Six things to know as Pitt opens the season

[Eric_Knopsnyder]

We're 24 hours away from the start of the Pitt season!
Here are six things to know: https://pittsburgh.rivals.com/news/six-things-to-know-as-pitt-wrestling-gets-started

 

[docpanther26]

Eric, thanks for the great write up. My apologies for maybe a stupid question but why didn't they schedule a CK, Midlands or SS? These tournaments absolutely serve a purpose for iron to sharpen iron.

 

[Ryno53]

Their dual schedule is very tough. Plus the national collegiate duals is pretty much an equivalent

 

[Eric_Knopsnyder]

Eric, thanks for the great write up. My apologies for maybe a stupid question but why didn't they schedule a CK, Midlands or SS? These tournaments absolutely serve a purpose for iron to sharpen iron.

That's a good question. In fact, I asked Coach Gavin about it when the schedule was released. He said that they really wanted to get into the Collegiate Duals, and, as Ryno said, there already will be plenty of competition on one of the nation's most difficult schedules.
Personally, I think a two-day, meat-grinder of a tournament is a good thing to mimic what you'll face at the national tournament, especially since most of the guys in this lineup haven't wrestled at the NCAAs, but they do have back-to-back weigh-ins on three separate times throughout the year.
The wrestling mindset has changed a lot since COVID. Rather than getting guys as many matches ahead of the postseason so that they're battle-tested, a lot of coaches want their guys to be fresh in March, so they try to limit the grind of a five-month season.