The NCAA has released its latest rankings and pre-allocation slots for the 2026 Division I Wrestling Championships, scheduled to take place March 19-21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. This marks the third time Cleveland will host the event.
Four wrestlers from Utah Valley University (UVU) are included in the most recent Coaches’ Rankings, while five Wolverines appear among the top 33 in their respective weight classes according to the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI). David Evans leads Big 12 competitors at 149 pounds in RPI, ranking eighth nationally. He is also listed as 13th in the Coaches’ Rankings.
Other UVU athletes recognized include Haiden Drury, ranked 18th at 141 pounds; Kael Bennie, who is 29th at 197 pounds; and Jack Forbes, who holds the 25th spot at heavyweight (285 pounds). In RPI standings, Drury is positioned at No. 16 and Bennie at No. 18. Both Forbes and Caleb Uhlenhopp (184 pounds) are ranked No. 33.
Each conference’s number of pre-allocated spots for nationals was determined based on regular season performance through February 23. The allocation process considered win percentage, coaches’ rank, and RPI ranking, using a sliding scale but not dropping below a .700 winning percentage or a top-30 placement in either coaches’ or RPI rankings until reaching a maximum of 29 wrestlers per weight class.
The Big 12 Conference received a total of 63 pre-allocations across all weight classes. Notably, weight classes such as 133, 184, and 197 pounds each secured eight spots for Big 12 wrestlers. Seven allocations were given to both the 141 and 174-pound categories within the conference.
Following completion of all conference tournaments, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will select an additional group of at-large qualifiers during an in-person meeting. These selections—totaling forty-two—will be announced on March 10. Brackets and seeding information will be published on NCAA.com at 8 p.m., March 11. Each weight class will feature thirty-three competitors.
According to data released by the NCAA, other conferences received varying numbers of pre-allocated slots: Atlantic Coast Conference (39), Big Ten Conference (87), Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (26), Ivy League (23), Mid-American Conference (27), Pacific-12 Conference (13), and Southern Conference (10).
“The pre-allocations were 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,” stated NCAA officials.
After all allocations are finalized—including those awarded by committee—all ten weight classes will have thirty-three participants competing for national titles this March.
