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Pre-allocations for NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships released
Big Ten leads the way with 87 automatic berths, Big 12 next at 63
Feb. 26, 2026 12:26 pm, Updated: Feb. 26, 2026 3:40 pm
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The postseason picture for University of Iowa, Iowa State and University of Northern Iowa is starting to come into focus.
Pre-allocations for automatic qualifying spots for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were released Thursday by the NCAA. Once again, the Big Ten Conference leads the way followed by the Big 12 Conference.
The Big Ten earned 87 of the 288 total automatic berths and the Big 12 garnered 63.
Iowa will compete in the Big Ten Championships hosted by Penn State on March 7-8 at State College, Pa.
Ten qualifying spots were awarded to the Big Ten at 174 and 197 pounds. Nine were given at 125, 149, 165 and heavyweight with eight going to 133, 157 and 184. There are seven automatic qualifiers at 141.
Iowa and UNI will wrestle in the Big 12 Championships on March 6-7 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. The conference has eight spots at 133, 174 and 184 with seven at 141 and 174. Heavyweight received six automatic berths and 125, 149 and 157 has five apiece. Only four spots were awarded at 165.
Forty-two at-large berths will be handed out to the top wrestlers at each weight that do not claim automatic berths in their qualifying tournaments. Five will be available at 125 and 165 and four in all other weight classes.
Thirty-three wrestlers in each of the 10 weight classes qualify for the national tournament March 19-21 in Cleveland, Ohio.
The third set of coaches’ rankings and second RPI were also released Thursday. Both could affect at-large bids. Iowa’s 141-pounder Nasir Bailey is 11th in the coaches’ rankings and fourth in RPI. Ryder Block (149) is 15th and 11th, respectively. NCAA finalist Michael Caliendo (165) is third in both, while All-American Patrick Kennedy is third in the coaches’ rankings and No. 2 in the RPI at 174.
Others in the coaches’ rankings but not on the RPI list are Dean Peterson (No. 7 at 125), two-time NCAA finalist Drake Ayala (No. 8 at 133) and heavyweight Ben Kueter, who is 10th.
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