Oklahoma State University is making waves across the collegiate sports landscape, with both its wrestling and hockey programs capturing headlines for very different reasons. In a weekend packed with high-stakes competition and off-the-mat speculation, the Cowboys' wrestling squad delivered a statement victory over a top-three rival, while the hockey club found itself at the center of social media buzz about a possible leap to NCAA Division I and a brand-new arena. But what’s really happening in Stillwater, and what does it mean for the future of OSU athletics?
The wrestling world was abuzz on February 1, 2026, as the No. 5 Oklahoma State Cowboys took down the No. 3 Iowa State Cyclones with a decisive 24-9 win inside a raucous Gallagher-Iba Arena. The dual was punctuated by a series of dramatic matches, but none more emotional than Casey Swiderski’s upset of his former team. Swiderski, who transferred from Iowa State after sitting out last season with an injury, faced the Cyclones’ Jacob Frost—ranked sixth nationally—and emerged with a gritty 4-2 victory. The moment was charged, not just for the points, but for the personal journey it represented.
"It was an opportunity for me to just stay present like Coach tells me, just wrestle and have clarity," Swiderski shared after the match. "I couldn't hold back a little bit at the end, but this was a big moment for me. I went through a lot, had a lot of people say things about me. It was fun." His coach, David Taylor, echoed the sentiment, recalling with a laugh, "I was like, 'Hey ding-dong, look over here. We got 50 seconds left, we gotta stay focused.' And he did a good job of that. This is just a part in his season, but you need little victories along the way."
Swiderski’s win was just one of several pivotal moments for Oklahoma State. Sergio Vega, ranked No. 2 at 141 pounds, outlasted Iowa State’s No. 3 Anthony Echemendia in a tense 4-2 bout, securing the winning takedown late in the third period. Landon Robideau, at 157 pounds, followed suit with a clutch takedown in the waning seconds to defeat No. 8 Vinny Zerban, 4-1. These victories—each coming down to the wire—swung the dual in the Cowboys’ favor and electrified the home crowd.
Freshman sensation Jax Forrest continued his undefeated run, putting on a show with a 16-0 technical fall over Iowa State’s backup, Osmany Diversent. Forrest wasted no time, racking up 13 points in the first period alone and finishing the match in just 3:31. The 12th-ranked Forrest is now 8-0 on the season, though he missed a potential marquee matchup against Iowa State starter Evan Frost, who was sidelined by the flu. When asked about Forrest's redshirt status, Taylor remained noncommittal: "We’ll keep taking it week by week."
Another Cowboy making noise was Alex Facundo, who logged a 4-2 decision over MJ Gaitan at 174 pounds. Facundo, a redshirt junior and Penn State transfer, improved his season record to 12-4, with nine of his 16 matches coming against opponents ranked 13th or better. Taylor praised his progression: "He’s stacking good days and good weeks and good matches, and you’re starting to expect the end result to be what you want."
The dual wasn’t without its setbacks for Oklahoma State. At 197 pounds, Iowa State’s Rocky Elam—an undefeated senior and Missouri transfer—edged OSU’s redshirt freshman Cody Merrill in a grueling tiebreaker overtime, 4-1. Both wrestlers were visibly exhausted after a series of tough rideouts, but Elam’s experience proved decisive. With the Big 12 Championships just over a month away, fans are already eyeing a potential rematch between these two competitors.
The final tally saw Oklahoma State secure victories in seven of ten matches, with the Cowboys clinching the dual before Iowa State even got on the scoreboard. For a team stacked with both proven veterans and breakout freshmen, the win over a higher-ranked opponent is a clear sign that OSU wrestling is peaking at the right time.
Meanwhile, off the mat, Oklahoma State’s hockey club found itself in the national spotlight for a very different reason. A flurry of social media chatter, fueled by reports from a Barstool Sports podcast and College Hockey News, speculated about a $200 million arena and a move to NCAA Division I status. The excitement was further amplified when former OSU football coach Mike Gundy appeared in a video promoting the Bedlam hockey game set for February 28 at Tulsa’s BOK Center.
But how much of the hype is reality? Athletic director Chad Weiberg was quick to pump the brakes, noting the university’s current financial landscape. "It is impressive to see what the OSU hockey club has done over the last few years," Weiberg told The Oklahoman. "They've created a great organization with significant backing and have become one of the best club teams in the country. The club is committed to adding value to OSU, not taking from existing resources, which I appreciate. The athletic department and the hockey club share a desire to innovate and to help propel the university into the future."
Weiberg also pointed out that OSU athletics operated at a loss of about $5.2 million for the 2025 fiscal year, making the addition of a non-revenue varsity sport like hockey a tough sell. There are also Title IX equality considerations that would need to be addressed if men’s hockey were to become a varsity sport. As things stand, the hockey club remains outside the purview of OSU Athletics, operating independently with its own financial backing.
As for the much-discussed arena renderings circulating online, they’re indeed real—but not official. The images were created by OSU student Braden McAnear as part of a conceptual design project, in collaboration with fellow student Lakin Osmus. The renderings represent a student vision for what a future ice hockey arena could look like, not a university-sanctioned plan or commissioned design.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding its NCAA future, the OSU hockey club is enjoying a banner season. The team has rattled off six straight wins, including a pair of victories at Penn State, and has a challenging slate ahead: games at Tennessee on February 6-7, at Nebraska on February 13-14, and the much-anticipated Bedlam matchup in Tulsa to close out the month. The club’s success and growing fan engagement have made it a hot topic on campus and beyond, even if a jump to Division I remains a distant dream for now.
In a week filled with triumphs on the wrestling mat and speculation on the ice, Oklahoma State’s athletes and fans have plenty to cheer about—and even more to look forward to as the spring sports calendar heats up.