October 21, 2014 | Wrestling
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - University of Illinois wrestling head coach Jim Heffernan has released the squad's schedule for the 2014-15 campaign. Illini fans will have a chance to see the Orange and Blue wrestle in Huff Hall on eight different occasions, including four Big Ten duals. This season's slate also features duals with seven of the top 25 teams in WIN Magazine's Preseason Tournament Power Index.
Coming off a campaign that saw them finish with a record of 11-8, the Orange and Blue will be looking to improve upon last year's win total and eight NCAA qualifiers. Fans can get their first glance at this season's team on Sunday, Nov. 2 at the annual Wrestle-Offs. Action is slated to begin at 1 p.m. in Huff Hall.
The following weekend, Illinois will host the Illini Quad on Nov. 9. Beginning at 2 p.m. in Huff Hall, the Orange and Blue will take on Rider, SIU-Edwardsville and Northern Illinois.
A trip to California is next on the schedule for the Illini, beginning Friday, Nov. 14 and running through Sunday, Nov. 16. A double dual with Appalachian State and CSU Bakersfield will take place at Gilroy High School on Friday, starting at 4 p.m. PT. Saturday, Nov. 15 features a showdown with Grand Canyon University in Lemoore, and the weekend concludes at the Fresno/Roadrunner Open in Fresno on Sunday.
The Illini return to the friendly confines of Huff Hall on Saturday, Nov. 29 for a post-Thanksgiving dual with Lehigh. This contest, set to begin at 11 a.m., is the Orange and Blue's first encounter with a preseason top-25 team, as WIN has the Mountain Hawks ranked 14th.
After a month away from competition, Illinois will return to the mats at the Midlands Championships on Monday, Nov. 29. The two-day event will take place in Evanston, Ill. on the campus of Northwestern.
The turning of the calendar to 2015 marks the beginning of Big Ten season for the Illini grapplers. The Orange and Blue will welcome Rutgers to Huff Hall at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 9 before starting a three-match road trip. The Illini will travel to Indiana (Jan. 11 - 1 p.m. ET), #2 Iowa (Jan. 16 - 7 p.m. CT) and #1 Minnesota (Jan. 18 - 1 p.m. CT) over the course of a week.
Four of Illinois' final six dual meets will be at home. #10 Nebraska will come to town on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m., with Maryland also slated for a 7 p.m. start a week later. In between those two duals, the Orange and Blue will travel to in-state rival Northwestern for a dual on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m.
Following the Maryland contest, Illinois travels to Purdue for a 2 p.m. ET match on Feb. 1. Dates with #17 Wisconsin on Feb. 8 (2 p.m.) and #22 Kent State on Feb. 15 (1 p.m.) in Huff Hall conclude the regular season for the Illini.
On Feb. 21-22, the Illinois grapplers will be competing at the NWCA National Duals in Iowa City, Iowa. Following that competition, they will have a couple weeks off to prepare for the Big Ten Championships, which are scheduled for March 7-8 in Columbus, Ohio. Any Illini wrestler who qualifies for the NCAA Championships will then travel to St. Louis, Mo. for the three-day event, slated for March 19-21.
