Pac-12 Wrestling strengthens its membership with additions of Air Force, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State and South Dakota State

By: Pac-12 Conference

The Pac-12 Conference today announced the addition of four new affiliate members in the sport of wrestling, beginning with the 2026-27 season and coinciding with the new Pac-12’s launch.  Joining the league in the sport of wrestling will be Air Force, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State and South Dakota State. The four will join Northern Illinois, who was previously announced to be joining as a wrestling affiliate member in October, as new members of Pac-12 Wrestling next season.

With today’s announcement, the Pac-12 will have nine teams competing in wrestling beginning with the 2026-27 campaign. Total wrestling membership for the league now meets the minimum requirement of six members for the sport in order to retain NCAA automatic qualification for its annual league champions.  The nine programs also will give the Pac-12 its largest wrestling membership since also having nine schools in the 2008-09 season.

New Pac-12 Wrestling Strength

• At the recent 2026 NCAA National Championships, the new Pac-12’s nine wrestling programs combined to send 31 wrestlers to Cleveland (tied for the fourth most among conferences based on 2026-27 membership) with two reaching All-American status as Little Rock’s Stephen Little finished third in the 197-weight class while Air Force’s Carter Nogle finished fifth at 141 pounds.  

• Over the last five years, the nine Pac-12 wrestling programs have sent 166 total wrestlers to the NCAA Championships with 34 All-Americans, both fourth-most among conferences.  

• Additionally over that period of the past five years, the nine schools have combined to finish in the Top 25 as a team in the NCAA Championships nine times with Little Rock (#22) and Air Force (#25) accomplishing that this season. 

Air Force:  Finished in the Top 25 at the NCAA Championships for the third time in the last four years.  Carter Nogle is the third Falcon to reach All-American honors under head coach Sam Barber, the 2023 Intermat Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Northern Colorado:  In their first season under head coach Teyon Ware, a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Oklahoma, the Bears once again reached the NCAA Championships with a pair of wrestlers.  Northern Colorado has had an individual National Champion as recently as 2023 when Andrew Alirez captured the 141-lb crown.

North Dakota State:  In the 2026 NCAA Championships, NDSU sent five wrestlers to Cleveland, the fourth time in the last five years that they have sent at least five to the postseason and have three All-Americans in the last four years.  The Bison have improved their record in dual meet matches in each of the last two seasons under head coach Obenson Blanc.

South Dakota State:  The Jackrabbits have sent 31 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in the last four years, including a program record nine in 2025,  with seven of them reaching All-American status.  SDSU has won at least 12 dual meets in each of the last five seasons under head coach Damion Hahn.

What They’re Saying

Cal Poly Head Coach Jon Sioredas

“We’re excited to welcome these outstanding programs to the Pac-12 and look forward to the energy and competition that they will bring. It’s a great step forward for the conference and an exciting opportunity for all of the wrestling programs involved.”

Oregon State Head Coach Chris Pendleton

“After several years of uncertainty, I’m fired up about this announcement! With this new group of teams joining, we have an opportunity to change the landscape of college wrestling! I and our program are incredibly excited for the future!”

Little Rock Head Coach Neil Erisman

“Little Rock is excited to be part of this expansion. This move strengthens not only our conference but also the future of wrestling in the West. We’re welcoming outstanding programs and elite coaching staffs – it’s a defining moment for the Pac-12.” 

Cal State Bakersfield Head Coach Luke Smith

“We are very excited about the Pac-12’s commitment to wrestling and the new additions to the conference.”

 

Air Force Head Coach Sam Barber

“We are honored and excited to join the Pac-12 Conference as an affiliate member. The Pac-12 has a proud tradition in collegiate wrestling, and we are eager to be part of the reimagined Pac-12 wrestling conference that we believe will become one of the nation’s elite power conferences. We are excited to make this move alongside tradition-rich programs that share our passion for competing and winning at the highest level while helping strengthen Division I wrestling across the western United States.”