Penn State 2023-2024 wrestling schedule: BJC match, Big Ten foes featured

The Big Ten Conference has put dates to its previously announced list of home and away opponents for each wrestling team in the league. No. 1 Penn State has a slate that features familiar foes, the Bryce Jordan Center, and more.

Head coach Cael Sanderson’s defending NCAA champions will open the Big Ten portion of the season Jan. 14 when it hosts Indiana. It will host Rutgers on Feb. 12, Nebraska on Feb. 18 and Ohio State Feb. 2. The match with the Scarlet Knights will be at the Bryce Jordan Center. It is the only home dual away from Rec Hall this winter.

“[Wrestling at the BJC] gives new opportunities for fans to see the team, and we want to continue to build our fan base,” Sanderson said last year. “And it’s hard to do that if people can’t get in to watch your matches. We want to make sure we have a big match over there and let as many people fit in there to come watch a match, and hopefully, from there you can hook them and make them wrestling fans and Penn State wrestling fans.”

The Lions will go on the road four times for conference dual meets. It treks to Iowa on Feb. 9. It faces Michigan on Jan. 19, Michigan State on Jan. 21, and Maryland on Jan. 28. Complete time and television information will be released at a later date.

More on the 2023-2024 Penn State wrestling schedule

We can now pair Penn State’s Big Ten dates with its previously pieced-together non-conference schedule.

Penn State wrestling will meet Oregon State during the 2023-2024 season. The Beavers released their schedule for the year over the weekend. And, the Nittany Lions are on it. Head coach Cael Sanderson’s side will invade Gall Coliseum in Corvallis, Ore., on Fri., Jan 5. A match time is not yet available. Neither is any television or streaming information.

The Nittany Lions will go to the Journeymen Classic on Nov. 12 in Bethlehem, Pa. This year’s list of teams coming to the individual and not dual meet tournament includes North Carolina State, Arizona State, Lehigh, Purdue, Long Island University, Lock Haven, Harvard, Franklin & Marshall College, Bloomsburg, Pitt-Johnstown, Buffalo, Sacred Hart, Army, the University of Pennsylvania, and Cornell. The event’s official website will post additional details when available.

Penn State will also be at Army’s Black Knight Invitational on Nov. 19. It hosts Lehigh on Dec. 3, Hofstra on Dec. 10, and then the Beavers on Jan. 5. At least one additional non-conference match should be scheduled before the year begins. It will conclude the season by battling Edinboro.

Also note that the NWCA All-Star Classic, an exhibition event, is at Rec Hall on Nov. 21.

Here are the list of dates we know so far:

Nov. 12: Journeymen Classic

Nov. 19: Army Black Knight Invitational

Dec. 3: Home vs. Lehigh

Dec. 10: Home vs. Hofstra

Jan. 5: At Oregon State

Jan. 14: Home vs. Indiana

Jan. 19: At Michigan

Jan. 21: At Michigan State

Jan. 28: At Maryland

Feb. 2: Home vs. Ohio State

Feb. 9: At Iowa

Feb. 12: Home against Rutgers

Feb. 18: Home against Nebraska

Feb. 25: Home vs. Edinboro

2023-2024 wrestling lineup outlook

Penn State will be favored to win the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments again this year. The Lions lost multi-time national champion Roman Bravo-Young from last year’s lineup. But, they return plenty of highly-successful wrestlers and also added some intriguing newcomers.

Here’s the Blue-White Illustrated projected lineup for the 2023-2024 season:

125 pounds: Robbie Howard OR Gary Steen

133 pounds: Aaron Nagao

141 pounds: Beau Bartlett

149 pounds: Shayne Van Ness

157 pounds: Levi Haines OR MItchell Mesenbrink

165 pounds: Alex Facundo OR Mitchell Mesenbrink

174 pounds: Carter Starocci

184 pounds: Aaron Brooks OR Bernie Truax IV

197 pounds: Aaron Brooks OR Bernie Truax IV

285 pounds: Greg Kerkvliet