University of Wyoming Wrestling: National Duals Invitational

The University of Wyoming wrestling team has been selected to return to the National Duals Invitational, following a previous appearance in the 2025 tournament. The announcement comes as the Cowboys prepare to compete against some of the top-ranked programs in the country in a bracket-style format.

2025 Tournament Background and Selection

To understand the significance of the Cowboys’ return, It’s necessary to look at the selection process used for the 2025 National Duals Invitational. For that event, which took place from November 15-16, 2025, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the University of Wyoming secured its spot through a lottery system.

The 2025 field consisted of 16 teams. The top 12 spots were automatically granted based on the 2025 NCAA Championships team standings. Eleven of those 12 teams accepted the invitation, as Penn State declined.

The remaining five spots were filled via a random draw from teams that finished between 13th and 25th place at the NCAAs. Because Wyoming placed 22nd, they were entered into the lottery with three ping pong balls. Wyoming was selected alongside Little Rock, Arizona State, Lehigh, and Missouri.

Review of the 2025 Performance

The 2025 appearance at the BOK Center in Tulsa proved challenging for the No. 24-ranked Cowboys, who finished the event with an 0-2 record.

Wyoming’s run ended in the consolation first round following a 25-12 loss to No. 10 Virginia Tech. Despite the defeat, the Cowboys showed resilience by pushing within six points of the Hokies with two bouts remaining in the dual.

Key individual performances during that match included:

• Riley Davis earned a 5-4 victory over No. 23 Sergio Desiante at 174 pounds.
• No. 10 Eddie Neitenbach secured a 5-3 win at 184 pounds over No. 22 Jaden Bullock.
• No. 4 Joey Novak, a returning All-American, lost 12-2 to No. 23 Sonny Sasso at 197 pounds.
• Christian Carroll, ranked No. 26, lost a close 5-4 bout to No. 19 Jimmy Mullen.

Following the 2025 event, head coach Mark Branch expressed disappointment in the team’s level of competition, stating that while facing two top-10 teams is expected, the team did not compete hard enough.

Tournament Structure and Stakes

The National Duals Invitational is a high-stakes event both in terms of prestige and financial reward. In the 2025 iteration, more than $1 million in total prize money was awarded to the participating teams.

The distribution of funds for the 2025 tournament was as follows:

• Winning team: $200,000
• Second and third place: $150,000 each
• Fourth place: $75,000
• Fifth through eighth place: Between $20,000 and $50,000
• Non-placing teams: $20,000

The 2025 field featured powerhouse programs including Oklahoma State, NC State, Ohio State, Northern Iowa, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Minnesota, Cornell, and Virginia Tech.

Looking Ahead to 2026

As Wyoming prepares to return to the invitational, the program looks to build on the individual ambitions of its wrestlers. Joey Novak, for instance, had previously expressed an eye toward a national title in 2026, while Eddie Neitenbach aimed for All-American honors in the same year.

The return to the National Duals Invitational provides the Cowboys with another opportunity to test their strength against the nation’s elite and improve upon their 0-2 showing from the previous year.