WASHINGTON – The American University wrestling team has released its 2026-27 schedule, including seven home dual meets in the program's first full season in the Alan and Amy Meltzer Center. The Eagles will take on four Power Four opponents for the second straight year, looking to raise the bar after a historic 2025 campaign.  

Thoughts From Coach Borrelli

• We're excited about this schedule and the challenges it will provide us throughout the season. We will see some of the best programs in the country, compete in some great events, and have several important dual meets right here in Washington, D.C. 
• We want to put our team in environments that demand toughness, preparation and consistency, and this schedule does that for our wrestlers. We are looking forward to getting started against Central Michigan on November 1st and finding out what this team can accomplish after a strong finish last season.

Chippewa Challenge Goes West

• The Eagles open up their season with the fifth rendition of the Chippewa Challenge, hosted this year by CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 1. 
• The annual tri-meet began in 2021, bringing together coaching disciples of Jason Borrelli's father, Tom Borrelli, the long-time Central Michigan head coach and 14-time MAC Coach of the Year. Both Jason (05') and CSUB head coach Luke Smith (08') wrestled under Borrelli at CMU. 
• American went 1-1 at last year's Chippewa Challenge in Mount Pleasant, defeating CSUB but falling to the Chippewas in their home gym. The Eagles last won the Challenge in 2023. 

Open Season

• Three open tournaments are mixed into AU's schedule, beginning with the the Averett Cougar Open on Sunday, Nov. 8 in Danville, Virginia. 
• The Eagles return to the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 2-3, coming off the program's best-ever showing at one of the nation's most competitive annual tournaments in 2025. Caleb Campos took second place at 184 to headline the outing, followed by five more placers.
• AU will also be back at the Lock Haven Open on Nov. 30, where the Eagles also found team-wide success a year ago. Nine Eagles finished on the podium, with Campos and Ellis Kirsch (133) each taking first place. 

Let's do it Again

• The Eagles will take on Purdue, Maryland, West Virginia, and Rutgers to stack their non-conference slate with four Power Four challenges for a second straight season.
• AU fell to Purdue in West Lafayette last season in November 34-10, but ended up finishing higher than the Boilermakers at the NCAA Championships. The Eagles finished 23rd, while Purdue finished 29th. It will be just the third meeting between the two teams on Nov. 20 in D.C.  
• Two days later, the Eagles will travel to Morgantown to take on West Virginia. The Mountaineers finished last season ranked 16th in the final NCAA Coaches' Poll, and sent six wrestlers to NCAAs. 
• The matchup against the highest-profile opponent of the group, Rutgers, comes as the second half of a double-dual day on Jan. 30 for American. The Eagles will compete against Drexel in the afternoon and take the short trip from Philadelphia to Piscataway, New Jersey in the evening. 
• The Scarlet Knights were ranked 11th in last year's final Coaches' Poll, with nine wrestlers advancing to NCAAs out of the Big Ten.

EIWA Action

• The Eagles begin their EIWA slate on Sunday, Dec. 6 at Morgan State, and will have to wait to wrestle their first conference opponent at home until Friday, Jan. 15 when they welcome Lehigh. The defending conference champions finished the 2025 season ranked #25 in the nation, and the Mountain Hawks took 16th place in the team score at NCAAs. 
• AU will turn around to host Army two days later on Sunday, a Black Knights squad that scored 117 points at the 2025 EIWA Championships to take fourth place as a team. The Eagles nearly took down Army in West Point last season, falling 22-17 after Gage Owen, JJ Peace, and Campos all came up with decision victories.
• The Eagles will wrestle at Navy (Jan. 24), Drexel (Jan. 30), and close out the conference calendar at home against Bucknell (Feb. 14), and Franklin & Marshall (Feb. 20). 
• The EIWA Championships will be held at Army on March 5-6. Eight Eagles placed at the conference tournament in 2025, setting a new program record.

More History to be Made

• American is coming off the program's most accomplished season since 2016, which included an All-American, two EIWA champions, and three wrestlers qualifying for NCAAs. Two of those wrestlers return to this year's roster, amongst others who are primed for breakout campaigns. 
• The senior team captain Campos is the headline returner from 2025, winning EIWAs at 184 pounds and going on to become AU's first All-American in a decade with a fourth place finish at NCAAs. 
• Junior heavyweight Emmanuel Ulrich is the other returning NCAA qualifier, earning an at-large bid after going 21-14 and finishing fifth at EIWAs. 
• JJ Peace enters his third year as an Eagle following his best collegiate season so far, going 26-12 and landing at #32 on the final RPI ranking of the regular season. 

Season Ticket Pass to All Regular Season Home Duals

• Get behind the team as one of our biggest and best supporters and cheer loud and proud for AU Wrestling in the Meltzer Center with friends, family, and colleagues by purchasing your season ticket pass to all home duals! Click HERE to purchase your season tickets.
• Adult - $40 (General Admission Seating)
• Youth (4-14) / Senior (65+) - $20 (General Admission Seating)

VIP Matside Floor Seating (Reserved) Season Tickets

• $250 per seat, includes a donation to the wrestling program and the following benefits:
  • VIP matside reserved seating for all home matches.
• Hospitality to be offered at select home duals to be announced.
• To purchase, call the ticketing box office at 202-885-2617 or email clawed@american.edu

Coach Borrelli's Season Ticket Give-Back Program

• Not in the DMV, but still want to support AU Wrestling? Purchase a youth season ticket to support the wrestling program and return any unwanted tickets back to the ticket office and we will donate your ticket(s) to a local youth wrestling club or organization.
• This program will allow the youth wrestlers of the DMV to experience high-quality Division-I wrestling in person.
• For questions on this community give-back program please email clawed@american.edu.

Keep up With Us

• For more information on AU Wrestling, follow the team on Twitter @AU_Wrestling, Instagram @au_wrestling and Facebook @AU.Wrestling.