EAST LANSING — The Michigan State wrestling team finally released its schedule for 2021 last Thursday. 

MSU will have a nine-match shortened season that will only consist of Big Ten opponents. The nine matches will be made up of one tri, one quad meet and four dual meets.

To kick off its much anticipated season, MSU will host a tri-meet with Maryland and Minnesota on Saturday, Jan. 16. The Spartans shut out the Terrapins 36-0 during the 2019-20 season. It had been the first time in 36 years that MSU shut out a Big Ten opponent. 

The Spartans lost their matchup with Minnesota last season in a 25-10 defeat.

Following the home meet, MSU will travel to University Park to take on Penn State on Jan. 24. The two teams did not square off last season.

The Spartan wrestlers will be on the road again when they compete against Ohio State in Columbus, another team they did not face during the 2019-20 season.

In its first meet of February and its final meet of its road stretch, MSU will take on Indiana, Nebraska and Rutgers in Bloomington, Indiana on Feb. 6 in a quad meet. The Hoosiers and Scarlet Knights each defeated MSU 25-12 last season.

To the Spartans’ advantage, they will conclude their final two meets of the regular season at Jenison Field House in East Lansing. MSU will challenge Purdue on Feb. 12, and then end the season against rival Michigan, whom it lost to in 2020 despite rallying back from an early 16-0 deficit. 

Match times and other information is still to be released.

Follow Aidan Champion on Twitter @champion_aidan.