Wondering about Stevan Micic’s eligibility after he announced his return to wrestle at Michigan? You’re not alone; in fact, fans across social media are confused about how he can wrestle another season when he has been in college since 2014.
Keep reading for a full breakdown on Stevan Micic’s eligibility and college wrestling timeline.
Micic: The Freshman Years
For his first year in college, Micic trained and competed as a redshirt freshman for Northwestern. However, after Northwestern fired Head Coach Drew Pariano in 2015, Micic decided to transfer to Michigan.
Luckily for him, the Big Ten approved Micic’s transfer waiver and he was granted four years of eligibility to compete at Michigan.
Micic spent the following season training freestyle for the 2016 Olympics, essentially granting him a “free” year.
Actual Years of Competing
For the 2016-2017 season, Micic finally stepped onto the mat as a redshirt freshman. Though he took some lumps throughout the year, he finished the season with a 29-7 record and at 4th place on the podium at 133 lbs.
The next season, Micic leveled up big-time. Though he lost to Austin DeSanto (DREX) and Luke Pletcher (OSU) at the 2017 Cliff Keen Last Vegas Invitational, he rattled off 21 straight wins to claim a Big Ten title and make the 2018 NCAA finals against Seth Gross (SDST). Stevan Micic finished his redshirt sophomore year with a 2nd place finish at NCAAs.
Micic wrestled another phenomenal season in 2019. He won 14 straight matches until he medically forfeited out of the Big Ten Championships. The Wolverine still earned the #2 seed and won his first few matches, even avenging a loss to Austin DeSanto (IOWA). Micic lost in the semi-finals to Nick Suriano (RUT), but he battled back to earn a 3rd place finish. If you’re keeping track of the timeline, this is Micic’s third official year of eligibility.
What Happened Next?
The last time wrestling fans saw Stevan Micic wrestle was in the 2019 NCAA placing round against Luke Pletcher.
Stevan Micic opted to take another Olympic redshirt in 2020 to compete in the Tokyo Olympics for Serbia. Unfortunately, his dreams were delayed when the Games were postponed.
Though fans thought he may consider returning for the 2020 or even 2021 season, Micic ultimately decided to train for another year. The NCAA granted all athletes a “free year” in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this, Micic’s eligibility did not waver, and this meant he could take another year off the college mat.
What to Expect in 2022
Finally, Stevan Micic is back for his last season at Michigan. He returns as an Olympian and 3X All-American, which means he’s bringing major points to the board for the Wolverines.
However, there is a twist this year. In previous seasons, Stevan Micic has wrestled at 133 lbs, but this season he is officially wrestling 141 lbs.
Though Micic’s 8 years of eligibility & timeline may seem ridiculous since he has been in college since 2014; however, this is officially his final year. For Michigan’s 100th season, they are returning two Olympians and multiple All-Americans; for that reason alone, Wolverine fans should expect big things from Stevan Micic and the rest of the Michigan wrestling lineup.
