The National Duals Invitational, a groundbreaking $1 million collegiate wrestling event sponsored by Paycom, has announced the qualification process for the inaugural 16-team bracket. Featuring top programs from across the country, this high-stakes tournament will bring together elite competition and unprecedented prize money to the BOK Center in Tulsa this fall.

Automatic entry will be awarded to the top 12 teams in the final 2025 NCAA Division I standings: Penn State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio State, Cornell, NC State, Northern Iowa, Illinois, Virginia Tech and Michigan. To secure their spots, these 12 teams must complete their participation agreements by April 15. Final teams will be listed on the website as they are confirmed.

“While we know this is not an accurate representation of dual team rankings, we believe it will ensure that the event features some of the best competition in the country,” said Matt Surber, Tournament Director. “I’m excited to see additional participation as we grow the sport of wrestling.”

The remaining spots will be filled through a random drawing on April 24 from teams that finished 13-24 in the NCAA standings. The teams competing for these final spots are Purdue, Missouri, Lehigh, Pennsylvania, Little Rock, Arizona State, Stanford, West Virginia, Navy, Wyoming, South Dakota State, Indiana, Maryland and Oregon State.

The premier 16-team event will feature a total purse of more than $1 million. The top eight teams will earn payouts, with the winning squad walking away with $200,000. The second- and third-place teams will earn $150,000, while fourth place earns $75,000. Fifth through eighth place payouts will be: $50,000, $40,000, $25,000, and $20,000, respectively. All participating teams will receive $20,000 for attending.

Thirty-four-time NCAA champion Oklahoma State will serve as the host school.

This event will be held at BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla., on Nov. 15-16. Learn more at nationaldualsinvitational.com.

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