pound weight class.
Redshirt junior Ceasar Garza comes in from Michigan State to wrestle at 184 pounds, recording a 24-19 record in his first two years as a Spartan before redshirting. Coming into Cal Poly, he holds a national preseason ranking of No. 28.
Redshirt junior Luke Gayer also transfers from Rutgers to wrestle for the Mustangs at 165 pounds. In three years of wrestling in the Big 10, Gayer posted a 30-21 record.
“Those three come in and fill three pivotal spots for us,” Sioredas said. “So I’m really excited to see them out of the gate these next couple months.”
Another big change for the Mustangs will be the shifting of Romney to a new weight class, as last year’s NCAA All-American and the third-place finisher at 133 pounds will be moving up to 141 pounds.
According to Sioredas, last year’s Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year Romney has put on “10 pounds of muscle and zero pounds of fat” to work his way up to a new weight class.
“He’s been able to keep his speed, he’s healthy and he’s moving good,” Sioredas said.
Romney will lead the way for the Mustangs, but they’ll also return two other wrestlers who competed at last year’s NCAA Championships.
Graduate student Trevor Tinker won the Pac-12 heavyweight title in Corvallis last year, punching a ticket to the NCAA Championships for the second year in a row. He finished his year with a 23-6 overall record.
Koda Holeman will also return for the Mustangs at 125 pounds, who earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships after a 20-11 breakout year. Holeman, dubbed “The Ironman,” was also the only wrestler on the team to not miss a match last season.
Difficult regular season schedule
To kick off the season, the team will face a Big Ten powerhouse in Purdue on Oct. 31, mirroring the 2024 schedule when the Mustangs faced No. 30 Indiana to start their year.
With seven ranked players and an overall team ranking of No. 16 in the preseason, the Boilermakers provide a challenge straight out of the gate for the Mustangs.
“It’s going to be a lot of fun. I think we match up well,” Sioredas said. “Competition for us, regardless of who we’re wrestling, it’s just a benchmark for us to adjust and make some improvements and get better.”
Cal Poly continues its fall slate with its first Pac-12 matchup of the year against Cal State Bakersfield during Alumni Weekend, a special fundraising event for Cal Poly alumni and supporters. The match will also serve as its only regular-season home conference dual this year.
The best of Cal Poly’s squad will suit up next for the Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas from Dec. 5-6. The invitational is set to be the toughest regular season date for the Mustangs, as wrestlers from 16 of the top 25 teams in the country will be waiting for them.
Romney will look to repeat his success at Cliff Keen from 2024, as he became the first Mustang in 15 years to capture a title at 133 pounds in Las Vegas.
Some Cal Poly wrestlers will travel to the Ken Craft Midlands Championships on Dec. 28-30 in Evanston, Illinois, alongside some of the nation’s best talents.
After that, Cal Poly will host a double-dual for the second year in a row at Mott Athletics Center, facing Cal Baptist and Drexler University on Dec. 20.
Up next, Power Four opponent Duke will then travel to San Luis Obispo on Jan. 10.
Cal Poly then faces a familiar and formidable appointment in Oregon State for their second Pac-12 dual of the year on Jan. 18 up in Corvallis, Oregon.
Mott Athletics Center plays a crucial role for the team, acting as more than just a historic home arena.
“I love home duels,” Romney said. “I love wrestling in front of the home crowd and being able to hang out in my own city and in my own locker room.”
The Mustangs then go on a tough road trip to close out their regular season, first facing off against No. 12 Stanford on Feb. 6. Cal Poly lost out against the ACC opponent during their alumni weekend in 2024, but with a new roster, the dual will have a completely different look this season.
The Mustangs will then enter their last conference matchup of the year on Feb. 15 against No. 25 Little Rock, who won last year’s Pac-12 Championships with a dominant team performance.
The matchup will set the rankings and the stage for the 2026 Pac-12 Championships in March.