Every single Big Ten wrestling schedule is now available for the 2021-2022 season after the Big Ten released this press report. Opening action for the conference begins on January 7 and runs for seven weeks through February 20 when Iowa and Nebraska will end the season.
Below are five fantastic dual meets that you should add to your calendar. And if you’re looking for every 2021-2022 college wrestling schedule, you can view the master list here.
1. Penn State at Iowa (January 28)
This is the big one! #2 Penn State travels to #1 Iowa on January 28 for the most anticipated dual meet of the 2022 season. After last year’s dual was postponed, wrestling fans have been dying to see which team is truly the best.
The dual will feature 14 All-Americans, 8 NCAA finalists, and 5 NCAA champions. Perhaps the most anticipated matchups are two finals rematches between Nick Lee vs Jaydin Eierman (141) and Carter Starocci vs Michael Kemerer (174).
2. Minnesota at Michigan (January 28)
Prepare yourself for January 28 because it’s going to be one heck of a day for wrestling! In addition to Penn State vs Iowa, you’ll also be able to watch Minnesota vs Michigan. To be honest, the scales are tipped heavily in Michigan’s favor, but the best part about this dual will be the heavyweight matchup.
Gable Steveson and Mason Parris will face off yet again on January 28. Though Parris has yet to beat the Olympic Champion, you can bet on two things: 1) Parris will be chomping at the bit for a rematch and 2) Gable will have some entertainment in store for his fans.
3. Penn State at Michigan (January 21)
Last February Penn State secured a sound victory over Michigan (18-13), but a lot has changed for the Nittany Lions since then. At 157 lbs they lost Berge, who defeated a top-ranked Will Lewan in the previous dual. They also have some figuring out to do at 125, 149, and 165.
On paper, these two teams are dead even. Michigan technically has the slight edge with more ranked wrestlers in Intermat’s preseason poll. And the bottom half of both lineups are insane: Starocci vs Massa (174), Brooks vs Amine (184), Dean vs Brucki (197), Kerkvliet vs Parris (285). Ultimately, this dual will come down to upsets and bonus points.
4. Ohio State at Rutgers (February 6)
Rutgers did not have the best year in 2021; in fact, they went 0-4. They did have a tight dual against Ohio State even if they did come up short. But just like the Penn State vs Michigan dual, a lot has changed since last season.
Rutgers came alive at NCAAs and put four wrestlers on the podium. Ohio State also claimed four All-Americans, some at the same weights as Rutgers. Whether Rivera goes 133 or 141, he will have a great match with Echemendia or D’Emilio. You can also look forward to top 15 matchups between Ethan Smith vs Jackson “Relaxed & Dangerous” Turley (174), Kaleb Romero vs John Poznanski (184), and Rocky Jordan vs Greg Bulsak (197).
5. Iowa at Nebraska (February 20)
For the Big Ten regular season finale, the Hawkeyes will wrestle the Corn Huskers. Last season Iowa absolutely dominated the dual 31-6 even without Michael Kemerer in the lineup.
This year, look forward to multiple top 10 matchups, including Eierman vs Red (141), Murin vs Lovett (149), Kemerer vs Labriola (174), and Warner vs Schultz (197), to name a few.
The 2022 Big Ten wrestling schedule is going to be bonkers and I cannot wait to watch the regular season starting on January 7. If you liked this article, then you may want to read Fanco Wrestling’s Big Ten preseason power rankings.
