BOONE, N.C. — App State Wrestling head coach
JohnMark Bentley on Tuesday announced a 2023-24 schedule that features a difficult SoCon slate and nonconference dual matches against three opponents with top-10 national rankings, including two that are among the four ACC programs facing the Mountaineers this season.
NC State, North Carolina and Cornell are all coming to Boone, starting with the Friday night season opener against the Wolfpack on Nov. 3 in Varsity Gym and continuing with UNC's visit on Dec. 17. And like NC State (No. 3 national ranking to end 2022-23) and Cornell (No. 8), road opponent Virginia Tech finished last season in the top 10 of the NWCA Coaches Poll.
The Mountaineers return starters from seven of 10 weight classes following a 12-2 season in which they earned a No. 20 final national dual team ranking, secured a SoCon regular-season title with an 8-0 league record, posted a SoCon sweep by winning the conference tournament and had six wrestlers qualify to compete at the NCAA Championships.
To purchase season tickets,
buy directly online at AppStateSports.com, contact the ticket office at 828-262-7733 or visit the App State Athletics ticket office located at the Holmes Center.
Season tickets for the 10 regular-season competitions (with two doubleheaders and two tournaments) on App State Wrestling's home schedule are
available for $60 (adults), or at $85 for a premium season ticket with a chairback seat on the floor, close to the mat. Additionally, there's a
$70 mini-pack for matside tickets to the three dates with NC State, North Carolina and Cornell (as part of a doubleheader) visiting Boone.
Families are encouraged to
sign up their children to become members of the Junior Mountaineer Kids Club, an exclusive club for children in eighth grade or below. The cost is just $35 a year, and members receive free admission with their JMKC credential to all home wrestling duals as well as an App State merchandise pack that includes a T-shirt, clear bag, magnets and more. Families with multiple children receive a discounted membership fee after the first child.
A standard single-event ticket is $10, with premium duals
against NC State, North Carolina and Cornell being $20, so season tickets are a great value when multiple trips to Varsity Gym are planned.
The Rivers Street Deck across from Varsity Gym is the most popular parking option for wrestling events, with fans entering the corner of the gym adjacent to the loading dock area off Rivers Street.
Fans attending wrestling events should be aware that Varsity Gym has a clear bag policy for visitors. According to App State's clear bag policies:
- Approved bags include clear plastic bags that do not exceed 12" x 6" x 12" and small clutch purses no larger than 4.5" x 6.5".
- Bags that are not approved include diaper bags, backpacks, binocular cases, camera cases, tinted or printed pattern plastic bags, fanny packs, oversized tote bags & mesh bags, and purses exceeding 4.5" x 6.5".
In addition to annual tournaments like the Mountaineer Invitational (on Nov. 11) and the Appalachian Open (on Jan. 27), App State will welcome four SoCon league foes to Boone: The Citadel, VMI, Bellarmine and Gardner-Webb (regular-season finale in Varsity Gym on Feb. 25). There will be SoCon road trips to Presbyterian, Campbell (Feb. 2 against the 2022-23 runner-up), Chattanooga (Feb. 11 against the third-place finisher from 2022-23) and Davidson.
App State, Campbell and Chattanooga have claimed, in some order, the top three spots in the SoCon standings for eight straight years.
The SoCon Championship tournament will be held at the Holmes Center in Boone for the sixth straight year on Saturday, March 9. Kansas City, Mo., is the site of the 2024 NCAA Championships from March 21-23.
Following the Nov. 3 opener against NC State, App State will compete in four tournaments (The Citadel Open, Mountaineer Invitational, Keystone Classic in Philadelphia, Cliff Keen Invitational in Las Vegas) before hosting North Carolina on Sunday, Dec. 17. The Mountaineers won 19-16 against a ranked UNC team in Chapel Hill last season.
The new year will begin as always with the Southern Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn., before App State travels to Duke (Jan. 8) and Virginia Tech (Jan. 12) during the same ACC-centric week. A visit from The Citadel on Jan. 2 opens the SoCon schedule as part of a doubleheader capped by a match against Greensboro College.
App State ends January by facing Presbyterian and hosting the Appalachian Open before traveling to Buies Creek for a Friday dual at Campbell. The Mountaineers host VMI two days later and hit the road again the following weekend for a Sunday dual at Chattanooga.
The Mountaineers wrestle at Davidson on Feb. 15 before closing the regular season with the Feb. 18 doubleheader involving Bellarmine/Cornell and the Feb. 25 dual against Gardner-Webb. The App State-Cornell matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the Mountaineers and Big Red.
The 2023-24 season is presented by Hungry Howie's and Penn Station.
2023-24 App State Wrestling Schedule
| Date |
Time |
Opponent/Event |
Location |
| Nov. 3 |
7 p.m. |
NC State |
Boone, N.C. |
| Nov. 5 |
All Day |
The Citadel Open |
Charleston, S.C. |
| Nov. 11 |
All Day |
Mountaineer Invitational |
Boone, N.C. |
| Nov. 19 |
All Day |
Keystone Classic |
Philadelphia |
| Dec. 1/2 |
All Day |
Cliff Keen Invitational |
Las Vegas |
| Dec. 17 |
3 p.m. |
North Carolina |
Boone, N.C. |
| Jan. 1/2 |
All Day |
Southern Scuffle |
Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| Jan. 8 |
5 p.m. |
Duke |
Durham, N.C. |
| Jan. 12 |
7 p.m. |
Virginia Tech |
Blacksburg, Va. |
| Jan. 21 |
2 p.m. |
The Citadel* |
Boone, N.C. |
|
3:30 p.m. |
Greensboro College |
Boone, N.C. |
| Jan. 22 |
6 p.m. |
Presbyterian* |
Simpsonville, S.C. |
| Jan. 27 |
All Day |
Appalachian Open |
Boone, N.C. |
| Feb. 2 |
TBA |
Campbell* |
Buies Creek, N.C. |
| Feb. 4 |
2 p.m. |
VMI* |
Boone, N.C. |
| Feb. 11 |
2 p.m. |
Chattanooga* |
Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| Feb. 15 |
TBA |
Davidson* |
Davidson, N.C. |
| Feb. 18 |
11:30 a.m. |
Bellarmine* |
Boone, N.C. |
|
1:30 p.m. |
Cornell |
Boone, N.C. |
| Feb. 25 |
2 p.m. |
Gardner-Webb* |
Boone, N.C. |
| March 9 |
All Day |
SoCon Championships |
Boone, N.C. (Holmes) |
| March 21-23 |
All Day |
NCAA Championships |
Kansas City, Mo. |
* Denotes SoCon Dual
