What time are NCAA Wrestling Championships today (3/16/17)? TV, channel, livestream

New Jersey's Myles Martin of Ohio State reacts after he beat Bo Nickal of Penn State in the 174-pound final bout at the 2016 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Championships. 3/19/16 (Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

 By Ryan Dunleavy | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on March 16, 2017 at 6:05 AM, updated March 16, 2017 at 11:43 AM
ST. LOUIS -- The biggest three days of the college wrestling season are here.

While men's basketball kicks off March Madness elsewhere in cities across the country, wrestling begins its own upset-filled NCAA Championships at 11 a.m. local time Thursday at Scottrade Center.

Pigtails and first-round action is set for 11 a.m., with a second session of wrestling to follow at 6 p.m. after a midday intermission.

UPDATED BRACKETS: 125 | 133 | 141 | 149. | 157 | 165 | 174 | 184 | 197 | 285

Here's what five coaches from top national programs said about peaking at the right time:

Iowa's Tom Brands: "Peaking is a mindset, and (for the) most important time of year, three-day tournament, got to feel good and you've got be at your best. So however you adjust and get those things accomplished, that's what you do. A lot of it is individual. But a lot of it is pretty much common sense, too, maybe."

Penn State's Cael Sanderson: "We're confident in our system, but every year is a new year. Every tournament's a new day. Kids have to make the decision to wrestle great. And so for us it's just making sure we have a clear purpose and focus. And we know it's our responsibility to make it happen if that's what we choose to do. So we'll find out."

Oklahoma State's John Smith: "I think it's just a matter of an athlete recognizing he's had a full year of competition and has dealt with adversity, whether it be injuries or defeats or even trying to make the starting team. So I just think that attitude needs to change in postseason. And when you see that attitude change in an athlete recognizing I'm going to wrestle better than I've wrestled all year, it's that simple."

Ohio State's Tom Ryan: "I would say three components: You've got a physical component. And we watch that closely as a staff. You've got an emotional component. You can't say one thing to somebody at the beginning of the year and then just kind of change the way you talk to them at the end of the year. There's always love. And then I believe there's a spiritual element. And I think that the guys that really have that sense of just something bigger than them and greater than them, those guys in the past are the ones I've seen really do well."

Missouri's Brian Smith:  "One of my guys texted me the other night -- he wrestled for me 10 or 12 years ago -- and he said, 'I remember you telling us the story of the first singlet you bought for your son and how he would put it on every day.' And he'd put it on and I'd get home from work, and he would run around the house, and we'd have to wrestle and wrestle and wrestle. And I told my team this story the other day. I said, 'You've got to remember that. We've been doing this training your whole life, you've been competing your whole life. Let's just have fun.'"

Here's what you need to know:

What: NCAA Wrestling Championships

Defending champion: Penn State

Where: Scottrade Center, St. Louis.

Session I: Thursday, 11 a.m. (8 mats at once, pigtails and first round)

Session II: Thursday, 6 p.m. (8 mats at once, wrestleback preliminaries, wrestleback first round, championship second round, consolation round)

TV: ESPNU  ... Mike Couzens (play by play), Quint Kessenich (reporter), Anthony Robles (analyst), Tim Johnson (analyst), Billy Baldwin (analyst).

Radio: 88.7 WRSU-FM (in New Jersey).

Livestream: ESPN3.