WIAA moves state team wrestling tournament to La Crosse Center

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) and the La Crosse Center have reached a three-year agreement, moving the state team wrestling tournament to the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, effective in March 2026.

“With the expansion of the state team wrestling tournament format this year and the advent of the state girls team tournament in 2027, this event has actually outgrown the UW Field House’s floor space and warm-up areas,” WIAA executive director Stephanie Hauser said. “The UW staff has created a welcoming environment for this tournament for 19 years. We are very grateful for nearly two decades of hospitality and look forward to continuing to host the individual championships on UW’s campus at the Kohl Center. We are excited to continue to provide the outstanding championship experience for the student-athletes, coaches and spectators with the move to the La Crosse Center.”

In June, the WIAA Board of Control approved an expansion of the state boys team wrestling tournament to increase the qualifying teams in Divisions 2 and 3 to eight teams, equaling the number of Division 1 qualifiers. The new format requires additional mats to accommodate Division 2 and 3 quarterfinals in the tournament schedule. The available floor space in the UW Field House is limited to four mats. An additional two mats will be required when the girls state tournament adds a dual-match format to determine its team champion in 2026-27.

Built in 1980, the venue offers a competition area of 21,000 square feet that can accommodate 8-10 wrestling mats with a seating capacity of 4,537 for the tournament and built-in concession areas. Additional square footage of open space will be utilized for team and warmup areas.

The La Crosse Center has successfully hosted WIAA state tournaments in recent years. The first-ever state girls individual wrestling tournament was conducted in the facility in 2022. In 2021, Divisions 2, 4 and 5 of the state boys and girls basketball tournaments were held at the venue in efforts to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Center has hosted the Bi-State Wrestling Classic since 1982 and has been the home of the La Crosse Catbirds of the Continental Basketball Association and the La Crosse Spartans of the Indoor Football League.

“Explore La Crosse, along with the La Crosse Center, is thrilled to work with WIAA in welcoming the WIAA team state wrestling championships to La Crosse,” Explore La Crosse executive director AJ Frels said. “This premier event will bring student-athletes, families, and fans from across the state, showcasing not only the talent and dedication of Wisconsin’s high school wrestlers but also the vitality of our region as a sports destination. The WIAA team wrestling championships are expected to surpass one million dollars in direct visitor spending, further strengthening the economic impact of sports tourism in the La Crosse Region.”

A state team wrestling tournament with a dual-meet format to determine a team champion in all three divisions began in 1991-92. The first two team tournaments were held at UW-Stevens Point. Then in 1994, the tournament moved to West Allis Central High School where it remained through 2004 when it moved to the UW Field House in Madison in 2005 through the 2024-25 season.

“The Wisconsin Wrestling Association (WWA) is extremely pleased with the forward thinking and commitment to advancing wrestling in the great state of Wisconsin,” WWApresident Chris Hansen said. “The team state tournament will undoubtedly flourish at the La Crosse Center as the arena has proved wrestling friendly for many years. We thank the WIAA for their collaborative approach in all of these significant improvements to our sport.”

The state boys team wrestling tournament, termed the “Meet on the Mississippi,” is scheduled for Friday-Saturday, March 6-7, 2026. The state tournament competition time schedules will be altered to accommodate the change in format. The state individual wrestling tournament is scheduled for Feb. 26-28, 2026 at the Kohl Center in Madison.