The South Dakota State University wrestling is scheduled to host nine home events during the upcoming 2017-18 campaign, including four duals against squads that finished in the top 20 nationally last season.
The Jackrabbits, who finished 16th at the NCAA Championships and 19th in the final NWCA/USA Today Division I poll, are slated to open their home schedule Nov. 5 by hosting the Warren Williamson/ Daktronics Open at Frost Arena. The Warren Williamson/Daktronics Open has developed into one of the top early season collegiate tournaments in the country and featured nationally ranked wrestlers from SDSU, Arizona State, Minnesota and Nebraska in 2016.
Home duals begin Nov. 17, when the Jackrabbits host Minnesota. The Golden Gophers, who were seventh at the NCAA Championships and 12th in the final 2017 poll, edged SDSU, 18-17, in dual action last season in Minneapolis.
SDSU will welcome Oklahoma State to Brookings for a dual Dec. 1. The defending Big 12 Conference champion Cowboys finished second in the NWCA/USA Today rankings and placed third at the 2017 NCAA Championships following a 14-1 dual season.
A week later, on Dec. 8, the Jackrabbits will square off against Central Michigan – a squad that posted a 9-3 dual record and completed the 2016-17 season with a national ranking of 17th.
Following a break from competition around the holidays, SDSU will ring in the new year with a home dual Jan. 5 versus Oregon State of the Pac-12 Conference.
The Jackrabbits resume Big 12 Conference dual action Jan. 18 against Wyoming, then host the University of Northern Iowa three days later. UNI was ranked 14th in the final NWCA/USA Today poll last season.
SDSU wraps up the home dual season against two more Big 12 opponents, hosting Iowa State on Feb. 4 and North Dakota State on Feb. 16.
The Jackrabbits recorded a 14-5 dual mark during the 2016-17 season, including an 8-1 record in the Big 12 Conference. SDSU later tallied a third-place finish at the Big 12 Conference Wrestling Championship and sent five wrestlers to NCAA Championships, with Seth Gross (runner-up at 133 pounds) and Alex Kocer (eighth at 149 pounds) becoming the program’s first All-Americans in the Division I era.
