Trojans Taking On Pac-12 Championships Thursday

LITTLE ROCK – Trojan fans, welcome back to March Matness. The championship season is kicking off with the 2025 Pac-12 Championships this Thursday, March 6 at Gill Colosseum in Corvallis, Oregon. Little Rock will compete at the conference tournament for a team title, individual titles, and of course, bids to the NCAA Championships.
 
Schedule
With just four teams remaining in the conference after both Arizona State and Stanford left prior to the season, the Pac-12 Championships will look a little different this year. Preliminary rounds will begin at 2:30 p.m. CT starting at 125 pounds and running through the 10 weight classes.

Finals matches are set to begin at 8 p.m. CT, with various breaks throughout the evening program to recognize individual winners and senior classes from each team. The team trophy presentation is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. CT and won't be something Trojan fans will want to miss.

The Pac-12 Championships will air on FloWrestling while live results can be found on TrackWrestling. Be sure to also stay tuned in with the Trojans on social media throughout the weekend. You can follow the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

Ticket Information
All-day passes for the event can be purchased here with the following packages available to the public:

• General Admission Adult: as low as $20 (including fees)
• General Admission Senior/Youth: as low as $15 (including fees)

Fans may also contact the Oregon State box office at (541) 737-4455 or beaver.ticket@oregonstate.edu for tickets or more information.
 
Brackets and Seeds
The Trojans boast a program-high five no.1 seeds, up from three last season. Returning Pac-12 Champions on Little Rock's team include Nasir Bailey (133 pounds), Joseph Bianchi (165 pounds), and Stephen Little (197 pounds). Bailey and Bianchi return to the tournament as no. 1 seeds, while Little checks in as the no. 2 seed.

Returning NCAA qualifier Matty Bianchi is the no.1 seed at 157 pounds, while Tyler Brennan boasts the top spot at 174 pounds and Brock DelSignore has earned the no. 1 seed at 184 pounds. The latter two wrestlers look to punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time.

How the Trojans Can Earn an Automatic Qualification to the NCAA Tournament
Each qualifying tournament was awarded pre-allocations to the national tournament based on regular season performance by conference wrestlers. The full chart of pre-allocations per conference is below.
 
The Pac-12 has earned 17 pre-allocations, down only seven slots from last year despite losing two schools. Little Rock's dominant performances as a team this season have arguably contributed to that total, as six wrestlers appear in the third and final Coaches' Rank of the year. That poll, along with the RPI Ranking and the seven Trojans in there, influences the pre-allocations as well as at-large bids.

Two weight classes from the conference will have three wrestlers automatically advance to Nationals: the 149- and 197-pound weight classes. That means that Jordan Williams and Stephen Little just need one win and they're in.

Meanwhile, at 125, 133, and 285 pounds, runners-up will automatically qualify in addition to overall winners. All other weight classes will only see the tournament champions advance. See the full seeds and complete bracket here. 

If a Little Rock wrestler does not earn a spot at the Pac-12 Tournament, there is still an opportunity to make Nationals. After all the conference tournaments have concluded, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee will meet in-person to select the remaining 43 at-large qualifiers, which will be announced on March 11. Wrestlers that have been named in the NCAA Coaches' Ranking and RPI Ranking have a better shot of earning a wild card.

Little Rock Looking to Dominate
Last year, Little Rock had a breakout season and were dark horses going into the conference tournament. This year, it's a much different feel. Now viewed as the team to beat, the Trojans have a target on their backs. They are the top ranked team in the conference, checking in at #15 in the nation to conclude the season. Little Rock also bested their conference foes in the regular season handily, becoming back-to-back dual meet champions.

That doesn't mean it will be easy. Each weight class has multiple wrestlers as eight of the 10 weight classes include at least one wrestler ranked in the individual rankings. The 197-pound weight class features three wrestlers in the top eight in the nation and the 149-pound weight class has three within the top 12. However, every single Trojan is battle-tested and has a shot to final, if not qualify for the NCAA Tournament outright. Check out the Little Rock wrestlers that will compete at the Pac-12 Tournament below.

Little Rock Lineup
125: Jayden Carson (3-11)
133: #4 Nasir Bailey (19-3)
141: Brennan Van Hoecke (13-7)
149: #12 Jordan Williams (22-4)
157: #14 Matty Bianchi (21-4)
165: #33 Joseph Bianchi (11-5)
174: Tyler Brennan (15-8)
184: #17 Brock DelSignore (13-6)
197: #7 Stephen Little (18-2)
285: Branson Britten (9-9)

*Rankings via the Third NCAA Coaches Ranking

 
For the latest information on Little Rock Wrestling, make sure to check out LRTrojans.com. You can also find the team on social media at @LittleRockWRES on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

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