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Down, set, wrestle?

Jul. 28, 2015 2:02 pm, Updated: Jul. 28, 2015 4:25 pm
IOWA CITY - University of Iowa wrestling has captured the attention of its fans and sports fans, in general.
The program's official Twitter account tweeted the date '11.14.15” with the lines of a football field behind it. The post happens to be the day the Hawkeye football team hosts the University of Minnesota.
The tweet created speculation throughout social media that a wrestling dual may accompany the football game at Kinnick Stadium. UI sports information assistant director Chris Brewer and Director of Wrestling Operations Luke Eustice said the Minnesota dual is currently scheduled for Jan. 30. Conference duals are scheduled by the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes also will host the Big Ten Championships in March with the USA Wrestling Olympic Team Trials returning in April.
'We are going to have a news conference to release our schedule next week,” Eustice said. 'With that, we will be talking about Iowa City Duals, any dates tweeted out, the (Olympic) trials, Big Ten tickets and all those things.”
Kinnick seats a little more than 70,000 fans. The venue could help Iowa reclaim the national attendance record for a single dual. Penn State set the current mark, drawing 15,996 fans to the Bryce Jordan Center for a meet against Pitt on Dec. 8, 2013. Iowa had the previous record with 15,955 for a home dual against Iowa State on Dec. 6, 2008.
The Hawkeyes have been involved in outdoor wrestling events in the past. Hawkeye Wrestling Club members Brent Metcalf and Tony Ramos wrestled in a freestyle dual against Cuba in New York City's Times Square earlier this year.
Social media also isn't new for Iowa wrestling promotions. It was used to promote the Iowa-Penn State dual at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in December 2014 after the conference didn't schedule a dual between the national wrestling powers.
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Iowa's Thomas Gilman gives a thumbs-up to the Iowa section after he pinned Cornell's Nahshon Garrett in the 125-pound wrestlebacks at the NCAA Division I wrestling championships at Scottrade Center in St. Louis on Saturday, March 21, 2015. Gilman won by a fall in 6:25, then lost in the third place match against Missouri's Alan Waters. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)