Following the success of the inaugural National Duals Invitational, dates have been set for next year’s event.
The 16-team dual wrestling tournament will be held Dec. 12-13, 2026, at the BOK Center in Tulsa, organizers announced Thursday.
Ohio State won the debut event last month, with a $200,000 payday as its share of the $1 million purse provided by the tournament’s sponsorship through Paycom.
“We were blown away by the reception of this year’s National Duals Invitational,” tournament director Matt Surber said. “The college wrestling community was all in, and we were able to support the sport in a historic way. Moving the tournament to December next year gives teams and fans a memorable kickoff to the collegiate wrestling season.”
Ohio State defeated Iowa in the championship match, with Oklahoma State taking down Nebraska for third place.
The event was well-attended, and the championship match was broadcast on ESPN2, giving hope that the tournament has the type of support it needs to help it grow in the future.
“I’m a big supporter of a dual-meet championship setup, and the caliber of this year’s performances showed why,” Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said. “The only way you make progress long-term is by starting with something that makes sense, and this event does. We’re excited to see it continue to grow.”
Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on X at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: National Duals Invitational sets dates for 2026 wrestling tournament
