WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Big Ten Conference released its 2023 wrestling schedule Tuesday, unveiling Purdue's final eight duals for the upcoming season.
Seven of the eight matchups were already known for the Boilermakers, comprised of the other six Big Ten West schools and rival Indiana. The announcement revealed the Maryland Terrapins as Purdue's eighth and final opponent from the Big Ten.
"The schedule is going to be very tough as usual," said head coach Tony Ersland. "The Big Ten is an incredible challenge every season. It's no different this year and we are very excited for what's to come. Our schedule is nicely balanced, and we have a lot of matches at home which will be great for this young group. That home environment will help tremendously with our new, young faces."
The projected Purdue lineup has five individuals in the preseason rankings according to InterMat Wrestling, and the outstanding Big Ten remains as tough as ever. The Boilermakers' eight conference dual opponents boast a combined 55 ranked wrestlers, including 22 individuals ranked inside the top-10 at their respective weight classes.
The conference slate for the Boilermakers begins just after the start of the new year. Ersland's squad opens Big Ten action by hosting Iowa on Sunday, January 8. The Hawkeyes were the No. 1 team in the country the last time they visited Holloway Gymnasium and will likely be highly ranked once again for this bout.
Purdue will then hit the road for three straight away matches. The road opener comes just across the border in a battle with Illinois on Saturday, January 14. Seniors Parker Filius and Thomas Penola both took technical-fall victories to help the team to a victory over the Illini last season.
The team's first two dual weekend comes next with road trips to Wisconsin and Minnesota scheduled for January 20 and 22, respectively. Purdue battled for upset wins at four different weight classes to grab an 18-14 win over the Gophers last year on senior night.
The Boilermakers return home to host their annual intrastate rivalry match against Indiana on Saturday, January 28. Purdue will look to extend its active winning streak over the Hoosiers to 13 straight after earning a 17-16 victory in Bloomington last year.
On Sunday, February 5, Purdue will play host to Nebraska in Holloway. Ersland and company upset the then No. 9 Cornhuskers in Lincoln last season to give Purdue its first top-10 dual win since 2004.
The final weekend of the dual season sees the Boilermakers travel to College Park, Maryland, to square off with Maryland on Friday, February 10, with the team slated to have senior night during their final home dual against Northwestern on Sunday, February 12.
The Big Ten Championships will be hosted by the reigning champions Michigan and take place March 4-5 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the Crisler Center. The NCAA Championships are scheduled for March 16-18 and will be hosted for the first time by the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Seven of the eight matchups were already known for the Boilermakers, comprised of the other six Big Ten West schools and rival Indiana. The announcement revealed the Maryland Terrapins as Purdue's eighth and final opponent from the Big Ten.
"The schedule is going to be very tough as usual," said head coach Tony Ersland. "The Big Ten is an incredible challenge every season. It's no different this year and we are very excited for what's to come. Our schedule is nicely balanced, and we have a lot of matches at home which will be great for this young group. That home environment will help tremendously with our new, young faces."
The projected Purdue lineup has five individuals in the preseason rankings according to InterMat Wrestling, and the outstanding Big Ten remains as tough as ever. The Boilermakers' eight conference dual opponents boast a combined 55 ranked wrestlers, including 22 individuals ranked inside the top-10 at their respective weight classes.
The conference slate for the Boilermakers begins just after the start of the new year. Ersland's squad opens Big Ten action by hosting Iowa on Sunday, January 8. The Hawkeyes were the No. 1 team in the country the last time they visited Holloway Gymnasium and will likely be highly ranked once again for this bout.
Purdue will then hit the road for three straight away matches. The road opener comes just across the border in a battle with Illinois on Saturday, January 14. Seniors Parker Filius and Thomas Penola both took technical-fall victories to help the team to a victory over the Illini last season.
The team's first two dual weekend comes next with road trips to Wisconsin and Minnesota scheduled for January 20 and 22, respectively. Purdue battled for upset wins at four different weight classes to grab an 18-14 win over the Gophers last year on senior night.
The Boilermakers return home to host their annual intrastate rivalry match against Indiana on Saturday, January 28. Purdue will look to extend its active winning streak over the Hoosiers to 13 straight after earning a 17-16 victory in Bloomington last year.
On Sunday, February 5, Purdue will play host to Nebraska in Holloway. Ersland and company upset the then No. 9 Cornhuskers in Lincoln last season to give Purdue its first top-10 dual win since 2004.
The final weekend of the dual season sees the Boilermakers travel to College Park, Maryland, to square off with Maryland on Friday, February 10, with the team slated to have senior night during their final home dual against Northwestern on Sunday, February 12.
The Big Ten Championships will be hosted by the reigning champions Michigan and take place March 4-5 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the Crisler Center. The NCAA Championships are scheduled for March 16-18 and will be hosted for the first time by the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.