University of Pittsburgh Athletics
ACC Championship Pre-Seeds and Brackets Announced
3/3/2026 1:11:00 PM | Wrestling
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Pitt will head into the 2026 Atlantic Coast Conference Wrestling Championships with strong positioning, as the ACC announced pre-seeds and brackets for the conference tournament, Sunday, March 8, at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Pitt secured two No. 1 seeds, led by Luca Augustine (174 pounds) and Chase Kranitz (184 pounds), both of whom enter the championship at the top of their respective brackets. The Panthers are one of four programs in the league to place multiple wrestlers as top seeds.
In addition, Pitt's two returning ACC Champions, Mac Stout (197 pounds) and Dayton Pitzer (285 pounds), earned No. 2 seeds in their weight classes. Stout and Pitzer are among six former ACC champions in the 2026 championship field and four defending champions overall.
Pre-seeds were determined by WrestleStat.com rankings along with a vote of the league's seven head coaches. With seven teams competing in the ACC for the second consecutive season, all No. 1 seeds will receive byes into the quarterfinals across the 10 weight classes.
The 2026 ACC Wrestling Championship begins Sunday, March 8, with first-round action at 10 a.m. ET. Championship finals are scheduled for 8 p.m. ET and will air live on ACC Network, with earlier rounds streaming on ACC Network Extra.
For complete pre-seeds, brackets and event information, visit the ACC's official release on theACC.com.
Pitt Pre-Seeds – 2026 ACC Wrestling Championship
- 125 pounds – Tyler Chappell, No. 5 seed
- 133 pounds – Evan Tallmadge, No. 4 seed
- 141 pounds – Briar Priest, No. 5 seed
- 149 pounds – Kade Brown, No. 4 seed
- 157 pounds – Dylan Evans, No. 3 seed
- 165 pounds – Jared Keslar, No. 5 seed
- 174 pounds – Luca Augustine, No. 1 seed
- 184 pounds – Chase Kranitz, No. 1 seed
- 197 pounds – Mac Stout, No. 2 seed (returning ACC Champion)
- 285 pounds – Dayton Pitzer, No. 2 seed (returning ACC Champion)
