Penn State wrestling: Defending champions return to Southern Scuffle

Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson is known for saying the Southern Scuffle is the best test for the NCAA tournament.

Well, when the Nittany Lions released their 2017-2018 schedule Monday, it was no surprise to see they will compete in the Scuffle in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Jan. 1-2.

RELATED: Penn State wins sixth title in seven years

Penn State missed the premiere tournament last season due to schedule conflicts. It snapped a streak of six straight team titles from 2011-2016.

Fans will have to wait until the final month of the season to watch the Nittany Lions take on Iowa in the annual Bryce Jordan Center dual on Feb. 10. The time is still to be determined due to the event being televised. It will start at either 6 or 8 p.m.

Helping wrestlers succeed in life.

That's what @PennStateWrest head coach Cael Sanderson loves most about coaching. pic.twitter.com/gkaMzHwzxg

— NCAA Wrestling (@ncaawrestling) July 19, 2017

Here are some other dates to keep in mind:

– Nov. 9: Penn State opens its season against Army West Point. The Nittany Lions start their year with an unusual Thursday night dual at 7.

– Nov. 19: The Nittany Lions return to the historic Palestra on the University of Penn's campus for the Keystone Classic. They won the team title last season.

– Dec. 3: Penn State travels to Allentown to square off with Lehigh. It will take on the Mountain Hawks inside the PPL Center at 2 p.m. The PPL Center is the home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, a minor league hockey team for the Philadelphia Flyers.

– Dec. 17: The Nittany Lions open the Big Ten dual season. They host Indiana at 1 p.m.

– Jan. 12: Penn State has its first test of the season at Michigan. Fan will have to stay up late as the dual starts at 9 p.m.

– Jan. 28: The Nittany Lions travel to Piscataway, N.J. They get to face off with former Penn State wrestler Nick Suriano and Rutgers at 2 p.m.

– Feb. 3: Penn State hosts Ohio State inside Rec Hall.

– Feb. 18: The Nittany Lions have their final dual of the year against Buffalo at home.

– March 3-4: Penn State travels back to the state of Michigan for the Big Ten Championships. The championships are being hosted by Michigan State in East Lansing.

– March 15-17: The NCAA Championships will be held in Cleveland, Ohio. The Nittany Lions will look to complete a three-peat and win seven of the last eight team crowns.

This article is written by Nate Cobler from Centre Daily Times and was legally licensed via the Tribune Content Agency through the NewsCred publisher network. Please direct all licensing questions to legal@newscred.com.