The Gophers wrestling program received a huge boost Monday. One of the world’s best wrestlers will rejoin the team for one final season.
Gable Steveson, who won the Olympic 125-kilogram gold medal with a dramatic comeback in 2021, will return to the Gophers for the 2024-25 season and seek his third NCAA heavyweight championship, Minnesota coach Brandon Eggum announced Tuesday.
“First, I would like to thank the University of Minnesota for their time, their effort and their persistence with me to push me to the man I am today,” Steveson said in a comeback video. “Minnesota has given me everything, and now it’s my turn to give it right back to them: to put my feet back on the wrestling mat, to be the champ, one more time.”
“Gable has the burning desire to compete for the Maroon and Gold one last time,” Eggum said in a statement. “We are thankful he has chosen the opportunity to add to his historic legacy with our program. He is one of the best to ever compete in the sport of wrestling, and we are grateful for the impact has had at our program.”
Steveson never gained the professional popularity that WWE was hoping for, and the organization released him from his contract in May. The Apple Valley native gave football a try, spending training camp with the Buffalo Bills as a defensive lineman even though he didn’t play the sport in high school.
Even when he was with WWE, Steveson continued to train with the Gopher Wrestling Club, and he won the 2023 U.S. Open Wrestling Championships, as well as Final X, clinching a spot on the U.S. Senior Team ahead of the 2023 World Championships. He did not compete the world event and didn’t participate in the 2024 Olympic trials because of his WWE obligations.
