Minnesota will open its Big Ten schedule on Saturday with a “business trip” to Illinois, but Gophers’ coach Brandon Eggum knows that team travel has to be much more than just taking care of business.

It’s more about taking care of each other.

“It's great traveling with these guys. They're young men, and so for some of them, it's the first time going to some of these different universities. But they're great to hang out with,” Eggum said. “You get really close to these guys. I think the sport of wrestling, just working together and training and being with these guys, there's so much involvement with a coach and an athlete that there are pretty strong relationships.

“To go on these trips with these guys, it's always fun; it's really enjoyable,” Eggum added. “You're with guys you really care about. The guys get along really well, and there's always something funny that happens, or somebody messes up, makes some little joke or mistake, and everyone's riding that person. It's enjoyable to go on these trips with these guys.”

There’s work involved, of course; that’s the nature of any sport, especially one as rugged as wrestling. 

“There’s a lot on the line, so that adds its element of excitement, and obviously work and stress or whatever,” Eggum said. “But in general, anytime you're with these guys, even in the practice rooms, it's great; it's really enjoyable. 

“If it was just the wrestling room, I don't know why anybody would ever quit coaching; that's the most enjoyable part of it. There's obviously work outside the room, too, different things I'm sure a lot of people don't love doing, but it's part of the job.”

Down Time Is Over

The #10 Gophers (6-2) are coming off nearly a five-week stretch since their last dual meet and within that was a lengthy holiday break.

“This is probably the longest break that we've had and been able to give our guys for a long time, or as far as I can remember,” Eggum said. “We let the guys have more than a week off to be able to go home and spend that much time. So it's been good. 

“We’re getting in some training. It seems like when the season starts, it's always difficult because you're traveling and competing, and then you're coming home and trying to recover for a couple days and getting right back to work and trying to manage weight and compete again. So the weeks just fly by.”

Upon return, there was limited live wrestling and more drilling and position work and sparring to keep the team “flowing a little bit,” as Eggum said. “We got into working positions and drilling and things that were not taxing on their bodies and joints and some of those things,” he explained.

“We didn't manage their weight as strictly over the break. We let them get their weight up a little bit and kind of let their bodies heal and all that. That was kind of our thought process during that break.”

School remains out of session in Minneapolis until Jan. 14, so a bit more relaxation is available after wrestling sessions.

“That routine is kind of nice. They don't have class, they come in and we have our practices and we work out and lift and all that good stuff, and then they just have a little more time to kind of relax and play games and hang out with their buddies. But if you ask them, they still feel like they’re fairly busy.”

A Taste Of Champaign

Busy the Gophers will be this weekend as they leave Friday for #11 Illinois (7-2). Then it’s home against Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin before a month-ending trip to Iowa.

“This is a big weekend for us,” Eggum said. “The next three, four weeks, we're going to have really good opportunities and tests. “You have to be really smart about the way you recover in the Big Ten, and you have to be really intentional with what you're doing. 

“Let’s hope you have a little luck in staying healthy and managing your weight right and not adding extra stress on your body. We monitor and help them through that. But recovery days when you have this type of competition in the Big Ten are important.”

Eggum believes the match at Illinois will be close enough that it will come down to bonus points. 

“You have to win the ones you’re supposed to win and if you can come out on top in the toss-up ones, that’s going to decide the dual,” he said.

Key bouts on Saturday appear to be at 141, 157, 165 and heavyweight.

Another Good Gopher Heavyweight

Redshirt freshman Koy Hopke, now ranked #9, won the weekend Soldier Salute in Coralville, Iowa.

“The thought was to get him some more experience since he missed last season with an injury. “He just keeps getting better as he's been wrestling more and more,” Eggum said.

Minnesota legitimately can be called Heavyweight U because of its past history of champions such as Gable Steveson, Tony Nelson and Cole Konrad. And Hopke, Eggum said, gets to work out with Steveson, Trent Hillger and Hayden Zillmer as well.

“Obviously, there’s been a lot of success here,” Eggum said. “Heavyweights hear that same thing — Heavyweight U — and it’s appealing to them and when they get here they recognize that they have really good partners to help push and develop and learn from. Those guys that I mentioned all do a really good job of working with these guys. I think that's part of it.

“We have a really good system here for heavyweights and the fact that we treat them a little different and train them a little different.”