Illinois Wrestling: Illini to compete in 4th annual Grapple at the Garden

The Illinois wrestling team will get a sneak peak at what could be in store for them in March.

The No. 12 Illini will compete in the fourth annual Grapple at The Garden dual meet on Nov. 29 at Madison Square Garden, USA Wrestling announced Thursday. A total of 22 teams, including 11 from Division I and five top 20 national tournament finishers from a season ago -- No. 5 Cornell, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 12 Illinois and No. 15 Northwestern -- along with Rutgers and Hofstra, will compete in the event.

Madison Square Garden will also host the 2016 NCAA Division I wrestling championships March 17-19.

Here's the full list of teams: Cornell, Drexel, Franklin & Marshall College, George Mason, Illinois, Maryland, Muhlenberg, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oswego State, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, Wilkes University, as well as local programs Hofstra, LIU Post, Mount Saint Vincent, New York University, Princeton, Rutgers and Stevens Institute. In addition, the club teams from Penn State University, Stony Brook University and SUNY Farmingdale will also be participating.

The Illini open session two at 10 a.m. against Maryland and wrestle against Drexel in session three at noon.