The NCAA announced on Jan. 29 the release of its first coaches’ ranking for the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
The rankings are determined by a vote of three coaches in each weight class, with eligibility limited to wrestlers who have been designated as starters and have competed in at least eight Division I matches at their respective weight class, including one within the last 30 days.
All ten starters from Rutgers University appear in the initial coaches’ ranking. Five Rutgers wrestlers are ranked within the top 20: Joseph Olivieri is ranked No. 8 at 141 pounds, Shane Cartagena-Walsh is No. 15 at 184 pounds, Lenny Pinto is No. 17 at 174 pounds, Remy Cotton is No. 17 at 197 pounds, and Hunter Catka is No. 18 in the heavyweight division. The remaining Rutgers wrestlers also received rankings: Ayden Smith (No. 27, 125), Dylan Shawver (No. 27, 133), Andrew Clark (No. 31, 149), Anthony White (No. 26, 157), and Andrew Barbosa (No. 22, 165).
According to the NCAA announcement, “The coaches’ ranking is one of several criteria that will be evaluated by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee during the at-large selection and seeding process along with head-to-head competition, quality wins, Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), conference tournament placement, results versus common opponents and win percentage.” A full description of the entire selection process for the championships can be found on ncaa.org.
The upcoming championships are scheduled to take place March 19-21 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. This will mark the third time Cleveland has hosted this event.