Nebraska wrestling takes third place at Big Ten Championships

All five Husker finalists come up short in State College, Pa.

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

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Nebraska wrestling brought home a third-place trophy from the Big Ten Championships, with nine of its ten athletes qualifying for the NCAA Championships. However, all five Huskers who reached the conference finals were unable to capture individual titles, falling short in their gold medal matches.

Why it matters

Nebraska wrestling has high expectations each season, and a third-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, while still qualifying a strong contingent for the NCAA Championships, represents a solid but not dominant performance. The Huskers will look to bounce back and improve their national standing at the upcoming NCAA tournament.

The details

Nebraska finished with 116.5 points, behind second-place Ohio State's 148.5 and champion Penn State's 184. Several Husker wrestlers came up just short in their title bouts, including AJ Ferrari at heavyweight, Brock Hardy at 141 pounds, and Antrell Taylor at 157 pounds. Other Husker finalists like Christopher Minto at 174 pounds and Camden McDanel at 197 pounds also fell in their championship matches.

  • The Big Ten Championships took place on Sunday, March 8, 2026 in State College, Pennsylvania.

The players

AJ Ferrari

A Nebraska heavyweight wrestler who lost in the conference finals to Michigan's Taye Ghadiali.

Brock Hardy

The defending Big Ten champion at 141 pounds for Nebraska, who lost in the finals to Ohio State's Jesse Mendez.

Antrell Taylor

The 2025 NCAA champion at 157 pounds for Nebraska, who lost in the Big Ten finals to Penn State's PJ Duke.

Christopher Minto

A Nebraska sophomore wrestler who finished as the runner-up at 174 pounds, losing to Penn State's Levi Haines.

Camden McDanel

The Nebraska 197-pounder who was defeated by Penn State's Josh Barr in the conference finals.

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What’s next

The Nebraska wrestlers will now turn their attention to the NCAA Championships, which will take place from March 19-21 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The takeaway

While Nebraska wrestling had a solid performance at the Big Ten Championships, qualifying nine wrestlers for the NCAA tournament, the Huskers will be looking to bounce back and improve their national standing at the upcoming NCAA Championships after coming up short in their individual title bouts.