 While expanding the competition by 150%, the Big 12 chose to end its tradition (carried over from the prior Big Eight Conference) of holding the championships at campus sites and held the 2016 Big 12 Wrestling Championships at the neutral Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.The WWC's absorption by the Big 12 was completed in 2017, when the Big 12 added Northern Iowa and the resurrected Fresno State wrestling program as associate members.The NCAA West Regional served as the conference tournament.