SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif
. — Little Rock's
Matty Bianchi was named the 2026 Pac-12 Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the conference office announced ahead of the Pac-12 Wrestling Championships in San Luis Obispo.
The award, which is presented in each of the sports sponsored by the Pac-12, was established to honor student-athletes who are standouts both academically and in their respective sport.
It's the first-ever Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year award by a Trojan grappler since the school joined the conference as an affiliate member for wrestling in the 2019-20 season. Bianchi is pursuing his degree in Mass Communications with a 3.72 GPA, and is a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar-Athlete.
"Matty embodies what it takes to be a Little Rock Trojan," head coach
Neil Erisman said. "The way he lives, trains, and crushes it in the classroom … there's nobody more deserving."
The Two Rivers, Wisconsin, native was the 2025 Pac-12 Champion and an NCAA All-American at 157 pounds and is currently the No. 5 wrestler in the country at 165 pounds in FloWrestling's most recent rankings.
Bianchi owns 80 career victories and is a four-time recipient of the Pac-12 Wrestler of the Week, which ties him for the second most in conference history. He finished seventh at the 2025 NCAA Championships and needs two more wins this season to reach 20 victories in back-to-back seasons.
Really cool to be recognized for this award. Academics are important to me, and they are what you need to keep you consistent across your life," Bianchi said. "Feels great being able to show others that wrestling doesn't last forever, so don't skip out on great opportunities to excel in your education."
To be eligible for the Pac-12 scholar-athlete of the year award, student-athletes must be a senior (in athletics eligibility), on track to receive a degree, have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher, participate in at least 50 percent of the scheduled contests in the sport, and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.
Each Pac-12 institution may nominate one individual per sport, and the winners are selected by a committee of Pac-12 staff members at the conclusion of each sport's regular season. The athletic accomplishments of the nominees are a consideration in voting for the award.
