CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel wrestling program officially announced the upcoming 2025-26 schedule Tuesday morning, slating the season opener for Sunday, Nov. 2 at the Southeast Open individual tournament with Southern Conference competition igniting on Sunday, Jan. 18 and the SoCon Championship set for early March.

"The 2025-2026 schedule will be a tough challenge for our team," interim head coach Luke Welch said. "We have many guys back from the starting lineup and we will have new faces as well. The team will have an opportunity to wrestle some of the best teams in the country. Going on my sixth season here, this might be the toughest schedule the program has seen."

Following the Southeast Open to open the 2025-26 campaign in early November, the Bulldogs return to the state of Virginia for a trio of head-to-head team matchups at the George Mason Duals on Saturday, Nov. 8. Just a week later, The Citadel serves as quasi-host for the second-ever Throwdown on the Yorktown on Saturday, Nov. 15, squaring off against both Air Force and Maryland in back-to-back duals on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown CV-10, a retired U.S. Navy aircraft carrier anchored in the Charleston Harbor just off the coast of Mount Pleasant, S.C.

The Bulldogs officially launch the home slate later in December, starting off with a dual against Michigan State on Sunday, Dec. 7 before hosting Truett McConnell on Thursday, Dec. 18. The non-conference schedule continues with the NC State Duals on Sunday, Dec. 21 with battles against both the host Wolfpack as well as fellow visitor Buffalo before making the annual trek to Chattanooga, Tenn., for the Southern Scuffle individual tournament, taking on an elite field of competition across a two-day span on Saturday, Jan. 3 and Sunday, Jan. 4.

The Citadel embarks on SoCon play at Campbell on Sunday, Jan. 18 before closing out league competition with Senior Day versus rival VMI on Sunday, Feb. 22, matching wits with non-conference adversary Rider after wrapping up the league dual against the Camels in mid-January while also logging a final tournament appearance at the App State Open on Saturday, Jan. 24. Finally, The Citadel concludes the season at the Southern Conference Championship, a two-day individual competition slated for Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7 in Asheville, N.C.