Mizzou is back in Big 12 ... for wrestling. Program rejoins conference for single sport

Missouri is returning to its Big 12 roots in one sport, wrestling, the school announced on Thursday.

The Tigers, which left the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference after the 2011-12 school year, have competed in the Mid-American Conference for the past nine years. The SEC doesn’t have wrestling.

The Big 12 will join Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and West Virginia along with affiliate programs Air Force, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley and Wyoming.

The teams participate in a regular-season scheduling alliance and compete for the Big 12 Conference championship title with berths into the NCAA Championship. The Big 12 has held its conference tournament at Tulsa’s BOK Center since 2017, and will continue to do so through at least the 2024 event.

Last season, the Tigers ranked fifth in the final 2021 coaches poll. The highest ranked Big 12 team was Oklahoma State at No. 6.

“I never thought that moving back to the Big 12 would be a possibility for Mizzou, but I’m appreciative of the leadership and vision that President Mun Choi and Jim Sterk provide and their willingness to help make this day a reality for our program,” Tigers wrestling coach Brian Smith said.

Missouri won the MAC championship every year in that conference.

The NCAA Championships are scheduled for T-Mobile Center in 2024 with Missouri as the host school.