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Rutgers wrestling announced its schedule on Wednesday along with the Big Ten Conference. The Scarlet Knights will host eight home meets, will compete in eight Big Ten duals, take part in a tri-meet at the Prudential Center as part of its non-conference schedule. There are currently six nationally ranked foes on the schedule as Rutgers begins the season ranked No. 14 nationally per Intermat.
The season opens at the RAC on Sunday, November 7 with the program’s annual quad meet and will include Binghamton, Cleveland State and NJCU. This will be the first winter sports team to welcome fans back to the RAC. Volleyball did have fans in its first ever matches at the RAC last weekend.
RU will then compete at the Davidson quad meet in North Carolina against the hosts, as well as Clarion and Tennessee-Chattanooga on Saturday, November 13.
Next on November 27 is the Garden State Grapple at the Prudential Center in Newark against No. 16 North Carolina and Hofstra.
In the next month,, there are just two dual meets at American on Friday, December 3 and against Army at the RAC on December 10.
Rutgers finishes the 2021 calendar year with a trip to the Midlands Championships in Hoffman Estates, Illinois hosted by Northwestern.
The Scarlet Knights open the new year with the start of Big Ten play against Indiana at the RAC on Friday, January 7. They’ll face a quick turnaround against No. 17 Wisconsin on the road two days later on Sunday, January 9.
The next weekend features two ranked foes with a home dual meet against No. 21 Illinois on Friday, January 14 followed by a road trip to face No. 4 Penn State on Sunday, January 16.
RU will then travel to the state of Michigan for a dual meet against Michigan State on Friday, January 21 and then in Ann Arbor against the No. 5 Wolverines on Sunday, January 23.
After a two week break, Rutgers will close out the regular season with four consecutive home dual meets. They’ll host. No. 6 Ohio State at the RAC on Sunday, February 6 followed by the last Big Ten dual meet against Maryland on Saturday, February 12. RU will end its home slate against Princeton and Columbia on back to days on Friday, February 18 and Saturday, February 19.
The Big Ten Championships take place on March 5-6 in Lincoln, Nebraska. The NCAA Championships are March 17-19 in Detroit, Michigan.
James Kratch of NJ Advance Media reported that Rutgers is in talks with Rider to renew the series that ended in 2020 after the coming new year, but it’s not confirmed as of yet.
Start times are set to be announced at a later date. Season tickets for the 2021-22 campaign can be purchased here.
Here is the complete schedule:
- Nov. 7 vs. Binghamton, Cleveland State, NJCU
- Nov. 13 at Davidson; vs. Chattanooga, Clarion
- Nov. 27 vs. Hofstra, North Carolina at Prudential Center
- Dec. 3 at American
- Dec. 10 vs. Army
- Dec. 29-30 at Midlands Championships in Evanston, Illinois
- Jan. 7 vs. Indiana
- Jan. 9 at Wisconsin
- Jan. 14 vs. Illinois
- Jan. 16 at Penn State
- Jan. 21 at Michigan State
- Jan. 23 at Michigan
- Feb. 6 vs. Ohio State
- Feb. 12 vs. Maryland
- Feb. 18 vs. Princeton
- Feb. 19/20 vs. Columbia
- March 5-6 at Big Ten Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska
- March 17-19 at NCAA Championships in Detroit
Rutgers has the potential to have a tremendous season, both as a team and with multiple All-Americans with eight wrestlers ranked in the preseason poll by Intermat:
No. 3 Sebastian Rivera (133)
No. 5 John Poznanski (184)
No. 8 Jackson Turley (174)
No. 13 Sammy Alvarez (141)
No. 15 Greg Bulsak (197)
No. 27 Michael VanBrill (149)
No. 31 Dylan Shawver (125)
No. 33 Robert Kanniard (157)
The Scarlet Knights set a program record with three All-Americans last season with Rivera, Poznanski and Turley accomplishing the feat. As a team, RU finished 13th at nationals last year. Their is plenty of young talent on head coach Scott Goodale’s roster, so the competition in the wrestling room at the APC should be fierce all winter.