Big 12 Wrestling Championships 2026 Preview: Brackets, Seeds and Early Predictions
The Big 12 Wrestling Championships 2026 arrive at the BOK Center in Tulsa with seedings and brackets now released and a stacked field expected to battle for conference crowns and NCAA positioning. The two-day meet runs March 6-7 and will be watched closely because one program enters with a clear advantage in seeding depth.
Big 12 Wrestling Championships 2026: Schedule, seeds and team pecking order
The conference schedule opens Friday, March 6 at 10 a. m. CT and wraps Saturday, March 7 with the final session beginning at 7 p. m. CT. The Big 12 Conference has published seedings and brackets for all weights ahead of the event. One program enters as the reigning conference champion and holds the majority of top seeds heading into Tulsa.
Projected team point order listed in preview material reads:
- 1) Oklahoma State (153. 5)
- 2) Northern Iowa (149. 5)
- 3) South Dakota State
- 4) Iowa State (107. 5)
- 5) Northern Colorado (79. 5)
- 6) West Virginia (77. 5)
- 7) Oklahoma (72. 5)
- 8) Missouri (65. 5)
- 9) North Dakota State (58. 5)
- 10) Wyoming
- 11) Arizona State
- 12) Utah Valley (21. 5)
- 13) California Baptist
- 14) Air Force (11. 5)
Oklahoma State is identified as the reigning Big 12 champion and holds six of the ten No. 1 seeds across weight classes, a factor that could shape the team race but will still leave room for challengers given the overall depth on many brackets.
Key weights, storylines and predictions
Several weight classes feature direct rematches and deep seed lists that make the path to a title anything but predictable. One marquee matchup features a returning NCAA finalist who is listed as a pre-tournament favorite but faces stiff competition from the returning conference champion and multiple nationally ranked opponents. The reigning conference champion at that weight won last year by an overtime takedown, and the pair sit even in their career head-to-head at 2-2.
Depth will be decisive in some divisions. At least one bracket contains ten nationally ranked wrestlers, yet only five automatic NCAA qualifiers are available from that field, meaning consolation rounds carry significant postseason implications for teams and individuals.
Freshman storylines also loom large. A freshman who joined his college squad midseason after competing at the high school level has emerged as a major title contender. He may face a gauntlet of nationally ranked opponents en route to a title: an opening match against a lower top-30 seed, a potential quarterfinal against a top-10 seed, and a semifinal that could pit him against the previous conference champion. A late withdrawal reshuffled seeds and elevated another competitor into the No. 2 seed on that side of the bracket, altering potential finals matchups.
Early weight-by-weight predictions published in the preview highlight two divisions in particular:
- Prediction set A: 1) Troy Spratley 2) Stevo Poulin 3) Jett Strickenberger 4) Witt 5) Anderson 6) Hendriksen 7) Roark 8) Owens. Notably, Strickenberger was the 2025 Big 12 champion at this weight.
- Prediction set B: 1) Jax Forrest 2) Kyler Larkin 3) Dominic Serrano 4) Andrick 5) Farber 6) Walker 7) Willochell 8) Seaton. Forrest’s path may include multiple ranked opponents and a semifinal against the previous conference titlist.
Expectation entering Tulsa is for tight, consequential bouts that will not only determine conference champions but also influence NCAA qualification lists. Brackets published by the conference make clear that while seeding provides structure, many weight classes retain the potential for upsets and carry high stakes through consolation rounds. Recent updates indicate brackets and seedings are set; details may evolve as the weekend approaches and wrestlers finalize availability.
