BALTIMORE, Md. (October 21, 2026) – The Morgan State wrestling team will open its preseason with the fourth annual Blue and Orange Scrimmage on Thursday, Oct. 22, inside Hurt Gymnasium. The event will provide the Bears with an opportunity to fine-tune their skills ahead of the 2026–27 season while giving fans an early look at this year's squad.
Action is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., and admission is free. The scrimmage will feature 10 matchups as the Bears prepare for the upcoming campaign.
MATCH ORDER (Blue Team vs. Orange Team)
"Thursday's intrasquad match is an exciting opportunity for our program. It gives our wrestlers the chance to step out of the practice room, compete under the lights, and showcase their hard work in front of their families and Morgan State fans," said Morgan State head coach Kenny Monday.
"This match is also an important part of our evaluation process as we continue to determine our starting lineup and prepare for the season. We want to see where we stand, identify areas for improvement, and continue building toward our first tournament at The Navy Classic on November 1.
"We encourage the Morgan State student body and the entire Bear community to come out, support our guys, and experience the excitement of Morgan State wrestling. Let's go, Bears!"
Morgan State will officially open the 2026–27 campaign at the annual Navy Classic, hosted by the Midshipmen on Sunday, Nov. 1, at Wesley A. Brown Field House. The Bears' home opener is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 6, when they host duals against American and Liberty.
For the complete schedule, click here.
NOTABLES
• Leading the return of NCAA Division I, Varsity-level men's wrestling to Maryland's largest Historically Black College or University (HBCU), Morgan State University announced the hiring of Kenny Monday as the Athletics Department's new men's wrestling coach, effective Aug. 24, 2022. Monday, the first Black wrestler in history to win an Olympic gold medal, is a National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, three-time Olympian, and former NCAA All-American standout, who brings a championship-level coaching pedigree and an expansive yet impressive resume to a Bears' wrestling program looking to restart after a 25-year hiatus. He joined Morgan after serving as the director of wrestling and head wrestling coach at Spire Academy since 2021.
• Morgan State was wrestling in its first competition in 25 years after the program was reinstated this season, making it the only HBCU with a Division I wrestling program.
• In October 2021, the University announced its plans to revive the men's wrestling program at Morgan State with the support of a $2.7-million gift from HBCU Wrestling (HBCUW), a new initiative reestablishing wrestling programs on HBCU campuses. The gift, which is among the largest received from a private donor to the University, provides funding for the program and supports up to nine full scholarships annually.
• Morgan State is the 12th member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA), the oldest wrestling conference in the nation. The Bears will compete in the newly formed Liberty Division alongside American, Army, Bucknell, Lehigh, and Navy.
• Morgan State wrestling standout Yannis Charles has been ranked No. 30 nationally at 157 pounds in the 2026-27 InterMat Preseason Rankings, adding another distinction to a résumé highlighted by a 2026 EIWA Championship runner-up finish and NCAA Championship qualification. Charles enters his redshirt junior season following a breakthrough 2025-26 campaign that saw him emerge as one of the Bears' top performers against elite collegiate competition. The Clover, S.C., native advanced to the 2026 EIWA Championship final, finishing as the conference runner-up and earning a berth to the 2026 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.
• Morgan State University will make history in 2028 when it hosts the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Wrestling Championships for the first time in program history. The 2028 event, the 124th running of America's oldest wrestling championship, is scheduled for March 3-5, 2028, at Hill Field House on Morgan's Baltimore campus. Final competition dates and session formats will be announced at a later time.
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official website of Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios, and more.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master's degree, doctorate, and certificate programs. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
