DeKALB | The brightest lights in the Convo are about to turn on.

The MAC Wrestling Championships will take place Saturday and Sunday at the Convocation Center. The two-day event will not only crown the top team and wrestlers in the MAC, but will also allow 18 grapplers to advance to the NCAA Championship.

The 18 bids vary between the 10 weight classes. Four are being awarded at heavyweight, three at 157 pounds, two at the 133, 174 and 197 weight classes and only one for all other classes.

NIU senior Bryan Deutsch has a chance to qualify for his third straight NCAA Championship appearance. Deutsch is currently ranked third in the MAC for the 157 pound class, and he said he is determined to win his second title.

Freshmen Nick Smith and Kevin Fanta are both ranked fourth in the MAC at their weight classes of 125 pounds and 133 pounds, respectively. Both have been strong when healthy, but because of time missed during the season, their seeds in the MAC Championships could be affected.

At 141 pounds, Tristen DeShazer is ranked third in the MAC, but will need to overcome tough opponents in Ohio’s Germane Lindsey and Buffalo’s Andrew Schutt in order to win the MAC title and qualify for the NCAA Championships in his final season.

NIU’s last ranked wrestler in the MAC is Brad Dieckhaus. The junior caught fire late in the season to finish second in the rankings. His late success has given him the opportunity to receive a high seed in the tournament, which is crucial with only one NCAA Championship berth available at the 184-pound class.

As a team, NIU enters the meet with a 1-4 conference record. CMU enters the event tied for first with Kent State and Ohio at 4-1, while Buffalo sits at 2-3 and Eastern Michigan is 0-5. CMU is looking to win its 10th consecutive team title in the MAC, and its 15th in school history.

Doors open to the public at noon on Saturday and preliminary matches are set to take place at 1 p.m. Seeds are yet to be determined by the coaches for each weight class.