STILLWATER – Head coach John Smith and the Oklahoma State wrestling program released its schedule for a shortened 2021 season that will consist of 11 duals and a five-team tournament.
To accommodate for a shortened season, most dates will feature multiple matches at a central location.
“It’s great for us to finally get a schedule out,” Smith said. “Obviously it is going to be different this year and a challenge only being able to wrestle one day a week, but we understand that is what we must do to finish the season in the safest manner possible.”
The Cowboys open the season Jan. 10, hosting a quad-meet with Tennessee-Chattanooga, Little Rock and Oregon State coming to Gallagher-Iba Arena. OSU will wrestle Chattanooga and Oregon State before traveling to Little Rock the following weekend for a contest with the Trojans along with a dual against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.
Big 12 matches begin on Friday, Jan. 22, with a road trip to Greeley, Colorado to face Air Force and the event host, Northern Colorado.
The Cowboys will continue their road stint on Jan. 30, wrestling Northern Iowa at 1 p.m. before driving to Ames for a 7 p.m. nightcap against Iowa State. Of note, Northern Iowa is the only opponent on the 2021 schedule who defeated OSU a year ago.
Oklahoma State begins the month of February with its final road trip of the season for the first Bedlam dual of the year on Feb. 7 at 1 p.m., before returning home that night for a home dual with Little Rock at 7 p.m.
The next weekend, OSU will host the Cowboy Challenge tournament, which will consist of wrestlers from West Virginia, Wyoming, Missouri and Central Oklahoma along with the Cowboys. The tournament is set to begin at 9 a.m. with the finals taking place at 1 p.m.
The final event of the regular season will take place on Feb. 21, when the Cowboys welcome Oklahoma to Gallagher-Iba Arena for a 2 p.m. match.
Oklahoma State begins its postseason in early March at the Big 12 Championships in Tulsa where OSU will seek its ninth-consecutive conference title. The NCAA Championships being held in St. Louis, Missouri, will take place from March 18-20.
With the capacity limited to 25 percent in Gallagher-Iba Arena, fans are encouraged to purchase season tickets through the Oklahoma State ticket office. Single-match tickets will be available for sale, but are limited and reserved to the 300 sections of the arena. Three duals and the finals of the Cowboy Challenge Tournament will be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.
“It’s time to wrestle and we look forward to this opportunity,” Smith said. “We hope to see you in Gallagher-Iba Arena on January 10 for our opener.”