Oklahoma State wrestling announces 2017-18 schedule

Oklahoma State will have eight home duals and a trip to Naples, Italy, to wrestle North Carolina State in January as part of its 2017-18 schedule, which was released Tuesday.

OSU’s quest for a 35th team championship begins Nov. 11 in Albany, New York, in a dual against North Carolina in the Journeymen Classic. The next day, the Cowboys will enter a round-robin format in the tournament.

The Cowboys finished second in the team standings at the NCAA Championships to Penn State. OSU returns eight All-Americans this season, including two-time defending 141-pound national champion Dean Heil. The Cowboys posted a 14-1 dual record last season and its fifth consecutive Big 12 championship.

OSU will wrestle Minnesota in its home opener No. 19 at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater. The Cowboys will then head to Fargo, North Dakota, for its Big 12 Conference opener against North Dakota State on Nov. 26.

The Cowboys return to tournament action Dec. 17 at the Reno Tournament of Champions in Reno, Nevada, before road duals against Northern Colorado (Dec. 18) and Wyoming (Dec. 19). The Battle of the Cowboys will take place in Cheyenne, Wyoming, at Storey Gymnasium as part of Wyoming’s state outreach program.

OSU looks to repeat as Southern Scuffle champions on New Year’s Day in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before traveling overseas for the first NCAA dual outside of North America against NC State in Naples, Italy on Jan. 5.

The Cowboys face another Big 10 opponent in Iowa (Jan. 14) on the road before seven straight home duals, including four conference meets (West Virginia, Jan. 19; Iowa State, Jan. 28; Northern Iowa, Feb. 2; and Oklahoma, Feb. 11). The Cowboys close out the regular-season on the road against Big 12 newcomer Fresno State, who reinstate its wrestling program after an 11-year absence, on Feb. 18 in Fresno, California.

For a second straight year, the Big 12 Championships will be at the BOK Center in Tulsa. The event will be March 3 and 4. The NCAA Championships are set for March 15-17 at Quicken Loans Center in Cleveland, Ohio.