Wrestling College Wrestling: Top 25 teams in operating expenses for 2025 fiscal year.

koleszar

Heisman
Jan 1, 2010
37,483
58,981
113
We've seen this list before and still have no idea where over $3.02 mil. dollars goes? The entire coaching staff makes somewhere around $500K to 600K. Where does the other $2.5 to $2.4 million go?
 

Richie O

Hall of Famer
Staff member
Mar 21, 2016
69,123
233,273
113
We've seen this list before and still have no idea where over $3.02 mil. dollars goes? The entire coaching staff makes somewhere around $500K to 600K. Where does the other $2.5 to $2.4 million go?
All this money goes into Official Visits, coaching staff salaries, and just a whole bunch of different things. Everyday expenses for the program.
 

koleszar

Heisman
Jan 1, 2010
37,483
58,981
113
All this money goes into Official Visits, coaching staff salaries, and just a whole bunch of different things. Everyday expenses for the program.
Again, the entire staff combined makes between $500k to $600k. That's a lot of dough, approximately $2.4 mil. to $2.5 mil for a whole bunch of other stuff.
 

Richie O

Hall of Famer
Staff member
Mar 21, 2016
69,123
233,273
113
Again, the entire staff combined makes between $500k to $600k. That's a lot of dough, approximately $2.4 mil. to $2.5 mil for a whole bunch of other stuff.
Unfortunately New Jersey is an expensive place.
 

nickkosko

Freshman
Dec 4, 2022
43
87
18
@nickkosko, can you detail what went into the Rutgers number? Thanks!
It's a reported number, so I don't have any additional inside information. What I can tell you, from a broad brush, expenses are dished out to coaching staff, operations within the university, travel (very expensive these days), hotel accommodations, recruiting travel, recruiting visits on campus, gear, etc. It all adds up and the more you spend, the more visible you can be, so to speak. Hence why you see the reported spending up with some blue bloods.
 

koleszar

Heisman
Jan 1, 2010
37,483
58,981
113
It's a reported number, so I don't have any additional inside information. What I can tell you, from a broad brush, expenses are dished out to coaching staff, operations within the university, travel (very expensive these days), hotel accommodations, recruiting travel, recruiting visits on campus, gear, etc. It all adds up and the more you spend, the more visible you can be, so to speak. Hence why you see the reported spending up with some blue bloods.
Except according to this, we're spending Top 6 and getting Top 34 results. I know NIL isn't included but something isn't adding up.
 

SCNJ

All-American
Oct 12, 2019
4,504
5,921
48
Except according to this, we're spending Top 6 and getting Top 34 results. I know NIL isn't included but something isn't adding up.
We’ve done a better job building a brand than landing elite wrestlers. Really all it is, I don’t think it’s some deep mystery. We’ve become really good at filling a lineup with solid guys but have not done a good job getting the upper echelon guys.

Ashnault, Knox, and Harer are welcome additions that should move the needle. I don’t think we’ll be world beaters next year but over time I think Knox especially will help improve the recruiting.
 
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Kiddagger311

Senior
Sep 17, 2025
770
475
63
We’ve done a better job building a brand than landing elite wrestlers. Really all it is, I don’t think it’s some deep mystery. We’ve become really good at filling a lineup with solid guys but have not done a good job getting the upper echelon guys.

Ashnault, Knox, and Harer are welcome additions that should move the needle. I don’t think we’ll be world beaters next year but over time I think Knox especially will help improve the recruiting.
At the very minimum we gotta be able to keep some elite wrestlers in state.. I guess James was a loss cause.. being from Delbarton and all.. but losing Kenny stings… if it doesn’t work out for him at Iowa I hope he would consider coming back home.. him and Ash had a good connection when he was young..
 

Barrellroll

Sophomore
Dec 9, 2025
115
105
43
Goodale has done a great job in building a very good and passionate fan base. He deserves tremendous credit. He is also an example of the Peter Principle. His primary focus on dual meets seems to have limited our ability to perform well at the NCAA tournament. Especially when the standard to measure wrestling success is results at the national championships.Being the top 6 school in spending and finishing between 20th and 35th during the last 5 years is unacceptable. If we were to remove the coach’s name and anonymously look at results, I cannot see how Zinn would renew his contract.
 

acadiax

Redshirt
Apr 12, 2026
33
36
18
At the very minimum we gotta be able to keep some elite wrestlers in state.. I guess James was a loss cause.. being from Delbarton and all.. but losing Kenny stings… if it doesn’t work out for him at Iowa I hope he would consider coming back home.. him and Ash had a good connection when he was young..
Why? What’s the compelling event to select Rutgers? Im asking what’s the pitch. I’m not saying this to be negative but as an actual examination. I’m kid konkrete and my bar is Olympic Gold Medalist, that’s my vision, my dream and target. To be an elite wrestler in the world … I don’t hope to AA , I plan on winning NCAA championship(s). And I want the best program for me to achieve those goals and level up to reach them. Now pitch me. Why should I choose Rutgers and how can they help me get there. Track record of success, training partners, coaches, facilities ,what … please pitch me why I should come to Rutgers?
 
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LETSGORU91

Senior
Jul 9, 2025
512
523
93
At the very minimum we gotta be able to keep some elite wrestlers in state.. I guess James was a loss cause.. being from Delbarton and all.. but losing Kenny stings… if it doesn’t work out for him at Iowa I hope he would consider coming back home.. him and Ash had a good connection when he was young..
Can't exclusively use that as an excuse anymore (Degeorge).
Now pitch me. Why should I choose Rutgers and how can they help me get there. Track record of success, training partners, coaches, facilities ,what … please pitch me why I should come to Rutgers?
Improved coaching staff (Ashnault who likely had a big hand in an NCAA finalist out of pretty much nowhere I believe), improved recruiting into better programs/training partners (Knox, Harer, wrestling powerhouse programs like Bishop Mccort, Malvern Prep, Delbarton), an AD who seems hell bent on winning, more NIL coming in, and a great fanbase. There's the pitch. Yes it can be better but it's a hell of a lot improved versus this time last year.
 

Kiddagger311

Senior
Sep 17, 2025
770
475
63
Why? What’s the compelling event to select Rutgers? Im asking what’s the pitch. I’m not saying this to be negative but as an actual examination. I’m kid konkrete and my bar is Olympic Gold Medalist, that’s my vision, my dream and target. To be an elite wrestler in the world … I don’t hope to AA , I plan on winning NCAA championship(s). And I want the best program for me to achieve those goals and level up to reach them. Now pitch me. Why should I choose Rutgers and how can they help me get there. Track record of success, training partners, coaches, facilities ,what … please pitch me why I should come to Rutgers?
No teams going match the history/staff of PSU/Osu/Iowa etc so why should any recruit go to any other program based on your standards? Reminds me of Harper/Bailey.. two elite 5 star bball prospects and they chose to go to RU over all the powerhouse traditional college bball teams.. looks like they are doing alright…
 
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koleszar

Heisman
Jan 1, 2010
37,483
58,981
113
Ashnault, Knox, and Harer are welcome additions that should move the needle. I don’t think we’ll be world beaters next year but over time I think Knox especially will help improve the recruiting.
Didn't we say the same when Ashnault and Suriano were wrestling? It didn't work last time, why would it now for the same head coach?
 

SCNJ

All-American
Oct 12, 2019
4,504
5,921
48
Why? What’s the compelling event to select Rutgers? Im asking what’s the pitch. I’m not saying this to be negative but as an actual examination. I’m kid konkrete and my bar is Olympic Gold Medalist, that’s my vision, my dream and target. To be an elite wrestler in the world … I don’t hope to AA , I plan on winning NCAA championship(s). And I want the best program for me to achieve those goals and level up to reach them. Now pitch me. Why should I choose Rutgers and how can they help me get there. Track record of success, training partners, coaches, facilities ,what … please pitch me why I should come to Rutgers?
At this point in time, you shouldn’t.

We should still target those guys because once in a blue moon an Ashnault, Suriano, Knox, etc will end up here, but if your goal is Olympic gold and it’s realistic then you should be at Penn State or Oklahoma St.

However, there are plenty of upsides to Rutgers. Academically it’s a high caliber school. Depending on your major, there are NYC internships waiting around the corner. If you’re an elite recruit, you’ll have a chance to start immediately. You’ll get a more familial relationship with the program as opposed to being a cog in the wheel at Penn St. For better or worse, I think Goodale is more willing to politic with the families than Cael will.

Every recruit is different. We’ve had several guys come in an AA as both high school recruits and transfers. There’s a reason they chose Rutgers over other more prolific options.

Over time, if we can land and develop those A- recruits and get them on the podium, then the A+ and S+ recruits will follow.
 

SCNJ

All-American
Oct 12, 2019
4,504
5,921
48
Didn't we say the same when Ashnault and Suriano were wrestling? It didn't work last time, why would it now for the same head coach?
It didn’t work last time? Where were you? Those were highly successful years even outside those two guys. Talented recruits came in, many of them reached the podium. Unfortunately after the big 2 left, several high level recruits didn’t turn into what we had hoped and the momentum died.
 

acadiax

Redshirt
Apr 12, 2026
33
36
18
No teams going match the history/staff of PSU/Osu/Iowa etc so why should any recruit go to any other program based on your standards? Reminds me of Harper/Bailey.. two elite 5 star bball prospects and they chose to go to RU over all the powerhouse traditional college bball teams.. looks like they are doing alright…
Why not us? If you don’t believe in you why should anyone else. We are not talking about history, we are talking about today. Nebraska as a counterpoint. You just don’t want to say what needs to be said, Goodale is not a good enough coach to get Rutgers to the next level. He’s a good coach , he’s not good enough for where should be given the location, the resources, he helped put Rutgers on the map but he’s tapped out. Mark Manning produced Jordan Burroughs arguably the greatest US wrestler of all time, 1xtime NJ champ. He tells the story of sitting down with Manning and saying he wanted to be a an Onlympic gold medalist and Manning saying well this is what you need to do, the blue print.

it’s clear Goodale can not develop talent in that manner, give him all the great recruits, it’s not to say he can’t coach or anything but he’s reached his ceiling.and before you say Ashnault and suriano , they were already in the case of Surian top 3 and Ashnault an AA in his first year, I would argue his growth was actually limited. Clearly it was Donnie being at Rutgers that led to some of that success , he put Columbia on the map in his 2nd year, won coach of the year and scored more points than Rutgers at NCAAs and we are talking about Columbia.
 
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acadiax

Redshirt
Apr 12, 2026
33
36
18
At this point in time, you shouldn’t.

We should still target those guys because once in a blue moon an Ashnault, Suriano, Knox, etc will end up here, but if your goal is Olympic gold and it’s realistic then you should be at Penn State or Oklahoma St.

However, there are plenty of upsides to Rutgers. Academically it’s a high caliber school. Depending on your major, there are NYC internships waiting around the corner. If you’re an elite recruit, you’ll have a chance to start immediately. You’ll get a more familial relationship with the program as opposed to being a cog in the wheel at Penn St. For better or worse, I think Goodale is more willing to politic with the families than Cael will.

Every recruit is different. We’ve had several guys come in an AA as both high school recruits and transfers. There’s a reason they chose Rutgers over other more prolific options.

Over time, if we can land and develop those A- recruits and get them on the podium, then the A+ and S+ recruits will follow.
That’s all well and good I said the goal of many elite wrestler is to ne the best wrestler in the world. If you want a good academic school and are good wrestler but don’t see that as your path it makes sense. And I question the development part … pritzlaff, sea bass , Edgar , Buxton… you had guys developing. Goodale you get guys that win the occasional big match which is very different from developing for the long haul. I Just don’t see Goodale as a developer , he can build a program for sure …but his ceiling is what we see ImHO.