University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling head coach Heath Eslinger announced the Mocs 2011-12 schedule today. UTC has an exciting slate of nine home dates that include the Alumni Match, seven duals, the 2012 Southern Scuffle and the 2012 Southern Conference Championships.
"I think this is a great schedule and will definitely prepare us for the NCAA Championships," stated Eslinger, now in his third year at UTC. "Having the Southern Scuffle and the SoCon tournaments on our campus is huge, but we also have a lot of other exciting home matches."
The Mocs are selling season tickets for wrestling for the 2011-12 schedule. Season tickets are $58 and include admission to the Alumni Match, the home duals and the Southern Scuffle. This is a savings of $12 off the regular price of admission. Tickets can be purchased on GoMocs.com by clicking here or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627).
"I pushed for us to sell season tickets this year because I think it is something our fans will support," continued Eslinger. "It is just another way for us to be able to show how much Chattanooga supports our program and collegiate wrestling in general."
UTC opens the year with the annual Alumni Match in McKenzie Arena on Saturday, Oct. 15. The regular season begins on Friday, Nov. 4 when Old Dominion visits the Scenic City, followed by a trip to the Hokie Open in Salem, Va., on Nov. 6.
The SoCon welcomes new member Gardner-Webb to the league when the Bulldogs visit the Mocs on Nov. 11. Chattanooga then hosts a pair of opponents that finished in the top-25 at last year's NCAAs. No. 11 Stanford and No. 13 Central Michigan will both travel to Maclellan Gym on Nov. 20. UTC also hosts Ohio on Dec. 12 and travels to Illinois on Dec. 18 to close out the calendar year.
The Southern Scuffle relocates to Chattanooga and will feature seven teams from last year's top-25 in McKenzie Arena on Jan. 1-2. For more information on the Scuffle and the list of participating teams, click here. Daily admission to the Scuffle is $15 for adults and $5 for youth.
The busy new-year continues with a visit from Cleveland State on Jan. 8, followed by a trip to the Lonestar Duals on Jan. 14. The Mocs will then compete in four-straight SoCon duals, beginning at newcomer Campbell (Jan. 20), at Davidson (Jan. 22), at the Citadel (Jan. 29) and home against Appalachian State (Feb. 5).
The Mocs will participate in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals on Feb. 12 in Stillwater, Okla., before closing out the regular season at SoCon foe VMI on Feb. 20. Chattanooga will be the host site for the 2012 SoCon Tournament on Saturday, March 3. The NCAA Championships are set for March 15-17 in St. Louis, Mo.