FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State wrestling will open up the 2025-26 season on Saturday, November 1, as the Bison travel to Madison, Wisconsin to take on the Wisconsin Badgers. The dual between the Bison and Badgers is scheduled for a 5 p.m. start at the UW Field House.
 
Dual Coverage
Saturday's match will be streamed live on Big Ten Plus and also have live statistics through TrackWrestling. Links to live video and stats are available at GoBison.com/coverage.
 
NDSU Probables
125 | #30 Ezekiel Witt
133 | #32 Tristan Daugherty
141 | Michael Olson
149 | #33 Max Petersen or Brayden Canoyer or Gabriel Gallardo
157 | #9 Gavin Drexler
165 | Boeden Greenley or Tyler Secoy
174 | #32 Max Magayna
184 | #8 Aidan Brenot or Andrew McMonagle
197 | Devin Wasley
285 | Drew Blackburn-Forst or Shilo Jones
 
Wisconsin Probables
125 | #9 Nicolar Rivera
133 | #4 Zan Fugitt
141 | Carson Exferd
149 | #16 Joe Zargo
157 | Luke Mechler
165 | #20 Cody Goebel or Julian George
174 | #25 Luke Condon
184 | Caleb Dennee or Cale Anderson
197 | Wyatt Ingham
285 | #17 Braxton Amos 
 
Series History
North Dakota State and Wisconsin will meet on the wrestling mat for the fifth time in series history on Saturday. The Bison are winless so far against the Badgers, with Wisconsin leading the series 4-0, including a 22-13 win last season at the Knockout Christmas Classic in Kissimmee, Florida.
 
The teams have met just one time in Madison, with No. 15 Wisconsin taking a 23-17 win on February 2, 2014. This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams in NDSU's Division I era.
 
Last Time Against Wisconsin
December 21, 2024
Silver Spurs Arena | Kissimmee, Florida
125 | #20 Nicolar Rivera (WIS) over Ezekiel Witt (NDSU), MD 17-7; WIS 4-0
133 | #28 Zan Fugitt (WIS) over Kyle Burwick (NDSU), Dec 8-2; WIS 7-0
141 | Michael Olson (NDSU) over Brock Bobzien (WIS), Dec 7-3; WIS 7-3
149 | #29 Gavin Drexler (NDSU) over Elliott Biba (WIS), MD 10-2; Tied 7-7
157 | Max Petersen (NDSU) over Luke Mechler (WIS), Dec 4-2; NDSU 10-7
165 | Boeden Greenley (NDSU) over Cale Anderson (WIS), Dec 6-0; NDSU 13-7
174 | #30 Lucas Condon (WIS) over Max Magayna (NDSU), Dec 8-5; NDSU 13-10
184 | Dylan Russo (WIS) over Aidan Brenot (NDSU), Dec 12-9; Tied 13-13
197 | Wyatt Ingham (WIS) over Tayshaun Glover (NDSU), Fall 6:46; WIS 19-13
285 | Gannon Rosenfeld (WIS) over Andrew Blackburn-Forst (NDSU), Dec 7-3; WIS 22-13
 
Ranked Bison
North Dakota State has seven Bison ranked in some of the major rankings headed into the 2025-26 season, led by 184 Aidan Brenot, coming off a blood round appearance at last season's NCAA Championships. Brenot is 8 and 9 in the InterMat and Flo rankings.
 
157 Gavin Drexler is 9 and 10 in the rankings after moving up from 149 last year, where he earned All-American honors. Fellow 2025 NCAA qualifier 133 Tristan Daugherty is 32 in InterMat and 25 in Flo after moving up from 125 last year.
 
125 Ezekiel Witt, 149 Max Petersen, 174 Max Magayna and 285 Drew Blackburn-Forst also appear in rankings headed into the season.
 
Youthful Experience
North Dakota State enters the 2025-26 season with nine returning starters from the 2024-25 campaign and 10 returning starters overall. 16 different Bison enter the season with at least one dual start, including 14 who started last season. Of the Bison with dual experience, only two are seniors, 2025 NCAA Qualifier Tristan Daugherty and Gideon Cole.  Five redshirt freshman gained dual experience last season, and the Bison also return four sophomores and five juniors with starting experience. NDSU has a combined 93 dual wins entering the campaign.
 
Three Bison Could Make NDSU Debut
Three Bison could potentially make their NDSU dual debut on Saturday at Wisconsin. Redshirt freshman Tyler Secoy (165), along with true freshmen Brayden Canoyer (149) and Gabriel Gallardo (149), are a part of the Bison lineup set to weigh in.
 
Team Captains
Gavin Drexler, Tristan Daugherty, Devin Wasley, Boeden Greenley, Andrew McMonagle and Brayden Canoyer have been named the team captains for the 2025-26 season.
 
All-American Gavin Drexler
Gavin Drexler completed a childhood dream to close the 2024-25 season, reaching the podium at the 2025 NCAA National Championships through a remarkable run on the backside, becoming the 13th NCAA Division I All-American in NDSU history.
 
The junior battled his way into the starting lineup to begin his sophomore campaign and ultimately recorded 26 wins, eight ranked wins and nine dual victories, including a 7-2 mark in Big 12 duals.
 
Drexler faced off against 11 nationally ranked wrestlers over his final 11 matches of the season at the Big 12 and NCAA Championships. Drexler recorded three ranked wins at the Big 12 Championships to take third overall. He then claimed four-straight ranked wins, capped by a 4-0 shutout of No. 7 Kannon Webster of Illinois to reach the podium and earn NCAA All-American honors.
 
Brenot Looking to Build Off Blood Round Finish
Redshirt sophomore Aidan Brenot made a splash in his first full season in the Bison lineup. The 184-pound wrestler recorded 23 wins, including 10 against nationally ranked wrestlers, as well as six dual wins and automatic qualification for the NCAA Championships.
 
With the trip to Philadelphia, Brenot put himself on the national radar with three-straight wins on the backside of the bracket, including a pin on No. 9 Reece Heller from Pittsburgh, to reach the blood round.
 
TV Time
All five of NDSU's home duals this season have been selected as television games for WDAY Xtra. The duals will be televised live and broadcast across the state of North Dakota, Eastern Montana and Western Minnesota on WDAY Xtra. Check GoBison.com for full channel listings and coverage areas.
 
Bison Face Strong Schedule
The Bison are set to face seven programs that start the 2025-26 season ranked in the top 25 of the USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll, along with three other programs that received votes in the opening rankings of the year.
 
The Bison also have six traditional Power 4 programs on the schedule as well, with four of those duals coming in the first two months of the season.
 
Looking Ahead
North Dakota State will return back to Fargo and host the 54th Annual Bison Open on November 9 at the Scheels Center inside the Sanford Health Athletic Complex. The Bison are expected to welcome in wrestlers from Minnesota, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and South Dakota State. The event is set to get underway at 10 a.m.