The 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships are set to bring together the best college wrestlers in the United States for three days of intense competition. It is scheduled to take place from March 19 to 21 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
The tournament is set to feature elite talent across all weight classes, making it one of the most anticipated events in college sports. Penn State is once again entering as one of the strong contenders, alongside other stellar teams such as Iowa, Oklahoma State, and Michigan.
The Nittany Lions, who just won the Big Ten Championships and are the defending national champions, are entering the tournament as the favorite with top-notch wrestlers, including Luke Lilledahl, PJ Duke, Marcus Blaze, Levi Haines, and more. On the other hand, Oklahoma State, who showcased their dominance at the Big 12, also feature rising stars, including Jax Forrest, Sergio Vega, and more.
The tournament will execute 10 weight classes and will follow the traditional 33-man single-elimination procedure, where the top ranks will be facing tough late-round bouts. The enthusiasts can expect non-stop action, emotional moments, and high-level wrestling throughout the tournament. Let’s have a look at the schedule of the NCAA Wrestling Championships and how the fans can tune into the bouts.
NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026: Schedule
Here is the schedule of the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, featuring the qualifiers, quarterfinals, semi-finals, and final rounds. Mats for all the weights will be running at the same time.
March 19, Thursday
12:00 pm (ET) – Session 1 – First round
7:00 pm (ET) – Session II – Second Round, Consolation Matches
March 20, Friday
12:00 pm (ET) – Session III – Quarterfinals, Consolation Matches
8:00 pm (ET) – Session IV – Semifinals, Consolation Matches
March 21, Saturday
12:00 pm (ET) – Session V – Medal Matches
6:30 pm (ET) – Session VI – Finals
How to watch the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships?
Fans can tune into the exciting showdowns of the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships on ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU. Every single match will also be streamed on ESPN+.
Who are the top seeds at the NCAA Wrestling Championships?
Here are the names of the top eight seeds in each category, looking to nab the NCAA title in their respective weights.
125 lbs
1- Luke Lilledahl, Penn State
2- Eddie Ventresca, Virginia Tech
3- Nic Bouzakis, Ohio State
4- Sheldon Seymour, Lehigh
5- Troy Spratley, Oklahoma State
6- Jore Volk, Minnesota
7- Nico Provo, Stanford
8- Dean Peterson, Iowa
133 lbs
- Jax Forrest, Oklahoma State
- Ben Davino, Ohio State
- Marcus Blaze, Penn State
- Aaron Seidel, Virginia Tech
- Kyler Larkin, Arizona State
- Drake Ayala, Iowa
- Lucas Byrd, Illinois
- Markel Baker, Northern Illinois
141 lbs
- Jesse Mendez, Ohio State
- Sergio Vega, Oklahoma State
- Brock Hardy, Nebraska
- Anthony Echemendia, Iowa State
- Luke Stanich, Lehigh
- Vince Cornella, Cornell
- Nasir Bailey, Iowa
- Vance Vombaur, Minnesota
149 lbs
- Shayne Van Ness, Penn State
- Jaxon Joy, Cornell
- Cross Wasilewski, Penn
- Collin Gaj, Virginia Tech
- Koy Buesgens, NC State
- Caleb Tyus, SIUE
- Ethan Stiles, Ohio State
- Casey Swiderski, Oklahoma State
157 lbs
- PJ Duke, Penn State
- Antrell Taylor, Nebraska
- Meyer Shapiro, Cornell
- Kaleb Larkin, Arizona State
- Landon Robideau, Oklahoma State
- Jude Swisher, Penn
- Kannon Webster, Illinois
- Brandon Cannon, Ohio State
165 lbs
- Mitchell Mesenbrink, Penn State
- Joey Blaze, Purdue
- Mikey Caliendo, Iowa
- Nicco Ruiz, Arizona State
- LaDarion Lockett, Oklahoma State
- LJ Araujo, Nebraska
- Max Brignola, Lehigh
- Matty Bianchi, Little Rock
174 lbs
- Levi Haines, Penn State
- Simon Ruiz, Cornell
- Christopher Minto, Nebraska
- Carson Kharchla, Ohio State
- Patrick Kennedy, Iowa
- Matty Singleton, NC State
- Cam Steed, Missouri
- Alex Facundo, Oklahoma State
184 lbs
- Rocco Welsh, Penn State
- Aeoden Sinclair, Missouri
- Max McEnelly, Minnesota
- James Conway, Franklin & Marshall
- Brock Mantanona, Michigan
- Eddie Neitenbach, Wyoming
- Angelo Ferrari, Iowa
- Silas Allred, Nebraska
197 lbs
- Josh Barr, Penn State
- Rocky Elam, Iowa State
- Stephen Little, Little Rock
- Sonny Sasso, Virginia Tech
- Joey Novak, Wyoming
- Justin Rademacher, Oregon State
- Cody Merrill, Oklahoma State
- DJ Parker, Oklahoma
285 lbs
- Yonger Bastida, Iowa State
- Isaac Trumble, NC State
- Taye Ghadiali, Michigan
- AJ Ferrari, Nebraska
- Nick Feldman, Ohio State
- Nathan Taylor, Lehigh
- Konner Doucet, Oklahoma State
- Ben Kueter, Iowa.
Read More:
NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026: Betting Odds, Picks, And Champion Forecasts
AJ Ferrari Shares Powerful Pre-Match Faith Message Ahead Of NCAA Wrestling Championships 2026
‘No Win, No Trophies Can Fulfill You” Mitchell Mesenbrink Gets Honest Ahead of NCAA Wrestling
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