Wrestling

Big 12 Conference Receives 63 Allocations for NCAA Wrestling Championships

IRVING, Texas – The NCAA awarded 63 pre-allocations to the Big 12 Conference for the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships, the league’s second most in a decade. The NCAA awards pre-allocations to the national tournament based on regular season performance by conference wrestlers through February 23.

The pre-allocations are determined by using a sliding scale of the three standards, win percentage, coaches’ rank and RPI ranking; while never going below the base of .700 winning percentage, top 30 coaches’ ranking and top 30 RPI ranking until reaching the maximum of 29 wrestlers per weight class. 

The Big 12’s 63 allocations this season are an increase of two from 2025 and six more than 2024.

2025 Big 12 Pre-Allocations by Weight Class (63)
125 pounds – 5
133 pounds – 8
141 pounds – 7
149 pounds – 5
157 pounds – 5
165 pounds – 4
174 pounds – 7
184 pounds – 8
197 pounds – 8
285 pounds – 6

For each wrestler that reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his conference tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. Each conference is awarded a minimum of one automatic qualification per weight class, which will go to the tournament champion, even if they did not have any wrestlers reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA championship spots for each qualifying event will be awarded at conference tournaments based solely on place-finish. 

The 2026 Big 12 Wrestling Championship, presented by Allstate, returns to the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the 10th season. The two-day event begins on Friday, March 6 with live coverage on ESPN+. After all the conference tournaments have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in person to select the remaining 42 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 10, while brackets and seeding will be announced on NCAA.com at 8 p.m. on March 11. All weight classes will consist of 33 wrestlers.

Big 12 Wresting Pre-Allocations Since 2016
2026 – 63
2025 – 61
2024 - 57
2023 - 65
2022 - 45
2020 - 58
2019 - 53
2018 - 45
2017 - 38
2016 - 36