Rankings via InterMat
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The No. 12 Illinois wrestling is heading to Tulsa, Okla. for the National Duals Invitational sponsored by Paycom on Nov. 15-16 in the BOK Center. The Fighting Illini's first round dual is against No. 25 Little Rock at 9 a.m. CT.
This will be the first meeting in program history between Little Rock and Illinois. The Trojans are coming off two wins to start their 2025 campaign defeating Carl Albert State 46-3 and Central Oklahoma 27-11 on Nov. 2. The Illini won their opening dual as well with a 24-12 win over Rider on Nov. 8. Illinois next opponent would be either No. 17 Missouri or No. 4 Iowa later in the afternoon.
ABOUT THE NATIONAL DUALS INVITATIONAL
The National Duals Invitational sponsored by Paycom will take place at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Okla. and is hosted by Oklahoma State. The premiere 16-team event will feature some of the top NCAA Division I teams, with a total purse of more than $1 million up for grabs. 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 will earn $75,000. Fifth- through eighth-place payouts will be, respectively: $50,000, $40,000, $25,000 and $20,000. All participating teams will receive $20,000 for attending.
They are also adding another twist to its opening day with $50,000 of team takedown bonuses designed to reward aggressive starts and teamwide intensity. Teams will compete for five separate $10,000 bonuses, awarded during each first-day session to the squad with the fastest average takedown time. Each team's five fastest takedowns, recorded by five different wrestlers, will be averaged to determine each session's winner. Takedown times will only be measured from the beginning of the first period.
