The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced that Mizzou will join as a member of wrestling, along with the University of Northern Iowa and Old Dominion University. The Tigers join the MAC with a five-year agreement. Mizzou will compete in only the conference tournament for the 2012-13 season and will participate fully in regular season and tournament action for the next four consecutive years (2013-14 season through 2016-17 academic season).
“I’m very confident that the Mid-American Conference is a great fit for our program,” said head coach Brian Smith. “Over the past several years, some of the nation’s top teams and best wrestlers – both on an academic and athletic level – have come from the MAC, and we are excited to help continue that tradition.”
The addition of the three affiliate members will increase the MAC wrestling membership to nine members with Buffalo, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois and Ohio. With this increase in wrestling membership, the MAC will become the third largest Division I wrestling league in the nation only behind the Big Ten and the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA).
