Update on 2020-21 US High School Wrestling Seasons
State-by-State Wrestling Season Guidance
By Rob Sherrill, WIN High School Columnist
The following is a list of the current plans each of the 49 states that sanction wrestling has published for the 2020-21 wrestling season. This list will be updated online (www.win-magazine.com) as new information becomes available.
Last updated Dec. 16, 2020
Alabama – regular season events limited to four teams; dual state tournament week of Jan. 22; individual state tournament Feb. 18-20. Read Return to Play for Winter Sports here.
Alaska – state tournament May 21-22. Read Out-of-State Travel Restrictions here.
Arizona – dual meets only, one match limit per day, out-of-state travel prohibited; regular season ends Jan. 30; boys sectionals Feb. 6, girls sectionals Feb. 13; state tournament not scheduled. Read Winter Sports Modifications here.
Arkansas – limited to 18 events; maximum per event eight teams or 114 individuals; dual meets encouraged; state tournament Feb. 18-20. Read COVID-19 Wrestling Guidelines here.
California – wrestling to move to summer season; wrestling state tournament June 11-12.
Colorado – proposed practice start postponed to Jan. 25, competition to Feb. 1 for Season B, which includes wrestling; seven-week season ends Mar. 20.
Connecticut – start of winter sports season postponed to Jan. 19; approval to contest wrestling TBA; state health department has recommended canceling the 2020-21 season.
Delaware – approval to contest wrestling TBA; approved winter sports to start competition Jan. 11.
Florida – minimum match requirements for state tournament eligibility waived; dual state tournaments Jan. 22-23, individual state tournament Mar. 5-6. Read Winter Sport Safety Considerations here.
Georgia – dual tournaments limited to two teams per mat; individual tournaments limited to 16-man brackets; dual state tournament preliminaries Jan. 22-23, dual state finals Jan. 30, individual state tournament Feb. 11-13. Read Rule Modifications here.
Hawaii – approval to contest wrestling TBA; practices and competitions for all sports on hold. The Hawaii High School Athletic Association is monitoring the public health threat weekly.
Idaho – state tournament Feb. 26-27.
Illinois – wrestling to move to summer season; competition to start Apr. 19, state tournament ends June 26.
Indiana – state tournament Feb. 19-20. Read COVID-19 Resource Center document here.
Iowa – single and double duals recommended; reduction of teams and out-of-state restrictions in tournaments; state tournament Feb. 18-20. Read COVID-19 Guidance here.
Kansas – state tournaments Feb. 26-27. Read COVID-19 Participation Considerations here.
Kentucky – start of practice delayed to Dec. 14, competition to Jan. 4; limit of 15 contests, three per week; state tournament delayed to Mar. 19-20. Read Healthy at Sports Winter Guidance here.
Louisiana – state tournament Feb. 26-27. Read General Guidelines for Winter Sport Competitions here.
Maine – start of winter sports practice postponed to Jan. 4; wrestling to be contested in modified season in late winter or early spring. Read Winter Athletics and Activities Update here.
Maryland – competition to start Jan. 4 by local school district option; state culminating event Mar. 1-13. Read Winter Sports Bulletin here.
Massachusetts – wrestling season to begin Apr. 26; if approved to be contested, it will be outdoors.
Michigan – competition to start Jan. 4 pending Department of Health and Human Services approval; regular season events to be limited to four teams; dual state tournament Feb. 26-27, individual state tournament Mar. 5-6. Read Winter Season Approval release here.
Minnesota – practice to start Jan. 4; competition start date TBA; season ends Mar. 6.
Missouri – districts to be increased from four to eight in each classification; sectional round to be added following district round; separate one-day state tournaments for each classification, with 12-man brackets; dates TBA.
Montana – competition to start Jan. 2; dual meets only; two-match limit per day, events limited to 40 wrestlers; state tournament Mar. 5-6 at three separate sites. Read 2020-21 Wrestling Considerations here.
Nebraska – tournaments limited to eight teams; 18 total dates; dual state tournament Feb. 6, individual state tournament Feb. 19-20. Read Winter Season Guidelines here.
Nevada – approval to contest wrestling TBA. Read Wrestling Return to Competition Guidance here.
New Hampshire – competition to start Jan. 11; state tournament Feb. 18. Read Policies and Procedures for Wrestling here.
New Jersey – wrestling moved to spring season in response to Executive Order 196; practice starts Mar. 1, competition Mar. 16; season ends Apr. 24; post-season TBA. Read NJSIAA Updates Winter Sports Calendar here.
New Mexico – wrestling to move to summer season; state tournament June 14-16.
New York – winter sports state tournaments cancelled, wrestling and other high-risk sports postponed by New York State Public High School Association.
North Carolina – wrestling to move to summer season; limit of 14 duals or double duals, two dates per week; practice to start Apr. 12, competition Apr. 19, state tournament June 26. Read Modified Sports Manual here.
North Dakota – state tournament Feb. 18-20.
Ohio – Ohio High School Athletic Association reaffirmed commitment to start winter sports on schedule; dual state tournament canceled; individual state tournament Mar. 12-14. Read Wrestling Rules Modifications here.
Oklahoma – single duals, in-state and single day tournaments recommended; dual state tournament Feb. 12-13, individual state tournament Feb. 26-27. Read Considerations for Wrestling here.
Oregon – approval to contest wrestling TBA; practice to start May 10, competition May 17; opt-in culminating event in late June (dates TBA). Read Oregon School Activities Association season announcement here.
Pennsylvania – sports postponed until Jan. 4; dual state tournament Feb. 12-13, with 4-team brackets; individual state tournament Mar. 12-13, with 8-man brackets. Read Return to Competition: Individual Sport Consideration document here.
Rhode Island – approval to contest wrestling TBA; winter sports postponed until at least Dec. 21 by executive order issued by Gov. Gina Raimondo.
South Carolina – competition started Dec. 14; dual state tournament Feb. 20, individual state tournament Mar. 5-6. Read Return to Play Winter Sports here; read Spectator/Venue Requirements here.
South Dakota – regular-season events limited to 112 competitors and 12 teams; two competitions per week, four-match daily limit; state tournament Feb. 25-27. Read Winter 2020-21 Rule Modifications here.
Tennessee – dual state tournament Feb. 5-6, individual state tournament Feb. 18-20. Because the site for both tournaments is being used as a county COVID-19 testing center, the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association must secure an alternate site, which could result in format changes.
Texas – competition to start Feb. 15; state tournament Apr. 23-24. Read Wrestling Calendar here.
Utah – 1A state tournament Feb. 12, 2A state tournament Feb. 13, 6A state tournament Feb. 17, 5A state tournament Feb. 18, 3A state tournament Feb. 19, 4A state tournament Feb. 20.
Vermont – wrestling season canceled for 2020-21.
Virginia – practice to start Dec. 14, competition Dec. 28; limit of eight contests; one-day state tournaments Feb. 18-20, with 8-man brackets. Read Guidelines for Return to Participation – Edition 2 here.
Washington – approval to contest wrestling TBA; season to start Feb. 1, state tournament Mar. 20-21 (tentative). Read Return to Play Guidelines here; read Process for Commencing Sports Seasons here.
West Virginia – practice to start Jan. 11, competition Jan. 25; competition limited to duals, double duals and quads with a maximum of 56 competitors; state tournament Mar. 17-20. Read COVID-19 Winter Sports Modifications here.
Wisconsin – individual state tournament Feb. 11-13, dual state tournament Feb. 19-20. Read Alternate Season Guidelines here.
Wyoming – 2A state tournament Feb. 25, 3A state tournament Feb. 26, 4A state tournament Feb. 27. Read Updated Wrestling Information here.