FARGO, N.D. – The North Dakota State wrestling program and the Pac-12 Conference has announced that the Bison will join the league as an affiliate member beginning with the 2026-27 season.
NDSU will join Oregon State and fellow affiliate members Air Force, Cal Poly, Cal State Bakersfield, Little Rock, Northern Illinois, Northern Colorado and South Dakota State as members of the Pac-12 in wrestling.
As we continue to chart the course for our future at NDSU, conference affiliation and alignment are critical for our long-term success,” said NDSU Director of Athletics Matt Larsen. “The wrestling program’s transition to the Pac-12, not only preserves many of our traditional regional rivalries, but also helps expand the Bison brand further across the country. I look forward to the opportunity for our student-athletes to compete for Pac-12 Championships and continue the long tradition of Bison wrestling on the national stage.”
With today’s announcement, the Pac-12 grows to nine members in the sport of wrestling for the 2026-27 season, meeting all requirements for NCAA automatic qualification for its annual league champions in each weight class. The nine programs also will give the Pac-12 its largest wrestling membership since also having nine schools in the 2008-09 season.
“Our staff is very excited about the opportunity to compete in the Pac-12,” said NDSU Wrestling Head Coach Obenson Blanc. “The profile of the conference’s membership aligns well with our goals as a program and this move provides our student-athletes with the opportunity to compete for championships at the conference level and sets the Bison up with a foundation for NCAA National Championship success.”
North Dakota State wrestling completed its 69th season earlier this month, including the 22nd in the NCAA Division I era. The Bison wrestling program has won 622 dual victories all time, including 183 in the Division I era. NDSU has compiled 101 NCAA Division I national qualifiers, 13 NCAA Division I All-Americans, four NCAA Division II Team National Championships, 30 NCAA Division II Individual National Championships and 187 total NCAA All-Americans.
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