Nice National TV Bonus for David Taylor and Oklahoma State Wrestling
(This story originated with Oklahoma State University Athletic Media Relations and was written by Jake LeForce and contributed to by Pokes Report’s Robert Allen.)
STILLWATER – Oklahoma State’s wrestling dual at Iowa State on January 26 will be nationally televised on ESPN and start at 4 p.m. CT, a slight change from the original start time of 2 p.m.
The Cowboys-Cyclones dual marks just the second ever regular season college wrestling meet to air on ESPN after Iowa State and Iowa did so last November. A broadcast crew consisting of Shawn Kenney, Jim Gibbons and Rock Harrison will be joined by veteran reporter Quint Kessenich to call the action.
In Colorado at the final regular season OSU football game, Kessenich was there as the sideline reporter and spoke to head football coach Mike Gundy and myself about Taylor and Oklahoma State wrestling. Gundy said from the little time he had been around Taylor, he knew he was a “supreme competitor.” I told Kessenich that I had been impressed with the way Taylor took over the program and infuenced it with his priorities. Kessenich told me that Taylor was one of his favorite wrestlers to cover at ESPN.
The Cowboys are fresh off the 35-3 win over Oklahoma in Bedlam.
“Our guys prepare and they go out expecting to score points and have success,” Taylor said after Bedlam. “It is not an accident the we go out and perform the way we do. It is what our goal is.”
Oklahoma State will compete in front of a national audience twice this regular season with its final dual at Iowa airing on the Big Ten Network. The Cowboys have been a consistent figure on the national stage following broadcasts on ESPNU (at NC State) and FS1 (Iowa) last year.
Two of the most storied programs in college wrestling history, the Cowboys and Cyclones have combined for 42 NCAA team titles and 214 individual champions. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 63-22-3, including last season’s 21-12 victory at Gallagher-Iba Arena. Following Friday’s win over Oklahoma, the third-ranked Cowboys are now 5-0 on the year, while No. 13 Iowa State currently sits at 1-2.