Sept. 3, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team has announced its 2015-16 schedule and the nation's top wrestling venues take center stage all season long. Head Coach Cael Sanderson's squad will host two of its seven home dual meets in the near-16,000 seat Bryce Jordan Center this season as well as wrap up the year in New York City's Madison Square Garden at the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships.
Penn State, riding an NCAA-best 26 dual home sell-out streak that includes multiple matches in the BJC, opens up the season in Rec Hall against Lock Haven. Match time is set for 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. Penn State then treks to rising power Virginia Tech on Sunday, Nov. 15, for a 1 p.m. dual against the Hokies.
The Nittany Lions will hit the west coast for the first time since 1996-97, visiting Cal-Bakersfield for a 10 p.m. dual on Friday, Nov. 20. Two days later, Penn State travels to Stanford for a 5 p.m. dual against the Cardinal. After a weekend with no action, Penn State will take part in the 2015 Nittany Lion Open, hosted by the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club, on Sunday, Dec. 6, with a tentative start time of 8:30 a.m.
In an effort to meet the ever growing demand from Penn State fans for a chance to see the Nittany Lions in action, Sanderson's squad will host two dual meets in the Bryce Jordan Center this season. The Nittany Lions set a new NCAA dual meet attendance record two years ago when they hosted Pittsburgh and nearly matched it last year when the Iowa Hawkeyes came to town. Penn State will open up its Big Ten dual meet season in the BJC, hosting the Wisconsin Badgers on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 1 p.m. The Nittany Lions close out first semester's action with a trip to Rider on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 2 p.m.
Penn State will once again spend New Year's in Chattanooga, Tenn., looking to defend five straight Southern Scuffle titles. The 2016 Southern Scuffle takes place on Jan. 1-2, 2016, at UT-Chattanooga. The Nittany Lions visit the Hoosier state for two Big Ten road duals the next weekend. Penn State visits Purdue on Friday, Jan. 8, at 7 p.m. and Indiana on Sunday, Jan. 10, for a 1 p.m. meeting.
Rec Hall welcomes the Nittany Lions back for a Big Ten battle with Nebraska on Friday, Jan. 15, at 7 p.m. The team then heads to Northwestern two days later, visiting the Wildcats on Sunday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m. The Nittany Lions will swing out to Illinois for their final Big Ten road battle, battling the Illini on Saturday, Jan. 23, time TBA. Penn State hosts Michigan on Sunday, Jan. 31, at 2 p.m. in Rec Hall to end January at home.
The second of Penn State's two BJC Duals takes place on Friday, Feb. 5, when Ohio State comes to town for a 7 p.m. battle of Big Ten rivals. This will mark the first Friday night BJC dual since Penn State resumed duals in the arena two years ago. Penn State visits Lehigh for its final road dual of the year, taking on the Mountain Hawks on Friday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m. The Nittany Lions close out their Big Ten schedule in Rec Hall the next day, hosting Michigan State on Saturday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m.
The next weekend, Penn State serves as host to part of the 2016 NWCA Division I Dual Championship Series. Designed to showcase the nation's top programs, the event is designed to pit the top 16 teams against each other on the season's final regular season weekend. This year's event will feature the top eight Big Ten teams (based on the Feb. 14 NWCA Coaches Poll) hosting the top eight non-Big Ten teams at eight different campus sites. The top ranked Big Ten squad will host the top ranked non-Big Ten squad and so on down through an eighth match-up. Penn State's dual will take place on Sunday, Feb. 21, in Rec Hall at a time to be announced (there is a slight chance that the date could shift to Monday, Feb. 22, for television).
In keeping with the year's trend for big stages, Penn State will travel to Iowa's Carver Hawkeye Arena for the 2016 Big Ten Championships on Saturday and Sunday, March 5-6, in Iowa City. The Nittany Lions have won four of the last five Big Ten titles. The Big Ten Championships will once again serve as the national qualifier for the 2016 NCAA Championships. This year, that event takes place in perhaps the nation's most venerable sporting arena. The 2016 NCAA Championships will be held in New York City's Madison Square Garden on Thursday-Saturday, March 17-19. Penn State is looking to win its fifth NCAA title in six years (and its fifth under Sanderson) on the nation's biggest stage.
Penn State returns five All-Americans, including two who red-shirted last year and will appear in the Blue and White for the first time in over a year. Senior Nico Megaludis (Murrysville, Pa.), a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA finalist at 125, returns as does sophomore Zain Retherford (Benton, Pa.), a freshman All-American at 141 two seasons ago. Senior Morgan McIntosh (Santa Ana, Calif.), a two-time All-American at 197 after placing third last year, returns for his final season as does classmate Jordan Conaway (Abbottstown, Pa.). Conaway placed eighth at 125 in St. Louis to earn his first All-America honor last year. Junior Jimmy Gulibon (Latrobe, Pa.) became an All-American with a fifth place finish at 133 in St. Louis a year ago and returns as well.
All times listed above are Eastern (not local to site). The Big Ten Network will announce its schedule of televised duals soon. Season ticket holders will receive renewal information in the next week and all seven home dates (Rec Hall duals, BJC duals and NWCA Championship Dual) are included in the season ticket package. Season ticket renewal information will be arriving in the mail shortly and are now available online at www.gopsusports.com/accountmanager. The renewal period for season ticket holders will run through September 25. More detailed information on public single ticket sales for the Bryce Jordan Center Duals as well as any availability for standing room only tickets for Rec Hall matches will be forthcoming in the near future. For information on Penn State wrestling tickets, call Penn State Athletic Ticketing Services at 1-800-NITTANY. Penn State Fans are encouraged to follow Penn State wrestling via twitter at www.twitter.com/pennstateWREST, on Penn State Wrestling's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/pennstatewrestling and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennstatewrest. This is PENN STATE. WRESTLING lives here.
PENN STATE WRESTLING'S 2015-16 SCHEDULE
NOVEMBER
Fri. 13 -- LOCK HAVEN -- 7 p.m.
Sun. 15 -- at Virginia Tech -- 1 p.m.
Fri. 20 -- at Cal-Bakersfield -- 10 p.m.
Sun. 22 -- at Stanford -- 5 p.m.
DECEMBER
Sun. 6 -- NITTANY LION OPEN -- 8:30 a.m.
Sun. 13 -- WISCONSIN* (BJC) -- 1 p.m.
Sat. 19 -- at Rider -- 2 p.m.
JANUARY
Fri.-Sat. -- 1-2 Southern Scuffle, Chattanooga, Tenn. -- All Day
Fri. 8 -- at Purdue* -- 7 p.m.
Sun. 10 -- at Indiana* -- 1 p.m.
Fri. 15 -- NEBRASKA* -- 7 p.m.
Sun. 17 -- at Northwestern* -- 2 p.m.
Sat. 23 -- at Illinois* -- TBA
Sun. 31 -- MICHIGAN* -- 2 p.m.
FEBRUARY
Fri. 5 -- OHIO STATE* (BJC) -- 7 p.m.
Fri. 12 -- at Lehigh -- 7 p.m.
Sat. 13 -- MICHIGAN STATE* -- 7 p.m.
Sun. 21 -- NATIONAL DUAL SERIES# -- TBA
MARCH
Sat.-Sun. 5-6 -- Big Ten Championships, Iowa City, Iowa -- Times TBA
Sat. 5 -- Session 1 -- Opening Round
Sat. 5 -- Session 2 -- Semifinals
Sun. 6 -- Session 3 -- Consolation, 7th place bouts
Sun. 6 -- Session 4 -- Championship Finals, 3rd and 5th
Thur.-Sat. -- 17-19 NCAA Championships, MSG, New York City -- Times TBA
Thur. 17 -- Session 1 -- 1st Round
Thur. 17 -- Session 2 -- 2nd Round/Consolations
Fri. 18 -- Session 3 -- Quarterfinals/Consolations
Fri. 18 -- Session 4 -- Semifinals/All-America Round
Sat. 19 -- Session 5 -- Medal Rounds
Sat. 19 -- Session 6 -- Championship Finals
* Big Ten Dual -- # NWCA National Dual Series
All Dates and Times Subject to Change -- All Times EASTERN