BTN Communications, October 28, 2021
Led by the reigning Hodge Trophy winner Spencer Lee, Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Gable Steveson and a group of six wrestlers returning after individual titles at last year's NCAA Championships, the Big Ten returns for the 2021-22 season as the nation's most dominant wrestling conference.
The Big Ten's race to a 15th consecutive NCAA Championship begins on Wednesday, Nov. 17, as No. 12 Nebraska welcomes No. 17 North Carolina at 9 p.m. ET. Conference wrestling begins in 2022 with a Friday night rivalry when No. 8 Minnesota visits No. 1 Iowa at 9 p.m. ET on Jan. 7. Additional schedule highlights include a pair of Friday night doubleheaders in January. On Jan. 21, No. 2 Penn State visits Ann Arbor to take on No. 5 Michigan, while top-ranked Iowa visits No. 10 Ohio State. On Friday, Jan. 28, No. 8 Minnesota travels to No. 5 Michigan at 7 p.m. ET and at 9 p.m. ET, No. 2 Penn State travels to take on No. 1 Iowa.
Shane Sparks and Ray Flores will call the action this season on the Big Ten Network, with analysis from Jim Gibbons and Tim Johnson.
All televised matches can be streamed exclusively on the FOX Sports app, while more than 60 additional duals will be available for streaming on B1G+. Additional coverage details for the 2021-22 wrestling season will be announced at a later date.
According to Intermat's rankings, the Big Ten has 10 teams ranked in the top 25. Defending national champion and No. 1 Iowa leads the way, followed by No. 2 Penn State, No. 5 Michigan, No. 9 Ohio State, No. 10 Minnesota, No. 13 Northwestern, No. 14 Rutgers, No. 16 Nebraska, No. 21 Illinois and No. 23 Wisconsin.
The Big Ten Network's wrestling schedule is below and is also subject to change.
2021-22 Wrestling Schedule
Day | Date | Visiting Team | Home Team | Time (ET) | |
Wednesday | November 17, 2021 | North Carolina | at | Nebraska | 9:00 PM |
Saturday | November 20, 2021 | Oklahoma State | at | Minnesota* | TBD |
Friday | January 7, 2022 | Minnesota | at | Iowa | 9:00 PM |
Sunday | January 9, 2022 | Purdue | at | Iowa | TBD |
Sunday | January 9, 2022 | Indiana | at | Penn State* | TBD |
Sunday | January 9, 2022 | Northwestern | at | Minnesota* | TBD |
Friday | January 14, 2022 | Michigan | at | Ohio State | 7:00 PM |
Friday | January 14, 2022 | Nebraska | at | Minnesota | 9:00 PM |
Sunday | January 16, 2022 | Iowa | at | Illinois | TBD |
Monday | January 17, 2022 | Michigan State | at | Indiana | 3:30 PM |
Friday | January 21, 2022 | Penn State | at | Michigan | 6:00 PM |
Friday | January 21, 2022 | Iowa | at | Ohio State | 8:00 PM |
Sunday | January 23, 2022 | Wisconsin | at | Purdue | 4:00 PM |
Friday | January 28, 2022 | Minnesota | at | Michigan | 7:00 PM |
Friday | January 28, 2022 | Penn State | at | Iowa | 9:00 PM |
Saturday | January 29, 2022 | Purdue | at | Indiana | Noon |
Saturday | January 29, 2022 | Northwestern | at | Illinois | 2:00 PM |
Friday | February 4, 2022 | Ohio State | at | Penn State | 7:00 PM |
Friday | February 4, 2022 | Michigan | at | Nebraska | 9:00 PM |
Saturday | February 5, 2022 | Wisconsin | at | Iowa | 3:30 PM |
Sunday | February 6, 2022 | Nebraska | at | Penn State | Noon |
Friday | February 11, 2022 | Ohio State | at | Minnesota | 9:00 PM |
Saturday | February 12, 2022 | Maryland | at | Rutgers | 2:00 PM |
Sunday | February 13, 2022 | Illinois | at | Nebraska | Noon |
Saturday | February 19, 2022 | Purdue | at | Northwestern | 1:30 PM |
Sunday | February 20, 2022 | Iowa | at | Nebraska | 7:00 PM |
Saturday | March 5, 2022 | Session 1 | B1G Championships | 11:00 AM | |
Saturday | March 5, 2022 | Semifinals | B1G Championships | 8:30 PM | |
Sunday | March 6, 2022 | Championships | B1G Championships | 4:30 PM |
*Will air on BTN or B1G+ depending on event timing and broadcast windows