Ranked third in the preseason poll released by WrestlingReport.com, the Tigers will likely compete against a minimum of seven teams ranked among the top-25 in the nation. Missouri opens its season on the road, Thursday, Nov. 16, against preseason No. 14 Ohio State.
Returning to the Hearnes Fieldhouse for the sixth consecutive year, Smith and his staff will host the Missouri Open on Sunday, Nov. 19. An all-day event, the Missouri Open attracts nearly 600 wrestlers from 20 teams across the Midwest. In last season's outing, the Tigers captured a program-high five individual titles.
Big 12 competitors Nebraska and Iowa State will travel to Columbia, for duals Jan. 28 and Feb. 11, respectively. Both programs enter the season ranked in the top 20. Missouri will battle with preseason No. 2 Oklahoma State on Feb. 2 in Stillwater, Okla., before traveling to Norman, Okla., for a dual with No. 6 Oklahoma on Feb. 4.
Once again, the Tigers will send a squad to the highly competitive Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Dec. 1-2, in Las Vegas and Southern Scuffle, Dec. 29-30, in Greensboro, N.C. Also in tournament action, the Tigers will make their second consecutive trip to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the Jan. 13-14 National Duals.
Missouri closes its season with a four-dual home streak that leads up to the Big 12 Wrestling Championships, March 3. Northern Iowa (Feb. 9), Iowa State (Feb. 11), Old Dominion (Feb. 14) and Tennessee Chattanooga (Feb. 18) will all make attempts to take down the Tigers in Columbia.
The Big 12 Wrestling Championships return to the Hearnes Center for the second time in 11 years. Missouri last hosted the all-day event in 2003, earning its first Big 12 individual title in Tyron Woodley's 165 pound championship. Along the way, the Tigers recorded their highest Big 12 team finish (second) since the creation of the league in 1996.
The 77th annual NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will run March 15-17 in Auburn Hills, Mich. Missouri returns three All-Americans to the team this season including 2006 National Champion Ben Askren at 174 pounds.
The 2006-07 campaign marks the 63rd year of Missouri wrestling and Smith's ninth season at the helm of the program.
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