Ohio State then-sophomore Sammy Sasso ties up his opponent during the Ohio State-Rutgers match on Jan. 24. Ohio State won 19-14. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor
After a season in which it competed solely against the Big Ten, the Ohio State wrestling team has announced its non-conference schedule for the 2021-2022 season.
This season will have Ohio State, along with the rest of the Big Ten, scheduling non-conference duals for the first time since COVID-19 impacted the 2020 season.
In 2020-2021, Ohio State will look forward to a full schedule that features four non-conference opponents along with the Ohio Intercollegiate Open and the Cliff Kean Las Vegas Wrestling Invitational.
The Buckeyes finished ninth at the NCAA championships this past March, collecting a total of 46.5 team points.
The wrestling team will open the season on Nov. 7 with a home dual against the University of North Carolina.
The Buckeyes return redshirt-junior Sammy Sasso who competed and lost in the 149-pound NCAA title match to North Carolina’s Austin O’Connor.
But, there likely won’t be a rematch of the two as O’Connor plans to move up to 157 pounds for his final year of eligibility with the Tar Heels next season.
The Buckeyes also return redshirt-seniors Ethan Smith and Tate Orndorff who finished as top wrestlers in the NCAA Championships.
The team will also have home non-conference duals against Notre Dame College Nov. 23 and the University of Pittsburgh on Dec. 12.
The team will also travel to Virginia Tech University on Nov 19.
