Missouri wrestling will compete at the 2026 NCAA Wrestling Championships at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, from March 19 to March 21. The event will feature six Missouri wrestlers who qualified through automatic and at-large bids following a strong performance at the Big 12 Championships.
The team aims to build on its recent successes and maintain its streak of top-15 finishes at the national tournament. Missouri finished fourth at the Big 12 Championships with 84.5 points, an improvement of 19 points over last year. Two Tigers, Cam Steed (174 pounds) and Aeoden Sinclair (184 pounds), won individual conference titles. Five other wrestlers also reached the podium during the conference meet.
At last year’s NCAA Championships, Missouri placed 14th out of 66 teams with two All-Americans: Steed and Keegan O’Toole. The program has now finished in the top-15 nationally for twelve consecutive seasons dating back to 2013. Historically, Missouri’s best team finish was third place in the 2006-07 season, while its highest point total came in a fifth-place effort during the 2016-17 season.
This year’s qualifiers include Mack Mauger (125 pounds), Gage Walker (133), Steed (174), Sinclair (184), Evan Bates (197), and Jarrett Stoner (285). Four of these athletes are making their first appearance at nationals. Notably, each time a Brian Smith-coached team has sent six qualifiers to nationals, Missouri has had a finalist and exactly two All-Americans.
Several Tigers have earned individual honors over the years, including ten national titles by six different wrestlers and four Gorriaran Awards for most falls in least time at nationals. The program continues to seek its first tournament with multiple national champions.
Looking ahead, Missouri hopes that this group can add to its storied history and possibly secure another top-ten finish or individual accolades as competition unfolds in Cleveland.