DeKALB — The NIU wrestling program will compete in the Pac-12 Conference beginning in the 2026-27 school year, the school announced in a news release Wednesday. NIU will join Oregon State and fellow affiliate members Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield and Little Rock as the league’s wrestling members.
“We continue to find our place in this new landscape and are pleased to have our wrestling program join the Pac-12 Conference,” said NIU Vice President and Director of Athletics and Recreation Sean Frazier. “It has been a thorough process to ensure that we found the right fit for our program and we believe we have found that with the Pac-12. I look forward to a bright future for Huskie wrestling.”
With the announcement, the Pac-12 has five wrestling members lined up for the 2026-27 season. With wrestling being a sport with an automatic qualifier, the conference must add at least one more wrestling program to meet the six-member requirement to retain NCAA automatic qualification for its annual league champion.
“We are thrilled to be joining such a competitive conference filled with prestigious wrestlers, coaches and administrators committed to the sport,” said NIU wrestling head coach Ryan Ludwig. “This will provide outstanding opportunities for our student-athletes to accomplish their goals, while expanding the national footprint of the NIU Wrestling program.”
The Huskies posted a 7-3 dual match record in 2024, including a 6-1 record against the Mid-American Conference. They had a pair of NCAA Championship qualifiers in Blake West and Landen Johnson, extending NIU’s streak of sending at least one student-athlete to the NCAA Championships to 54 consecutive years.
NIU’s move is part of the school’s exit from the MAC after nearly three decades. By 2026, NIU will be associated with three conferences. In addition to sending wrestling to the Pac-12, NIU will join the Horizon League as a full member while moving football to the Mountain West Conference as an affiliate member. The school has not yet announced where gymnastics will compete after the 2025-26 school year, as the Horizon League does not sponsor the sport.
