One of the most exciting college sports is making its return for the 2026 season, with matches starting throughout this week. With the way that college wrestling has been growing in North Carolina, it’s going to be even better this year.
The two best teams in North Carolina are No. 7 NC State and No. 23 UNC. NC State has been performing well for the past few seasons, but UNC has been on the up, going 9-6 as a team last season, building from their 6-8 record in 2023.
NC State actually has a decent chance at a national championship this year, with lots of opportunities to show what they can do as they face eight ranked opponents in their 17 duals this year. Leading the way for the Wolf Pack this season is defending national champion and sophomore, Vincent Robinson.
“These past couple of years, 125 number ones go down quick and I am just ready to separate myself from that,” said Robinson, via Instagram.
Robinson was the first freshman to win a national championship for NC State since 1980 and was the first freshman in the nation to win a national championship since Iowa’s Spencer Lee in 2018. This season, Robinson is looking to repeat his national championship at the 125 weight class.
NC State will begin their season with a home match against Northern Colorado this Saturday, Nov. 8 at 6:00 p.m.
UNC’s turnaround started last year and was led by their 149 pounder, Lachlan McNeil. This year, they will need to find a new team leader, since McNeil recently transferred to Michigan.
“[Transfering to Michigan] brought me a lot closer to my family, I am originally from Toronto,” said McNeil, via Instagram.
UNC will also begin their season against Northern Colorado this Sunday, Nov. 9 at 12:00 p.m.
The last school in the Research Triangle is Duke, who is not necessarily known for their wrestling. This year they are just looking to get a win in the ACC and get their first winning record in 11 years. Overall, though, they do seem to be on the right track, with a few big transfers and new freshmen.
The biggest of these transfers is Aurelius Dunbar from Penn State, who was on the Penn State roster for the past four years, meaning that he saw his team win a national championship every year of his college career. Hopefully for Duke, he will bring this winning mentality and some of the advice from his previous coach, the great Cael Sanderson.
Duke has already started heading in the right direction, securing their first win in an exciting 19-18 match against Sacred Heart. Duke’s next duel is away against Morgan State Nov. 16.
Overall, this year is looking bright for the major college wrestling programs in North Carolina. It will be interesting to see how it plays out and if they can make any big moves at the national level.
