The Mid-American Conference (MAC) announced on Wednesday that the Missouri Tigers will be joining the conference in wrestling. Also joining Missouri in the MAC are Northern Iowa and Old Dominion. The Tigers will begin competing in the MAC during the 2012-2013 conference tournament, and begin regular-season competition in 2013-2014. Missouri's agreement with the MAC is for five years.
Missouri athletic director Mike Alden was enthusiastic about the move, stating:
We're honored that the University of Missouri will have an opportunity to compete in the Mid-American Conference as an affiliate member. The MAC is a highly respected conference and this provides our program the opportunity to continue competing at a very high level. Head Coach Brian Smith has built one of the nation's elite programs and we look forward to seeing them continue towards a National Championship as a member of the MAC.
Missouri won the Big 12 tournament title in 2012 for the first time in program history, and sent 12 wrestlers to the NCAA tournament, which was both the most in the nation, as well as a program record. The Tigers ended the season ranked 26th.