Top Programs Headline Year 2 of the National Duals Invitational, College Wrestling's $1M Event

Sixteen college programs to compete for their share of a prize purse topping $1,230,000

OKLAHOMA CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Duals Invitational, a groundbreaking $1 million collegiate wrestling event sponsored by Paycom, has announced the 16-team field for the 2026 edition of the premier event. Tickets for the tournament — which will take place Dec. 12-13 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma — go on sale May 26.

Defending National Duals Invitational champion Ohio State will be joined in the field by Arizona State, Arkansas-Little Rock, Iowa State, Minnesota, Missouri, NC State, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Maryland, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Stanford, Virginia Tech and Wyoming.

Together, the 16 programs represent some of the most storied traditions in collegiate wrestling, combining for 54 NCAA team titles and over 400 individual titles.

“Seeing this caliber of programs commit so quickly reinforces what we’re building in Tulsa,” said Matt Surber, tournament director. “The National Duals Invitational is bringing together some of the most historic programs to compete for significant prize money in the exciting duals format. We expect this tournament to continue elevating the sport of college wrestling.”

Topping $1,230,000, the 2026 prize purse will represent one of the most significant financial contributions in college wrestling. The top eight teams will earn payouts, with the winning squad walking away with $250,000 — a $50,000 increase over the $200,000 Ohio State earned as inaugural champions in 2025. The second- and third-place teams will each earn $175,000, while fourth- and fifth-place will both secure $100,000. Sixth- through eighth-place payouts will be $40,000, $25,000 and $20,000, respectively. All participating teams will receive $20,000 for attending and will have the opportunity to compete for $50,000 in team takedown bonuses.

Tickets will be available for purchase beginning May 26 at 10 a.m. CDT through Ticketmaster and the BOK Center Box Office.

Fans can follow team content and every match leading up to the championship finals exclusively on FloWrestling.

For updates and more information, visit nationaldualsinvitational.com.

About the National Duals Invitational

The National Duals Invitational is a premier collegiate wrestling event featuring 16 of the top NCAA Division I teams competing for a total purse of more than $1 million. Hosted at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the Invitational offers substantial payouts to participating programs, including $250,000 to the championship team. The National Duals Invitational is sponsored by Paycom.