Lincoln ? Seven home duals and hosting the 2010 NCAA Championships highlight the Nebraska wrestling squad’s 2009-10 schedule, which was released Friday by the Husker coaching staff.<?xml:namespace prefix="o"?>
“Nebraska fans are in for a great season of wrestling,” Head Coach Mark Manning said. “Since I’ve been here, this is the toughest first-semester schedule that we’ve had, while the Big 12 Conference is tough and is going to stay tough. This season will allow Husker wrestling fans to come out and watch some great wrestling.”
Nebraska will welcome four opponents to the NU Coliseum that finished in the top 20 at last season’s NCAA Championships, including two top-10 opponents. The Huskers kick off their dual season on Nov. 15 against Wisconsin, who finished ninth, and battle seventh-place Missouri on Jan. 29. NU also faces Central Michigan (14th) on Dec. 19 and North Carolina State (19th) on Jan. 3. Other home contests include North Dakota State, Northern Colorado and Big 12 foe Oklahoma.
“Fans will have a chance to see some of the top wrestlers in the country, including numerous All-Americans and national champions,” Manning said. “There are a lot of good young wrestlers just within our conference. It will be a great challenge for our team.”
The Huskers wrap up their home dates by hosting the NCAA Championships for the first time in the program’s 99-year history. The Omaha Sports Commission and Nebraska will join forces to put on the three-day tournament from March 19-20 at the Qwest Center in Omaha. NU will look to capitalize on the home-mat advantage to improve on its fourth-place finishes the last two seasons.
“Having the NCAA tournament in Omaha is going to provide a great atmosphere and environment for our fans,” Manning said. “All the Husker fans from around the state that come in and cheer on our team give us an emotional edge.”
Manning also mentioned the large amount of work that happens behind the scenes at such a large event.
“We have great administrators here in the NU athletic department,” he said. “I’m thankful for the people we have in place. They help make the tournament a success and allow me and my coaches to focus on our student-athletes. That makes a great difference with our team.”
For its away competitions, Nebraska will continue its tradition of traveling to some of the best tournaments in the nation. The Huskers are scheduled to compete in the Kaufman-Brand Open (Nov. 21), the Las Vegas Invitational (Dec. 4-5) and the NWCA National Duals (Jan 9-10), but also have several other challenging road dates on their schedule.
NU travels to the Journeymen/Brute Northeast Duals on Nov. 28 for the first time ever, before visiting Minnesota on Dec. 13. The Huskers conclude the dual season with tough matchups at Oklahoma State and Iowa State on Feb. 12 and 21, and visit Norman on March 6 as Oklahoma hosts the 2010 Big 12 Championship. Other road foes include South Dakota State, Arizona State and Oregon State.
“They do a great job of promoting the Northeast Duals, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the event,” Manning said. “It’s a great way for us to great three duals in one day against quality teams.”
For a complete look at Nebraska’s 2009-10 wrestling schedule, click on the link above.