COLLEGE PARK, MD — The Terps will open the 2026 Big Ten slate on Friday, Jan. 9, at Northwestern. The dual will take place at Welsh-Ryan Arena at 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET and will stream on B1G+.

The matchup marks the first meeting between the two programs since the 2023–24 season, when Maryland defeated the Wildcats for the first time in program history, 29–15, in College Park.

Maryland will then conclude a two-match road swing on Sunday, Jan. 11, facing No. 18 Wisconsin at noon on BTN. Last season, the Terps defeated the Badgers for the first time since 2010, earning a 24–13 victory in College Park. The win set a program record for the most victories in a single Big Ten season since joining the conference and marked Maryland's best start to Big Ten competition in program history. Braxton Brown, Dario Lemus, and Jaxon Smith all earned wins in the matchup.

• Maryland enters the upcoming matchup with a 4–1 record, earning wins over Gardner-Webb, The Citadel, Morgan State, and American.
• The Terps have also shown depth and momentum in open tournaments, highlighted by strong performances at the Southern Scuffle. Braxton Brown led the way at 133 pounds, advancing to the finals before narrowly falling 5–4 to No. 16 Dom Serrano of Northern Colorado. Along the way, Brown picked up multiple bonus-point wins and knocked off Cornell's Brett Ungar in the quarterfinals.
• At 197 pounds, sophomore Branson John placed third after a standout run that included victories over Oklahoma State's Austin Johnson and Brown's No. 31 Andrew Reall. John rebounded from a semifinal loss to top-ranked Josh Barr of Penn State by earning a major decision in the consolation semifinals and a sudden-victory takedown in the third-place match.
• Midyear transfer Carter Young also impressed in his Maryland debut. Competing at 149 pounds, Young advanced to the semifinals with three bonus-point wins and a 7–5 upset of No. 8 Cross Wasilewski of Penn before finishing sixth after a medical forfeit.

Braxton Brown was a finalist at 133 at the Southern Scuffle. 

• The Terps added a dynamic competitor in Carter Young as a mid-year transfer from Oklahoma State, the first mid-year addition in the Clemsen era.
• Young made an immediate impression for Maryland, rolling through his first action with bonus-point wins and a big 7–5 decision over No. 8 Cross Wasilewski before finishing sixth at the Southern Scuffle due to match count limitations.
• At Oklahoma State, Young was a reliable starter and tough competitor in both duals and open tournaments. In 2024-25 he started nearly every match, went 10-10 with five bonus-point victories, and placed fifth at the Michigan State Open and Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. .
• Earlier in his career at 141 pounds, he qualified for the 2022-23 NCAA Championships by placing fifth at the Big 12 Champioships, notched multiple top-10 victories—including his highest-ranked win over No. 3 Jake Bergeland—and earned Big 12 Wrestler of the Week honors. 

Terps added a dynamic competitor in Carter Young as a mid-year transfer from Oklahoma State

• The Terps are coming off one of their most successful seasons since joining the Big Ten. Maryland set program records for points and individual placers at the Big Ten Championships, recorded its highest team finish, and secured the most regular-season dual wins in program history. A signature moment came with a victory over No. 10 Michigan — the program's first win over a top-10 opponent since Nov. 20, 2009.
• At the NCAA Championships, Maryland matched its highest team point total and finish since 2014. Jaxon Smith earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds, becoming the program's first All-American since 2019. The Terps qualified six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships — their most since 2012 — including returners Braxton Brown, Branson John, and Jaxon Smith, while also setting a new program record for Big Ten dual victories.
• Head Coach Alex Clemsen enters his seventh season leading the program, joined by associate head coach Nick Brascetta. Assistant coach Ethan Laird returns for his third season, while Cole Matthews has been promoted to assistant coach in his second year with the Terps.

Jaxon Smith earned All-American honors with a sixth-place finish at 184 pounds last season.