The Gophers wrestling team announced its 2021 schedule Thursday, and it will be a Big Ten-only slate consisting of five dual meets, including a home matchup with top-ranked Iowa, and two triangular meets.
Coach Brandon Eggum's team will open the season Jan. 8 at Nebraska, then travel to Michigan State on Jan. 16 for a triangular with the Spartans and Maryland.
Iowa, rated No. 1 by InterMat in both its dual-meet and tournament rankings, will visit Maturi Pavilion on Jan. 22.
The Gophers, No. 12 in the dual-meet rankings and No. 13 in the tournament poll, travel to Rutgers on Jan. 31 for a triangular with the Scarlet Knights and Purdue.
Minnesota returns home Feb. 5 to face Illinois, travels to Wisconsin on Feb. 12 and closes the regular season Feb. 21 against Northwestern at home.
The Big Ten tournament will be March 6-7 at Penn State. The NCAA Championships will be March 18-20 in St. Louis.
The Gophers are led by top-ranked heavyweight Gable Steveson, a junior with a 50-2 record, and fellow NWCA All-America selection Brayton Lee, a redshirt sophomore ranked sixth at 157 pounds.
The Gophers return seven starters from last season, which ended because of the coronavirus pandemic a week before the NCAA Championships were to be held at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Other Gophers ranked by InterMat are: Patrick McKee, 14th at 125 pounds; Michael Blockhus, a transfer from Northern Iowa, 18th at 149, and Owen Webster, 19th at 184.
