Arlington, Texas — Wrestling meets baseball in a one-of-a-kind event at Globe Life Field as the No. 3 Oklahoma State Cowboys face the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes in one of the most storied rivalries in college wrestling on February 12, 2022.
Bout at the Ballpark will feature dual-match action between OSU and Iowa as well as the senior national teams from the United States and Iran. Competition will begin simultaneously as bouts will alternate throughout the event on two different mats. It will be the first time a senior-level international meet and an NCAA meet will operate in this format.
The match will mark the 55th meeting between two of the NCAA's most decorated programs as the Cowboys hold 34 national team championships, an NCAA record for most titles in one sport for any school, while the Hawkeyes' 24 crowns are tied for third. Oklahoma State leads the series with a 29-23-2 advantage.
The Cowboys have claimed 55 team conference titles, 17 of them during the Big 12 era. They also boast 143 individual champions and 481 All-Americans, both of which rank No. 1 nationally by a wide margin. OSU wrestlers have made 41 Olympic appearances, garnering 11 gold medals,16 total, as well as 19 more medals at the world championship. Oklahoma State took third place in the 2021 NCAA Championships.
Iowa, the reigning national team and Big Ten champion, carries 85 individual titles among its 55 NCAA champions, including seven three-time and 16 two-time winners. The Hawkeyes hold 117 Big Ten crowns and have combined for a total of 207 conference titles. Iowa brandishes 161 All-American wrestlers who have reached All-America status 352 times, including 22 four-time, 40 three-time and 41 two time honorees. The program has produced 40 Olympians who have combined for 11 Olympic and World Championship golds.
“The Oklahoma State-Iowa series is one of the best things the sport of wrestling has to offer," said OSU head coach John Smith. "The history of both programs speaks for itself, and it’s always matched by the intensity on the mat. I’m excited to show this rivalry to a new part of the country and help grow our sport in the process. The chance to wrestle at a first-class facility like Globe Life Field is a great opportunity for our program and our fans. We can’t wait to get to Arlington and are looking forward to wrestling in what will be a great, one-of-a kind atmosphere.”
The event will be the first international competition held at Globe Life Field and will be hosted and operated by REV Entertainment, a subsidiary of Rangers Baseball Express, LLC.
Bout at the Ballpark is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. CT on February 12 and will be streamed live by Flo Sports. Tickets will go on sale at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, October 14 at texasrangers.com/wrestling.