UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - July 21, 2006 - The Penn State Nittany Lion wrestling team, coming off a superb season, has released its 2006-07 schedule. Head coach Troy Sunderland's squad will welcome four Big Ten teams as well as Lehigh and Lock Haven to Rec Hall and make a return visit to the prestigious Virginia Duals.

The season begins in standard fashion when Sunderland's squad hosts the annual wrestle-offs on Sunday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. The Pennsylvania Duals serve as the season opener, with the team dual tournament being hosted by nearby Lock Haven University on Sunday, Nov. 19.

Rec Hall will once again stage the Nittany Lion Open, this year on Sunday, Dec. 3. The Nittany Lions open up their home dual slate on Friday, Dec. 8, with a 7 p.m. dual against in-state rival Lehigh. Penn State makes a trek to Long Island's Hempstead, N.Y., and a bout with Hofstra at 1 p.m. Sunderland and his charges return home for the annual dual with Lock Haven on Friday, Dec. 15, at 7 p.m.

After a short holiday break, Penn State gets things going in high fashion in January with a road trip to Cornell on Sunday, Jan. 7. The Nittany Lions will then make a return trip to Hampton, Va., for the prestigious Virginia Duals on Jan. 12-13. The nationally respected dual match tournament features an outstanding field which includes Arizona State, Drexel, Edinboro, Fresno State, Kent State, North Dakota State, Old Dominion, Rider, UT-Chattanooga, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wyoming.

Continuing a torrid stretch against the nation's elite, Penn State opens up Big Ten action with a dual match swing through Wisconsin (Jan. 19) and Minnesota (Jan. 21). The Nittany Lions will then host four straight home conference duals that will give local fans a chance to see the best the Big Ten has to offer.

Ohio State visits Rec Hall on Friday, Jan. 26, in a 7 p.m. dual. Illinois, which qualified ten wrestlers for nationals last year, visits Penn State for a Sunday, Jan. 28, dual at 1 p.m. The next weekend, powerful Northwestern will tangle with Penn State at 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2. Two days later, the Iowa Hawkeyes invade Rec Hall for a 1 p.m. encounter on Sunday, Feb. 4.

Penn State takes a week off before closing out regular season dual action with two Big Ten road matches. The Lions visit Michigan on Friday, Feb. 16, and Michigan State on Sunday, Feb. 18.

The 2007 Big Ten Championships will take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 3-4, at Michigan State. Staying in the Great Lakes region, the 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships will be hosted by the Palace at Auburn Hills in Detroit. The three-day event is set for Thursday through Saturday, March 15-17.

"We are looking forward to another season of outstanding competition," Sunderland said. "The schedule we've created for ourselves is very tough. It will test our team and prepare us for the Big Ten and NCAA Championships. Every year we want to face the nation's best and this year we get the opportunity once more. The Big Ten duals will always challenge us. Our non-conference schedule features local rivalries that are tough and important to maintain. We also are excited to return to the Virginia Duals where we get to face a high level of competition as well."

Penn State is coming off a superb 2005-06 season in which it went 13-4 in duals and 5-3 in Big Ten matches. The Nittany Lions finished a strong fourth at the 2006 Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Ind., qualifying eight for the 2006 NCAA Championships. In Oklahoma City, the Nittany Lions cemented their national presence with a ninth place finish, crowning three All-Americans in the process.

While two-time All-American Eric Bradley has graduated, junior Phil Davis (Harrisburg, Pa.) returns as a two-time All-American himself at 197. Davis was a national finalist last year, posting a second place finish at nationals. Also returning is senior All-American James Yonushonis (Philipsburg, Pa.), who placed eighth at nationals last year. Sophomore Jake Strayer (South Fork, Pa.), who advanced to the 'Round of 12' and finished just one win out of All-America status, returns at 133 as well. Five other wrestlers with starting experience as well as one of the nation's top recruiting classes will bolster Penn State's chances continuing to climb towards the top of the national wrestling mountain.

The complete 2006-07 Penn State Wrestling Schedule is as follows:

 2006-07 NITTANY LION WRESTLING SCHEDULE (as of July 21, 2006) November Sun. 12 WRESTLE-OFFS 1 p.m. Sun. 19 at Pennsylvania Duals, Lock Haven, Pa. TBA December Sun. 3 NITTANY LION OPEN TBA Fri. 8 LEHIGH 7 p.m. Sun. 10 at Hofstra 1 p.m. Fri. 15 LOCK HAVEN 7 p.m. January Sun. 7 at Cornell 1 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 12-13 Virginia Duals, Hampton, Va. All Day (featuring Penn State, Arizona State, Drexel, Edinboro, Fresno State, Kent State, North Dakota State, Old Dominion, Rider, UT-Chattanooga, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wyoming) Fri. 19 at Wisconsin 8 p.m. Sun. 21 at Minnesota 3 p.m. Fri. 26 OHIO STATE 7 p.m. Sun. 28 ILLINOIS 1 p.m. February Fri. 2 NORTHWESTERN 7 p.m. Sun. 4 IOWA 1 p.m. Fri. 16 at Michigan 7 p.m. Sun. 18 at Michigan State 1 p.m. March Sat. 3 Big Ten Championships, East Lansing, Mich. All Day Thu.-Sat. 15-17 NCAA Championships, Detroit, Mich. All Day