The rivalry is fierce, and the billing can’t get any bigger – the No. 1-ranked Minnesota wrestling team versus No. 2 Iowa State.

But Sunday’s dual between the two top finishers at last year’s NCAA Tournament may not be as meaningful as it seems.

Unlike the college football regular season that ends this weekend, the meet doesn’t affect either team’s postseason. Win or lose, both teams will be top contenders at the NCAA Tournament in St. Louis, Mo.

The meet starts at 2 p.m. at Williams Arena in Minneapolis and will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

“We don’t have a bowl game we’re going to because of it,” said Minnesota coach J Robinson. “It’s not going to determine the national championship, so it’s a little bit different. But it’s important.”

The importance of the dual to both teams lies mainly in the matchups between elite competitors across the lineup.

The defending national champion Golden Gophers return nine starters from last year’s NCAA Championship team, including five former All-Americans. Seven Minnesota wrestlers are ranked in the top six, while nine Cyclones are ranked in the top 20.

Both coaches said the dual is a good opportunity to find out strengths and weaknesses early in the season.

Minnesota is the “heavy favorite” to repeat as national champion, according to ISU coach Cael Sanderson, but the Cyclones downplayed the true meaning of the dual meet.

“In the overall scheme of things, outside of bragging rights and those types of things, dual meets aren’t that important,” Sanderson said. “But my mindset and everyone on the team has got to be [on giving] our best effort every match.”

The dual, which is Minnesota’s first home meet of the season, is good for wrestling, Robinson said, and “will get people talking.”

The first Minnesota/Iowa State match of the season took place on Nov. 19 at the NWCA All-Star Meet, when No. 1-ranked sophomore Cyclone Jake Varner (184) won a 2-0 decision over second-ranked Roger Kish of Minnesota.

As time expired in the match, Varner pushed the senior before a referee stepped in. Counting that match, which is considered an exhibition, the two wrestlers are 2-2 against each other.

Varner beat Kish in the NCAA Tournament semifinals, 4-2, in overtime in March. The matchup is one of several highly anticipated confrontations.

“It is going to be a great dual,” Sanderson said. “I think it is going to be heated, and each match is going to be a battle, and that is exactly what we look forward to.”

Varner said he looks at his match “like any other match.” He rode Kish for the entire second period and escaped in the third at the All-Star meet.

“It’s a long season until March, and that is what really counts,” he said.

Varner believes the dual means more than just good experience.

“It just kind of sets the tone for what’s going to happen at the end of the year,” he said. “So that’s what really matters.”

Minnesota has placed higher than Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament eight of the last 10 seasons. The Golden Gophers have won all four duals against Iowa State in the last two seasons after losing three straight duals to the Cyclones.

Minnesota beat Iowa State twice last season. Heavyweight Cole Konrad, a two-time defending national champion, sealed the Dec. 8 dual in Ames with a win in the final match.

Konrad is the lone starter gone from last year’s team. The core of this year’s Minnesota team is a group of three-year and four-year starters.

Robinson said his team knows how good Iowa State is.

“They know what they have to do. They’ve been here,” Robinson said. “It isn’t like these guys are sophomores or freshmen; they have been to the well a bunch of times, so they know what is expected of them.”

The Cyclones will likely start six sophomores, two freshmen and two seniors.

Four of the sophomores are wrestling up a weight and will wrestle their opponent for the first time. Sanderson said he is anticipating those four’s matches as a good test early in the season.

“I’m excited to get to wrestle him,” said 16th-ranked sophomore Mitch Mueller (149) of first-ranked junior Dustin Schlatter. “And to see where I’m at and just go after him and see what happens.”

Freshman Mark Kist (125) and senior Aron Scott (174) will likely start for Iowa State on Sunday. Scott has been overcoming an injury, but has shown Sanderson “that he is the number one guy” at the weight.

Cyler Sanderson (157) may wear a face shield to protect a broken nose he suffered on Nov. 18.

“Cyler is ready to go,” Cael said. “It’s just a little superficial broken nose, nothing big. But he’s alright though.”

Probable matchups

125 – No. 3 so. Jayson Ness (6-0) vs. RS fr. Mark Kist (7-1)

The 5-foot-11-inch Ness will have an interesting matchup with the 5-foot-2-inch Cyclone. Ness finished fifth at the NCAA Tournament last season as a freshman and had a team-high 15 pins.

133 – No. 3 sr. Mack Reiter (2-0) vs. No. 8 so. Nick Fanthorpe (9-0)

Reiter, a two-time All-American, missed the first three months of last season after tearing his ACL, but returned and won two matches at the NCAA Tournament. He was a four-time state champion at Don Bosco High School in Iowa. Fanthorpe was one match away from placing at the tournament last season.

141 – No. 6 sr. Manuel Rivera (10-0) vs. No. 16 so. Nick Gallick (8-2)

Rivera made a quick exit following two wins in the NCAA Tournament after beating 17 of 19 eventual NCAA qualifiers during the regular season.

149 – No. 1 jr. Dustin Schlatter (7-0) vs. No. 16 so. Mitch Mueller (9-1)

157 – No. 4 sr. C.P. Schlatter (7-0) vs. No. 10 so. Cyler Sanderson (8-0)

The older Schlatter is a stocky brawler in contrast to Sanderson, who relies more on speed and technique. Schlatter, like Sanderson, moved up from 149 pounds after his freshman season and will be Sanderson’s toughest opponent at his new weight.

165 – No. 14 so. Scott Glasser (10-2) vs. No. 7 fr. Jon Reader (9-0)

Reader pinned Glasser in the finals of the freestyle junior nationals in 2006. Glasser is competing with 2006-07 starter Tyler Safratowich for the starting role, but has earned the early nod. This could be the first of many meetings between the two rivals.

174 – No. 6 sr. Gabe Dretsch (9-1) vs. sr. Aron Scott (2-1)

Dretsch is a fourth-year starter. Scott is battling for the starting role after moving up three weights during the off-season.

184 – No. 2 sr. Roger Kish (5-0) vs. No. 1 so. Jake Varner (4-0)

There were fireworks off the mat when Varner pushed Kish at the NWCA All-Star meet earlier this month. On the mat, the fifth meeting between the two wrestlers will likely be a tactical, low-scoring affair. Varner made a point of shutting down Kish’s offense in their last two meetings – both wins for the Cyclone.

197 – Sr. Justin Bronson (10-3) vs. No. 18 sr. David Bertolino (7-1)

Bronson has started early in the season, but is in competition for the roster spot with 2006 starter Yula Malamura. Bertolino was also initially wrestling for a starting role, but seems to have earned the job after bumping up two weight classes during the off-season. He has beaten No. 1 ranked (Div. III) Wartburg wrestler T.J. Miller and upset then-11th-ranked T.J. Morrison of Rider.

HWT – Fr. Ben Berhow (6-4) vs. No. 5 so. David Zabriskie (7-0)

Berhow was a top-10 prospect at heavyweight coming out of high school. He is battling with fellow freshman Joe Nord for the starting role. Zabriskie, the Cyclones’ lone returning Big 12 Champion, no longer has to contend with Minnesota’s two-time NCAA champion Cole Konrad, who graduated in the spring.