Big Changes Announced for New Jersey High School State Wrestling

For almost 100 years, Wrestling has been one of the most popular High School Interscholastic Sports in the United States. The sport saw its biggest growth in the decades after World War Two, thanks to the post-war Baby Boom.

New Jersey has its own unique High School Wrestling History. State HS Wrestling Championships date back to 1934 and various venues around the state have hosted the "State Mat Tournaments".

After being hosted at Rutgers University from 1959-1965, the next longest tenure for a State Wrestling Tournament was Jadwin Gym at Princeton University. But from 1970 to 1990, the popularity of high school wrestling became so massive that the sport outgrew the collegiate gymnasium.

The New Jersey State High School Wrestling Tournament first came to Atlantic City in 1991. Aside from 2000 and 2001, when Boardwalk Hall was undergoing renovations, the State HS Wrestling Tournament has found a home in Atlantic City for the last 35 years.

Changes Coming To NJSIAA Wrestling Tournament Schedule

For the first time in decades, there is a scheduling conflict at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall that will force the New Jersey "State Mat Tournament" to change its schedule starting in 2026.

The annual Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) will be changing the date for their Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments. The new Broadcast Agreement with ESPN will have the Tournament switch to a Thursday-Tuesday schedule with the Championship game on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

This change creates a direct conflict for the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA). With the MAAC Tournament moving their schedule back a weekend, it means Boardwalk Hall cannot host the NJ High School State Wrestling Tournament in it's traditional weekend window.

According to the latest NJSIAA Boys Wrestling Committee Meeting Minutes obtained by 973 ESPN, the Committee Members agreed to make the following changes to the State Wrestling Tournament:

*Individual State Championship will now be Thursday March 12th through Saturday March 14th at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall
*New Jersey High School Wrestling Team Tournament schedule will switch to Monday, February 16th, through Sunday, February 22nd
*NJ High School Wrestling Team District Championships will be Saturday, February 28th, and the Regional Championships are scheduled for Friday, March 6th through Saturday, March 7th

These schedule changes along with the proposal of "an extra week of regular season competition" have not been well received. Sources tell 973 ESPN that several New Jersey High School Wrestling Coaches are not happy about how these schedule changes will impact their season. This will impact practice times and how coaches plan around School Closings, such as President's Day Weekend each February.

Wrestling is one of the most popular High School Sports in New Jersey and has seen growing participation in recent years. Here is a breakdown of the most popular High School Sports in New Jersey: