PSU Wrestling 2014-15 Schedule

AdminSeptember 17, 2014

5 minutes read

Andrew Alton Out with Leg Injury

Penn State Hosts Hawkeyes at Jordan Center

LHU absent from schedule

UNIVERSITY PARK – The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team has announced its 2014-15 schedule. The four-time defending NCAA and Big Ten Champions will host seven home dual meets this year. With the full home slate predicted to be sold out in advance after season ticket renewals for the third straight year, the Nittany Lions will move one marquee dual meet to the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State’s Big Ten battle with the Iowa Hawkeyes will take place in the BJC in February. A PSU release said it is important to note that every date and time is subject to change as the Big Ten Network has yet to announce its broadcast schedule.

For the first time in some years, Lock Haven University will not be on the PSU schedule. Also Penn State sports information confirmed that fifth-year senior Andrew Alton will miss at least the first semester of his final season.

Alton had sustained a leg injury wrestling this summer. The university said the Central Mountain graduate will be out for the first semester “if not longer.” Alton and his twin brother Dylan have both had to cope with injury-plagued careers at Penn State; both are fifth year seniors this year.

The season begins in sold out Rec Hall with a home dual against in-state rival Lehigh on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. Penn State then makes a two-dual road swing through western Pennsylvania, taking on Pittsburgh on Friday, Nov. 21, and visiting Clarion on Saturday, Nov. 22. Both weekend road duals begin at 7 p.m. Sanderson’s Lions return to Happy Valley for the Nittany Lion Open on Sunday, Dec. 7. The Nittany Lion Open is hosted each year by the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.

The Nittany Lion begin a new Big Ten season by visiting one of the two newest Big Ten members, Maryland, on Thursday, Dec. 11, for a 7 p.m. dual. Penn State then closes out the first semester by hosting Virginia Tech on Friday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. Having won the last four Southern Scuffle titles, Penn State returns to Chattanooga for one of the nation’s premier in-season tournaments on Jan. 1-2 for the 2015 Southern Scuffle. The event is once again hosted by Tennessee-Chattanooga.

The first of two straight ‘split weekends’ begins when the Nittany Lions host Indiana in Rec Hall on Friday, Jan. 9, at 7 p.m. and then trek to Ohio State for a dual on Sunday, Jan. 11, at 2 p.m. Penn State visits new Big Ten foe Rutgers on Friday, Jan. 16, for a 7 p.m. dual and then returns home to host Purdue on Sunday, Jan. 18, at 1 p.m.

Penn State hosts Minnesota on Sunday, Jan. 25, at 2 p.m. The Nittany Lions hit the road for a road swing through Michigan for the second straight year. Penn State is at Michigan on Friday, Jan. 30, at 7 p.m. and at Michigan State on Sunday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m.

The Iowa Hawkeyes will visit Penn State on Sunday, Feb. 8, for this year’s BJC Dual. The Nittany Lions and Hawkeyes will tangle at 2 p.m. Last year, Penn State set a new NCAA single-dual attendance record when it hosted Pittsburgh in the BJC. Nearly 16,000 fans (15,996) filled the venue on Dec. 8, 2013, to watch Penn State down Pitt 28-9. It set both a new NCAA single-dual record as well as an all-time Penn State attendance record for an athletic event in the BJC. The Iowa dual is the last of nine regular season Big Ten duals. With the addition of Rutgers and Maryland to the conference, each wrestling team now competes in nine conference duals per year, up from eight in prior seasons.

With the Big Ten dual season complete, the Nittany Lions will trek to Stillwater, Okla., to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 3 p.m. (2 p.m. Central). The Nittany Lions then close out the dual meet season in Rec Hall, hosting Rider on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m.

Penn State begins post-season action at the 2015 Big Ten Wrestling Championships. This year’s two-day event runs Saturday-Sunday, March 7-8, and will be hosted by Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. The tournament serves as the national qualifier for all 14 Big Ten teams. The 2015 NCAA Championships are set for March 19-21, at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Mo.

Once again, the full season of Rec Hall duals is predicted to be sold out on a season-ticket basis but single dual standing room only tickets will be made available. This year’s season ticket package features seven duals (including the Iowa dual in the BJC). Information on season ticket renewals will be arriving to season ticket holders very soon. The sales of SRO tickets for the Rec Hall duals as well as the general public sale for the BJC dual against Iowa will begin in October with an announcement on details and instructions being made at that time.

Fans unable to purchase season tickets due to ongoing demand are encouraged to contact the Penn State ticket office to be placed on the growing waiting list. The public may call 1-800-NITTANY for all questions regarding Penn State wrestling and to be placed on the season ticket waiting list. Please note that the Nittany Lion Open is not part of the season ticket package.

The full 2014-15 Penn State Wrestling Schedule is as follows:

NOVEMBER
Sun.            9         LEHIGH                                                     2 p.m.
Fri.            21         at Pittsburgh                                                7 p.m.
Sat.           22         at Clarion                                                     7 p.m.
DECEMBER
Sun.            7         NITTANY LION OPEN                       8:30 a.m.
Thur.         11         at Maryland*                                               7 p.m.
Fri.            19         VIRGINIA TECH                                      7 p.m.
JANUARY
Thu.-Fri. 1-2         Southern Scuffle, Chattanooga, Tenn.     All Day
Fri.              9         INDIANA*                                                7 p.m.
Sun.          11         at Ohio State*                                             2 p.m.
Fri.            16         at Rutgers*                                                  7 p.m.
Sun.          18         PURDUE*                                                  1 p.m.
Sun.          25         MINNESOTA*                                          2 p.m.
Fri.            30         at Michigan*                                               7 p.m.
FEBRUARY
Sun.            1         at Michigan State*                                      2 p.m.
Sun.            8         IOWA* (BJC)                                             2 p.m.
Sun.          15         at Oklahoma State                                       3 p.m.
Sun.          22         RIDER                                                        2 p.m.
MARCH
Sat.-Sun. 7-8         Big Ten Championships, Columbus, Ohio Times TBA
Sat. 7         Session 1 — Opening Round
Session 2 — Semifinals
Sun. 8         Session 3 — Consolation, 7th place bouts
Session 4 — Championship Finals, 3rd and 5th
Thur.-Sat. 19-21     NCAA Championships, St. Louis, Mo. Times TBA
Thur. 19         Session 1 — 1st Round
Thur. 19         Session 2 — 2nd Round/Consolations
Fri. 20         Session 3 — Quarterfinals/Consolations
Fri. 20         Session 4 — Semifinals/All-America Round
Sat. 21         Session 5 — Medal Rounds
Sat. 21         Session 6 — Championship Finals