Wrestling

This Week in ACC Wrestling

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – The 2026-27 ACC wrestling season gets underway this weekend, as six of the seven conference programs take to the mat on Sunday, November 1, across three tournament sites. North Carolina, NC State and Virginia Tech will compete at the Southeast Open in Salem, Virginia, while Pitt and Virginia travel to Annapolis, Maryland, for the Navy Classic. Stanford opens its campaign at the Princeton Open in Princeton, New Jersey.
 
The ACC enters the season with 52 wrestlers ranked nationally in the InterMat preseason rankings, including 19 ranked among the top 10 across all 10 weight classes. Five ACC programs feature multiple top-10 wrestlers, led by Stanford and Virginia Tech with six apiece. The conference boasts at least one top-10 wrestler in eight of the 10 weight classes, including three each at 125, 149, 157 and 197 pounds.
 
The season will culminate with the 2027 ACC Wrestling Championship, set for March 6-7, followed by the NCAA Wrestling Championships, March 18-20.
 
Upcoming Schedule (All Times Eastern)
Sunday, November 1
North Carolina at Southeast Open | All Day | FloWrestling
NC State at Southeast Open | All Day | FloWrestling
Virginia Tech at Southeast Open | All Day | FloWrestling
Pitt at Navy Classic | All Day
Virginia at Navy Classic | All Day
Stanford at Princeton Open | All Day
 
Noting ACC Wrestling
  • Five ACC programs were ranked in the preseason NWCA Division I Men's Wrestling Coaches Poll (October 28), with four teams ranked in the top 16: Virginia Tech (No. 5), Stanford (No. 7), NC State (No. 15), North Carolina (No. 16) and Pitt (No. 22).
    • The same five programs are also ranked in both the preseason InterMat Dual Rankings and the preseason WrestleStat Dual Rankings, with Virginia also ranked at No. 30 in the latter.
  • The ACC enters the season with 52 wrestlers ranked nationally in the InterMat preseason rankings, including 19 in the top 10 across all 10 weight classes.
  • Five ACC programs place multiple wrestlers in the top 10, led by Stanford and Virginia Tech with six each. The ACC features at least one top-10 wrestler in eight of 10 weight classes, including three apiece at 125, 149, 157 and 197 pounds.
  • Two NCAA champions return to ACC competition: Stanford’s Aden Valencia, the 2026 NCAA champion at 149 pounds, and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Henson, the 2024 NCAA champion at 149. Virginia Tech’s Aaron Seidel also returns after reaching the NCAA semifinals at 133 pounds in his first season with the Hokies last year.
  • The ACC enters the 2026–27 season looking to build on one of its strongest recent performances at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships. Three conference programs finished among the top 12 of the 2026 NCAA team standings, led by Stanford’s sixth-place finish with 67.5 points. NC State placed 10th with 44.5 points, while Virginia Tech finished 11th with 41.5 points.
  • Heading into the 2026–27 season, at least two conference schools have finished among the top 20 in the NCAA team standings in 11 of the last 12 years.
  • For the first time, the ACC Wrestling Championship will be conducted as a two-day event. The 2027 championship is scheduled for Saturday–Sunday, March 6–7, at Victory Heights in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with the University of Pittsburgh serving as host.