NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee releases qualifying tournament allocations

The Big Ten leads all conferences with 85 pre-allocated spots.

February 29, 2024

Fans enter BOK Center before session one of the NCAA Wrestling Championships in Tulsa, Okla. on Thursday, March 16, 2023.

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee released qualifying tournament allocations for this year’s national championships.

The Big Ten leads all conferences with 85 pre-allocated spots, which are listed below by weight class.

125 pounds – nine spots

133 pounds – seven spots

141 pounds – 11 spots

149 pounds – nine spots

157 pounds – nine spots

165 pounds – 10 spots

174 pounds – eight spots

184 pounds – eight spots

197 pounds – seven spots

Heavyweight – seven spots

According to a release from the NCAA, pre-allocations were awarded based on regular-season performance by conference wrestlers through Feb. 26. The pre-allocations were determined by using a sliding scale of 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 29 wrestlers per weight class.

For each wrestler who reached the threshold in at least two of the three categories, his conference tournament was awarded a qualifying spot in that weight class. For example, Iowa’s Drake Ayala along with eight other 125-pounders in the Big Ten met at least two of the three thresholds, so the conference was awarded nine pre-allocated spots in that weight class.

Each conference is awarded a minimum of one automatic qualification per weight class, which will go to the conference tournament champion, even if they did not reach at least two of the three thresholds. NCAA Championship spots will be awarded at conference tournaments based solely on place-finish. So, at the Big Ten Tournament, the top nine finishers at 125 pounds will automatically qualify for nationals, and the others will hope for an at-large bid.

After the conference tournaments have concluded, the committee will meet in person to select the remaining 47 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 12. Brackets and seeding will be announced on NCAA.com at 8 p.m. on March 13. Each weight class will have 33 wrestlers. The national tournament will be held at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City March 21-23.

About the Contributors

Kenna Roering, Sports Editor

she/her/hers

Kenna Roering is The Daily Iowan's sports editor. She is a junior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism with a minor in sports and recreation management. Kenna previously worked as a sports reporter for men's wrestling and volleyball and was the summer sports editor in 2023. This is her second year with the DI.

Ayrton Breckenridge, Managing Visuals Editor

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Ayrton Breckenridge is the Managing Visuals Editor at The Daily Iowan. He is a senior at the University of Iowa majoring in journalism and cinema. This is his fourth year working for the DI.