[Spiny_Norman]

Any read on whether they're just testing the market or whether they're leaving because they really want to leave?

They are gone. I am pretty sure that Knox and Garvin are graduating. Don't know about Norman. And it may or may not be about money. There certainly could be other factors (i.e., wanting to be closer to family, the challenge of getting into a Stanford grad program, following an assistant coach who is leaving).

[Spiny_Norman]

Any read on whether they're just testing the market or whether they're leaving because they really want to leave?

They are gone. I am pretty sure that Knox and Garvin are graduating. Don't know about Norman. And it may or may not be about money. There certainly could be other factors (i.e., wanting to be closer to family, the challenge of getting into a Stanford grad program, following an assistant coach who is leaving).

[Spiny_Norman]

Jiminy cricket. Nico Provo (3rd place finisher at 125 pounds) is now in the portal as well. 

A common element among all 4 is that they will have completed 3 or 4 years at Stanford by the end of this academic year. It might be an issue that they could not get a spot in a graduate program to remain at Stanford one more year. Of course it also might be money. 

This comes after Stanford lost both Shane Griffith and Real Woods to the transfer portal after their senior seasons (but with eligibility remaining) in 2022. Griffith was a national champion and Woods was an All American.

[Spiny_Norman]

Jiminy cricket. Nico Provo (3rd place finisher at 125 pounds) is now in the portal as well. 

A common element among all 4 is that they will have completed 3 or 4 years at Stanford by the end of this academic year. It might be an issue that they could not get a spot in a graduate program to remain at Stanford one more year. Of course it also might be money. 

This comes after Stanford lost both Shane Griffith and Real Woods to the transfer portal after their senior seasons (but with eligibility remaining) in 2022. Griffith was a national champion and Woods was an All American.

[Spiny_Norman]

I just got a letter from Coach Ayres. An appeal for money because that is the main issue for the guys in the portal. 

They love Stanford and don’t want to go, but would be fools if they didn’t enter the portal to find out the real numbers…their “market value”. From numerous back channels, the “poachers” were getting numbers to them and they were high. So I really couldn’t blame them for going in.

 . . .Penn State’s revenue share for wrestling is 1.8 million. That is more than our total budget. Iowa State Cyclones wrestling revenue share is $1.0 million.

We are not asking for the numbers PSU, OSU, and Iowa have to use to fund their success, and neither are our wrestlers, but we need more. The reality is they are spending 4-7x the money institutionally.

So if you know someone with a chunk of money to invest in athletics who wants to make a difference, send them to Coach Ayres.

[Spiny_Norman]

I just got a letter from Coach Ayres. An appeal for money because that is the main issue for the guys in the portal. 

They love Stanford and don’t want to go, but would be fools if they didn’t enter the portal to find out the real numbers…their “market value”. From numerous back channels, the “poachers” were getting numbers to them and they were high. So I really couldn’t blame them for going in.

 . . .Penn State’s revenue share for wrestling is 1.8 million. That is more than our total budget. Iowa State Cyclones wrestling revenue share is $1.0 million.

We are not asking for the numbers PSU, OSU, and Iowa have to use to fund their success, and neither are our wrestlers, but we need more. The reality is they are spending 4-7x the money institutionally.

So if you know someone with a chunk of money to invest in athletics who wants to make a difference, send them to Coach Ayres.

[Vandelay]

Stanford wresting coach decries NIL poaching

[Vandelay]

Stanford wresting coach decries NIL poaching

[jacket3ree]

I'm not going to pretend to be a wrestling fan, although I always liked Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Can't say the name without thinking of Curtis Mayfield.

If Penn State wants to spend 7 percent of their revenue share on wrestling, more power to them. That seems really high to me. I'm sure they do it because NIL coverage in football is a lot easier to come by than in wrestling.

Penn State sponsors 31 sports. Stanford sponsors 36. That's not it, really. Which five sports does Stanford dump to equalize with wrestling powers? They tried that. I thought part of the resurrection was solid financial footing, but maybe that didn't include evergreen money to pay players.  Eventually donors get donor fatigue. New guy has more decisions to make. So does the coach.

[jacket3ree]

I'm not going to pretend to be a wrestling fan, although I always liked Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka. Can't say the name without thinking of Curtis Mayfield.

If Penn State wants to spend 7 percent of their revenue share on wrestling, more power to them. That seems really high to me. I'm sure they do it because NIL coverage in football is a lot easier to come by than in wrestling.

Penn State sponsors 31 sports. Stanford sponsors 36. That's not it, really. Which five sports does Stanford dump to equalize with wrestling powers? They tried that. I thought part of the resurrection was solid financial footing, but maybe that didn't include evergreen money to pay players.  Eventually donors get donor fatigue. New guy has more decisions to make. So does the coach.

[fullmetal]

In his third season, Chris Ayres takes the wrestling program to a historic best finish with a national champion and three other All-Americans.  And after this stellar season, large vultures have pulled out their checkbooks to get a piece of the success pie that they didn't build but hope to have a taste of.  I'm sure Stanford isn't the only program being targeted, but I don't wish this for any other coach either.  Coaches deserve to build on their athletes' successes year after year.  Now even more than ever, their job is dependent on boosters keeping the talent in house (or poaching other talent).  This isn't what coaching should be about, and it's not what collegiate athletics should be.

[fullmetal]

In his third season, Chris Ayres takes the wrestling program to a historic best finish with a national champion and three other All-Americans.  And after this stellar season, large vultures have pulled out their checkbooks to get a piece of the success pie that they didn't build but hope to have a taste of.  I'm sure Stanford isn't the only program being targeted, but I don't wish this for any other coach either.  Coaches deserve to build on their athletes' successes year after year.  Now even more than ever, their job is dependent on boosters keeping the talent in house (or poaching other talent).  This isn't what coaching should be about, and it's not what collegiate athletics should be.

[Spiny_Norman]

Hunter Garvin and Tyler Knox have announced that they will return to Stanford next year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXYLPcWDqo2/...BiNWFlZA==

Still waiting on Nico Provo and Lorenzo Norman. As far as I know, neither has announced for a new school yet.

[Spiny_Norman]

Hunter Garvin and Tyler Knox have announced that they will return to Stanford next year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DXYLPcWDqo2/...BiNWFlZA==

Still waiting on Nico Provo and Lorenzo Norman. As far as I know, neither has announced for a new school yet.

[martyup]

Hunter Garvin and Tyler Knox have announced that they will return to Stanford next year.

[martyup]

Hunter Garvin and Tyler Knox have announced that they will return to Stanford next year.

[fullmetal]

They may have received good news from their respective graduate programs.  Exciting for next year's success!

[fullmetal]

They may have received good news from their respective graduate programs.  Exciting for next year's success!

[Mick]

Aden Valencia upset top seeded and previously unbeaten Shayne Van Ness for the national championship!! I am so proud of the entire wrestling program. Left for dead 6 years ago when Bernard Muir tried to kill the program. Seemingly abandoned by Coach Rob Koll when he was offered a job as head coach at North Carolina. But Bernard then made a great hire in Chris Ayres who came in from Princeton. Tonight was a peak moment for any Stanford fan.

This is a nice compilation of highlights from Valencia’s match.
https://x.com/globalwresorder/status/203...HNRJeBC_DA

My sons knew a lot of wrestlers at Princeton (they were in the same fraternities and dining clubs) where Ayres was coach for 17 years (I met one of his wrestlers a few weeks ago, and Ayres' daughter was a Princeton wrestler, class of 2025). They spoke extremely highly of Coach Ayres, a 4x Ivy Wrestling Coach of the Year. Stanford wrestlers feel the same way, from what I gather. Great morale on that team, great team unity. Watch how the team embraced Valencia after his win, other teams didn't do that.

Ayres operates under some difficulty. Thanks to Muir's torpedoing of the program, Stanford wrestling only has 6.9 scholarships versus the old cap of 9.9. The Big Three, Penn State ($1.8 million), Iowa State ($1 million) and Oklahoma State have budgets 4x to 7x Stanford's budget. And four Stanford wrestlers are testing the waters in the portal (Provo, Knox, Garvin and Norman).

He's done a great job. Last year, Stanford finished 18th with two All Americans, this year probably a #6 finish with six All Americans and a national champion. 

Stanford wrestling coach Chris Ayres releases eye-opening statement amid Cardinal wrestlers in transfer portal - Yahoo Sports

Chris Ayres - Stanford Cardinal - Official Athletics Website

[Mick]

Aden Valencia upset top seeded and previously unbeaten Shayne Van Ness for the national championship!! I am so proud of the entire wrestling program. Left for dead 6 years ago when Bernard Muir tried to kill the program. Seemingly abandoned by Coach Rob Koll when he was offered a job as head coach at North Carolina. But Bernard then made a great hire in Chris Ayres who came in from Princeton. Tonight was a peak moment for any Stanford fan.

This is a nice compilation of highlights from Valencia’s match.
https://x.com/globalwresorder/status/203...HNRJeBC_DA

My sons knew a lot of wrestlers at Princeton (they were in the same fraternities and dining clubs) where Ayres was coach for 17 years (I met one of his wrestlers a few weeks ago, and Ayres' daughter was a Princeton wrestler, class of 2025). They spoke extremely highly of Coach Ayres, a 4x Ivy Wrestling Coach of the Year. Stanford wrestlers feel the same way, from what I gather. Great morale on that team, great team unity. Watch how the team embraced Valencia after his win, other teams didn't do that.

Ayres operates under some difficulty. Thanks to Muir's torpedoing of the program, Stanford wrestling only has 6.9 scholarships versus the old cap of 9.9. The Big Three, Penn State ($1.8 million), Iowa State ($1 million) and Oklahoma State have budgets 4x to 7x Stanford's budget. And four Stanford wrestlers are testing the waters in the portal (Provo, Knox, Garvin and Norman).

He's done a great job. Last year, Stanford finished 18th with two All Americans, this year probably a #6 finish with six All Americans and a national champion. 

Stanford wrestling coach Chris Ayres releases eye-opening statement amid Cardinal wrestlers in transfer portal - Yahoo Sports

Chris Ayres - Stanford Cardinal - Official Athletics Website

[Spiny_Norman]

Nico Provo is the ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year for wrestling. 5 other Cardinal wrestlers named ACC All Academic.

https://gostanford.com/news/2026/04/22/a...f-the-year

[Spiny_Norman]

Nico Provo is the ACC Scholar Athlete of the Year for wrestling. 5 other Cardinal wrestlers named ACC All Academic.

https://gostanford.com/news/2026/04/22/a...f-the-year

[Spiny_Norman]

Nico Provo reportedly is staying at Stanford for his final year.

https://x.com/_wrestlersgrind/status/205...9229118891

That's 3 of the 4 wrestlers who entered the portal returning to Stanford. Still waiting on Lorenzo Norman.

[Spiny_Norman]

Nico Provo reportedly is staying at Stanford for his final year.

https://x.com/_wrestlersgrind/status/205...9229118891

That's 3 of the 4 wrestlers who entered the portal returning to Stanford. Still waiting on Lorenzo Norman.