It's been 338 days since Ohio State's last dual meet, and 316 days since the 2019-2020 season ended — unexpectedly — at the Big Ten Championships.
That's a much longer offseason than anyone would have imagined. COVID-19 not only scuttled the 2020 NCAA Wrestling tournament, but also torpedoed any opportunity for out-of-conference dual meets or open tournaments during the fall.
The Big Ten, as it did with football, opted to contest a conference-only season, wedging nine dual meets into an 8-week schedule. Ohio State gets underway Sunday with a unique tri-meet format, facing ranked opponents Illinois and Wisconsin in Champaign.