More than two dozen members of the last NCAA Division I Wrestling program in the state of Florida returned to Stetson after 30 years and were honored during 2017 Homecoming festivities, Nov. 3-4.

The Stetson wrestling team, coached by John Hauser, was founded in 1984 at a time when many major college programs were dropping wrestling due to Title IV regulations. Even without scholarships, the “Wrestling Hats” recruited outstanding young students-athletes, mostly from Florida, who shared a dream of wrestling at the Division 1 level.

That dream lasted only three years — and ended with a Stetson wrestler a mere one match away from going to the national championship tournament.