At its meeting in October of 2026, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors approved a one-year contract for DeKalb High School to serve as the host the 2027 IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals.
In the time since, the IHSA has become aware of a petition circulating on social media that is seeking to have another venue host the event.
Before we address that, it is important to understand some of the history behind what led to this decision:
July 2020 | IHSA Board approves formation of Individual Girls Wrestling State Series tournament to begin in 2022.
February 2022 (-2026) | The inaugural IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals are conducted at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington in conjunction with the IHSA Dual Team Boys Wrestling State Finals. 507 female wrestlers participated in the State Series that year.
The two State Finals continue to be conducted jointly at Grossinger Motors Arena in 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026 as well. The number of female wrestlers grew to 2,048 in 2026.
December 2026 | Through the IHSA’s annual legislative process, IHSAschools propose and then vote to change the dates of the IHSA Girls Wrestling season. Since 2022, the IHSA girls wrestling season had been held in conjunction with the boys season, in large part because most programs shared coaches and practiced jointly. However, the expansive growth in the sport led IHSA schools to seek to give girls wrestling its own defined season, which they believe will be better for the continued long-term growth and development of the sport. As a part of this change, the Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals and IHSA Dual Team Boys Wrestling State Finals will no longer be conducted on the same weekend.
June 2026 | The IHSA posts and distributes an instructional document for any venue interested in submitting a bid to host the IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals. The IHSA also independently contacts multiple collegiate and independent arenas about potentially hosting but is unable to find any with both dates available. Several express interest in potentially hosting in the future.
October 2026 | After receiving no hosting bids, the IHSA works with DeKalb High School to secure DHS as the host of the 2027 State Finals, with plans to reevaluate the future hosting for 2028 and beyond.
The IHSA currently hosts State Finals in 15 different sports and activities at high school venues, all of which work incredibly hard on behalf of students in Illinois to put on the best experience possible for the students, coaches, and fans. We do not believe that the quality of the event is always contingent upon the size or tenant of the venue.
There are myriad factors that contribute to selecting a State Final venue, but one of, if not the most important, is that the host group is passionate about hosting that sport or activity. Since taking on the State Final hosting duties for Girls Badminton in 2023, DeKalb High School has continually implemented new technology and broadcasting elements to elevate the experience of the event and create unforgettable moments for the participants.
DHS had also previously expressed interest in being the Girls Wrestling State Final host, but had concerns about committing long-term due to the impending retirement of their Athletic Director in June. These were both defining reasons the IHSA approached DeKalb High School about hosting the IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals.
While it was our goal to find a long-term host for the tournament IHSA Individual Girls Wrestling State Finals ahead of 2027 event, we will work tirelessly to make sure that it remains a first-class event wherever it is held in 2028 and beyond.
As we prepare for the season and state finals in DeKalb this winter, we are choosing to celebrate all the positive momentum currently surrounding the sport of girls wrestling in Illinois, including:
- Expanding IHSA Girls Wrestling Regionals (from 12 in 2026 to 24 in 2027).
- Expanding IHSA Girls Wrestling Sectionals (from 4 in 2026 to 8 in 2027).
- Increasing the number of State Final qualifiers as brackets expand from 16 wrestlers to 24 wrestlers this year.
- The first standalone State Final event for Girls Wrestling.
The IHSA will continue to independently evaluate the State Final host venue for each of the 40 sports and activities the Association offers, with the goal of optimizing the experience for the nearly 400,000 students who participate in the IHSA.
We remain excited about the growth of girls wrestling and hosting the 2027 State Finals at Dekalb High School in what we anticipate will be another positive step for the sport!
October 21, 2026
