New season, same goals.

The Iowa men’s wrestling team will kick off the season at Cal Baptist on Nov. 4.

The Hawkeyes are fresh off a national runner-up finish and must fill the holes left by veterans Spencer Lee, Jacob Warner, and Max Murin.

For Tom Brands, who is in his 18th season as head coach, losing experience on the roster isn’t an excuse for a down season but a way for others to take advantage and prove themselves.

“Everybody on that roster has an opportunity now,” Brands said. “This is something where the eyeball test is important. We’ve got a lot of upgrades in the depth of that roster.”

The Hawkeyes welcomed 10 newcomers in the offseason, including four transfers.

Michael Caliendo and Jared Franek both made the move to Iowa from North Dakota State.

Caliendo achieved All-American status and finished seventh at 165 pounds at nationals last season as a first-year. He is ranked fifth in preseason polls.

Franek, a graduate student, won the Big 12 Championship at 157 pounds last season and earned All-American honors after placing fourth at nationals. He is ranked in the top three in his weight class heading into the season.

Despite their age gap, the pair’s relationship is tight.

“I went to North Dakota State because of Jared Franek,” Caliendo said. “So, I went in thinking he was going to be my training partner for the rest of his career. So, when we found out our coach left, that was kind of our plan, just go somewhere together.”

The other two transfers are from the Sooner State. Victor Voinovich III was an NCAA qualifier for Oklahoma State at 149 pounds last season after redshirting in 2022.

Joey Cruz went 2-2 for Oklahoma at 125 pounds before missing the rest of last season with an ankle injury.

Voinovich III has trained with the Hawkeyes since this summer and has enjoyed his time in Iowa City so far.

“I’m surrounded by a different environment that I feel like is more suited to where I wanted to be,” Voinovich III said. “Everyone’s just coming in ready to work, and everyone on the team wants to win, so it’s nice to be surrounded by people that are like-minded.”

Brands said the four transfers were on his watch list when they were in high school.

“They’re not just new additions. Two of them are All-Americans, and one of them was in the Round of 12,” Brands said. “We looked at these guys. We know where they come from. We know where their strengths were as high school wrestlers.”

The head coach is confident Iowa’s decorated rookie class will make meaningful contributions to the team this season.

Two of those rookies, Ben Kueter and Gabe Arnold, came from Iowa City High School, about 15 minutes away from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Kueter is a two-sport athlete and plays linebacker for the Iowa football team. He went 111-0 during his wrestling career for the Little Hawks to become the seventh athlete in Iowa prep history to post an undefeated record.

Arnold took home a U20 Pan American gold medal at 79 kilograms in July after not giving up a single point to his opponents. He won a state title at 182 pounds last season and is listed at 174 pounds on Iowa’s roster.

Key returners include heavyweight Tony Cassioppi and 141-pounder Real Woods.

Cassioppi, now in his sixth season, has yet to accomplish his ultimate goal of a national title. He placed fourth at the NCAA Tournament last season to become the 25th four-time All-American in program history.

“Iron sharpens iron. Having the best guys in the room is what you want,” Cassioppi said. “You want your toughest match to be in here and then walk through the national tournament.”

Real Woods fell to Northern Colorado’s Andrew Alirez, 6-4, in the NCAA title bout. Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Woods is far from satisfied with his second-place finish.

“Big year last year? Not so much — I took second,” Woods said. “My expectations are a lot higher than that.”

Along with adjusting to a new roster, the Hawkeyes will have to adapt to new rules on the mat this season. The NCAA decided on June 8 that all takedowns will be worth three points instead of two.

The panel also decided to create a three-point nearfall. Previously, officials could award two or four points for near falls. This change was enacted to encourage wrestlers to be more creative in attempting to score points, according to the NCAA.

“Our opinion doesn’t matter. I’ve always looked at it that way. Just make sure that when you’re on that committee that you’re doing your job, and I think they did their job,” Brands said. “ I love it. Let’s get going.”

Iowa will host two-time reigning national champion Penn State on Feb. 9. Other squads traveling to Carver-Hawkeye Arena this season include Oregon State, Columbia, Minnesota, Purdue, and Wisconsin.

Iowa’s away slate features trips to Iowa State, Penn, Nebraska, Illinois, Northwestern, Michigan, and Oklahoma State.