@MizzouWrestling Announces 2016-17 Schedule
9/21/2016 1:54:00 PM | Wrestling
#TigerStyle to host seven duals, will begin home slate in Jesse Auditorium against No. 2 Virginia Tech
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Wrestling announced its 2016-17 tentative schedule on Thursday, with 15 duals and two tournaments on the docket before entering postseason competition. A season ago, Mizzou went 14-2 during the dual season, captured a conference title for the fifth consecutive season and notched its seventh top-10 finish at the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships, finishing sixth.
#TigerStyle, ranked No. 5 in the WIN Magazine Preseason Tournament Power Index, will face seven teams ranked in the poll's top-25. Among the seven ranked teams, Mizzou will host home duals against No. 1 Oklahoma State (Jan. 27) and No. 2 Virginia Tech (Nov. 20), and will travel to Columbus, Ohio, to face No. 4 Ohio State (Dec. 8).
"We have a very balanced and difficult schedule. We attempt to put together a very competitive schedule every year," said head coach Brian Smith. "There are a lot of ranked wrestlers from the MAC in the preseason individual rankings, which will prepare us well for nationals. The latter-half of our schedule is filled with home duals, meaning we will only have to be on the road once between late-January and the NCAA Championships in March."
Following the regular season, Mizzou opens postseason competition with hopes of hosting the top-ranked dual in the NWCA National Duals Series. Following a switch to the bowl-game format last season, the top-eight non-Big Ten schools will host the top-eight Big Ten schools. Next, Mizzou will look to win its sixth straight conference title at the Mid-American Conference Championships, March 4-5, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Finally, Mizzou and the City of St. Louis will host the 2017 NCAA Wrestling Championships, March 16-18, at the Scottrade Center. This will mark the ninth time the pair have hosted the NCAA event.
"To step onto the mat at the Scottrade Center, look up and see all the gold from the Mizzou fans will be thrilling for our guys," Smith said. "Hopefully it will energize them to reach their goal of winning a national championship. Coming off back-to-back top-10 finishes at nationals and J'den Cox winning a bronze medal at the Olympics, there is a lot of excitement around Mizzou Wrestling. I can't wait to finish the season in St. Louis and for J'den to finish his senior year in his home state of Missouri."
Before the season begins, Mizzou will host its annual Black & Gold Scrimmage on Nov. 5, at the Hearnes Center. The Tigers will then open the 2016-17 campaign on the road at Old Dominion on Nov. 13, scheduled to begin at Noon CT.
In one of the most highly-anticipated duals of the season, Mizzou will host No. 2 Virginia Tech to kick off its home schedule on Nov. 20, at Jesse Auditorium, marking the third time Mizzou has wrestled at Jesse (2013, 2016). The Tigers will then compete in the UNI Open in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Dec. 3, before a road trip to face No. 4 Ohio State and Ohio on Dec. 8, and Dec. 10, respectively.
Mizzou will return home for two duals in one day on Dec. 20, when they host Kent State and Appalachian State. The Tigers will then wrestle in the Southern Scuffle (Jan. 1-2), before four-straight road duals against No. 16 Oklahoma (Jan. 8), Buffalo (Jan. 12), No. 8 Cornell (Jan. 14) and Eastern Michigan (Jan. 15).
To finish the regular season, Mizzou will host five-straight duals at the Hearnes Center, beginning with No. 25 Central Michigan (Jan. 22), followed by No. 1 Oklahoma State (Jan. 27), Northern Illinois (Feb. 4), No. 18 Northern Iowa (Feb. 12) and SIU Edwardsville (Feb. 15). The dual against the currently top-rated Cowboys will serve as Alumni Weekend.
For the first time ever, Mizzou will offer mat-side season tickets to all home wrestling duals. Fans will get a chance to be closer to the action than ever, with the opportunity to sit on the Hearnes Center court directly next to the mat where the highly-entertaining action occurs. Tickets for the home-opening dual against Virginia Tech at Jesse Auditorium are already on sale. For more information and to purchase tickets, call 1-800-CATPAWS.
Schedule dates and times are subjected to change. For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).
Mark your calendars! ??
— #TigerStyle (@MizzouWrestling) September 22, 2016
The 2016-17 Schedule is HERE!
SCHEDULE: [https://t.co/UAfBTegyCP]
RELEASE: [https://t.co/uSp9WQMODz]#TigerStyle?? pic.twitter.com/lSoA0Xj217
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