Wisconsin heads to State College for Big Ten Championships

Saturday, March 7

State College, PA

All Day

Wisconsin Badgers

2026 Big Ten Championships

Wisconsin heads to State College for Big Ten Championships

March 03, 2026 | Wrestling

Badgers open postseason at Bryce Jordan Center

By: Aliza Manekia

MADISON, Wis. - Wisconsin wrestling begins postseason competition this weekend at the 2026 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. The two-day tournament will take place March 7–8 at the Bryce Jordan Center in State College, Pa. Session times and streaming information can be found below.

1. The Last Time Out
Wisconsin suffered a narrow 16-15 loss at Northern Iowa to close out the regular season. Though both teams won five bouts, the Panthers edged ahead by a point after Max Brady earned a major decision to secure bonus points late in the dual. The Badgers built early momentum, jumping out to a 12-0 lead behind strong decision wins from Braxton Amos, Nicolar Rivera, and Zan Fugitt, each defeating ranked opponents. Northern Iowa responded with three consecutive victories in the middle weights, swinging momentum, and ultimately clinching the dual by a slim margin.

2. Tournament History
Wisconsin has found success at the Big Ten Championships in recent seasons, placing eighth out of 14 teams from 2022 through 2024. Last season, the Badgers finished 13th overall. Nicolar Rivera earned a fourth-place finish in 2025 to qualify for the NCAA Championships, while Zan Fugitt and Cody Goebel also secured national tournament bids. Wisconsin's most recent Big Ten champions came in 2023 with Dean Hamiti at 165 pounds and in 2022 with Austin Gomez at 149 pounds.

3. Scouting the Field
Host Penn State enters the tournament with six No. 1 seeds, each earning first-round byes in each of their brackets. Wisconsin heads into the weekend with momentum from key ranked wins throughout the season. At 149 pounds, No. 3 Joseph Zargo delivered a signature overtime victory at Ohio State over Ethan Stiles, scoring a sudden-victory takedown, silencing the crowd. At 157 pounds, No. 8 Luke Mechler recently earned a statement win over No. 5 Cameron Catrabone, pushing the match into a tiebreaker and securing the riding time advantage to seal the victory. The Badgers will look to carry that competitive edge into one of the toughest conference tournaments in the nation.

4. Schedule and Streaming Details
Live coverage of all four sessions will be available on the Big Ten Network and B1G+, with BTN broadcasts streaming on the FOX Sports App.

Saturday, March 7 (all times below in CT)
9 a.m. - Session I (First Round, Quarterfinals, Wrestlebacks)
4 p.m. - Session II (Consolation Matches, Wrestlebacks)
6 p.m. - Session II (Semifinals)

Sunday, March 8 (all times below in CT)
11 a.m. - Session III (Consolation Semifinals, 7th-Place Matches)
3:30 p.m. - Session IV (1st, 3rd, and 5th-Place Matches)

5. Follow along on socials
Wisconsin Fans are encouraged to follow Wisconsin wrestling via X/twitter at @BadgerWrestling, on Wisconsin Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/WisconsinWrestling, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/badgerwrestling