Wrestling

UW-La Crosse Selected To Host 2027 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships

**Release courtesy of UW-La Crosse Sports Information

LA CROSSE, Wis.--The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced today the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has been awarded the bid to host the 2027 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. 
 
The wrestling championships, to be held at the La Crosse Center in downtown La Crosse, will occur on March 12-13, 2027.  It will mark the sixth time UW-La Crosse has hosted the NCAA III Wrestling Championships (2011, 2012, 2017, 2021, 2024, 2027). 

"We're so excited to host the NCAA Championships again in 2027," said UWL Head Wrestling Coach Dave Malecek.  "There is no better place to have the championships than downtown La Crosse. The La Crosse Center is an amazing facility that is so convenient not only for the wrestlers and coaches but all of the fans. We appreciate the continued support from our amazing downtown businesses and local hotels that help make this championship possible."

UW-La Crosse placed third at the 2011 and 2024 NCAA Division III Championships at the La Crosse Center, fourth in 2012 and tied for 11th in 2017. 
 
The 2021 championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 public health threat. 

The 2026 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships will take place at UW-La Crosse's Roger Harring Stadium at Veterans Memorial Field Sports Complex on May 21-23.  It will mark the fifth time (1986, 1997, 2013, 2018, 2026) UW-La Crosse has hosted the national championships.  The three-day meet is the largest single site for number of competitors in any of the championships hosted by the NCAA Division III.
 
UW-La Crosse has hosted several other national competitions, including the 1995 NCAA III Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships.

The university has served as the host of the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Division III Championships on four different occasions (1989, 1997, 2005, 2015). UW-La Crosse hosted the 1973, 1976 and 1981 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Gymnastics Championships and the 1965 and 1970 NAIA Men's Swimming Championships. 

UW-La Crosse has also hosted numerous games in the NCAA Division III Football Playoffs (1991-93, 1995-96, 1999, 2003-04, 2006, 2023-24), the NCAA Division III Baseball (2015-16, 2023-25) and Softball (2017) Regionals and matches for the NCAA Division III Volleyball (1982-86, 2003-04) and Soccer (2017-18, 2022-23) Tournaments.
 
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