Rutgers University announced on Jan. 28 that its No. 16 ranked wrestling team will compete in two matches this weekend, first hosting Maryland at Jersey Mike’s Arena on Friday before traveling to face Rider on Saturday in Lawrenceville.
The upcoming matches are significant as Rutgers continues its season with a current record of 8-5 overall and 2-3 in conference play. The Scarlet Knights will look to build momentum after splitting their Big Ten road matches last weekend, defeating Northwestern but narrowly losing to Illinois by criteria.
Friday’s match against Maryland is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus, while Saturday’s contest at Rider also begins at 7 p.m., streaming on ESPN+. Friday’s event is designated as Youth Wrestling Night, with foam fingers available while supplies last. Rutgers has three remaining home duals this season, including upcoming contests against Minnesota and Princeton.
Projected lineups for all three teams were released, highlighting key wrestlers such as Ayden Smith (125), Dylan Shawver (133), Joseph Olivieri (141), and others for Rutgers. All ten starters from the Scarlet Knights appear in the initial coaches’ ranking for the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships, with five athletes ranked within the top twenty nationally.
Historically, Rutgers leads the all-time series against Maryland and has won every matchup since both programs joined the Big Ten during the 2014-15 season. Against Rider, the all-time series is tied, but Rutgers has claimed victory in each of their last ten meetings dating back to 2009.
Looking ahead, Rutgers will host No. 9 Minnesota on Feb. 6 at Jersey Mike’s Arena.