The Gophers wrestling team announced its 2021 schedule on Thursday, and it will be a Big Ten-only slate consisting of five dual meets, including a home matchup with top-ranked Iowa, and two triangular meets.
Gophers wrestling season to begin Jan. 8 at Nebraska
The Gophers released their schedule, which includes a visit from top-ranked Iowa on Feb. 22.
By Star Tribune and
Randy Johnson
December 31, 2020 at 10:47PM
Coach Brandon Eggum's team will open the season Jan. 8 at Nebraska, then travel to Michigan State on Jan. 16 for a triangular with the Spartans and Maryland.
Iowa, rated No. 1 by InterMat in both the dual-meet and tournament rankings, will visit Maturi Pavilion on Feb. 22.
The Gophers, No. 12 in the dual-meet rankings and No. 13 in the tournament poll, travel to Rutgers on Jan. 31 for a triangular with the Scarlet Knights and Purdue.
Minnesota returns home Feb. 5 to face Illinois, travels to Wisconsin on Feb. 5 and closes the regular season Feb. 21 vs. Northwestern.
The Big Ten tournament will be held March 6-7 at Penn State, and the NCAA Championships are March 18-20 in St. Louis.
Led by top-ranked heavyweight Gable Steveson and fellow NWCA All-America selection Brayton Lee, the Gophers return seven starters from last season, which ended because of the coronavirus pandemic a week before the NCAA Championships were to be held at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Other Gophers ranked by InterMat are: Patrick McKee, 14th at 125 pounds; Michael Blockhus, 18th at 149; Lee, sixth at 157; and Owen Webster, 19th at 184.
The Gophers had lost their previous three games and their past seven meetings with the Hoosiers. Guard Amaya Battle helped change all that by scoring a game-high 16 points to surpass 1,000 in her career.
