By Tom Nader

Publisher and Editor

The Ohio High School Athletic Association announced on Thursday morning that it has extended its contractual agreement with the Ohio State University through 2027 for the high school wrestling state championships to be hosted at the Schottenstein Center.

“There is no other place in Ohio that can do a better job hosting our wrestling state tournament,” OHSAA Executive Director Doug Ute said. “Our wrestling state tournament is literally built into the Schottenstein Center. The size of the arena floor allows us to start with 10 mats and have a double-elimination format tournament. And there are enough seats for our growing wrestling community, which now includes the girls state tournament.”

The Schottenstein Center, which opened in 1998, has hosted every OHSAA state tournament since 1999, with the only exception being the canceled 2020 tournament because of Covid-19, as well as the 2021 tournament, which was hosted at three high schools — again because of the pandemic.

The 2025 state tournament is scheduled for March 7-9, the 2026 tournament will be March 13-15 and the 2027 tournament will be March 12-14.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Ohio High School Athletic Association wrestling tournament back to the Schottenstein Center in 2025,” Chief Venue Officer of Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment Mike Gatto said. “There’s nothing quite like seeing our arena filled with passionate competitors, dedicated fans and supportive families, all coming together to celebrate the sport of wrestling. We’ve been proud to partner with the OHSAA for over 25 years on this incredible event, and we look forward to continuing this tradition for many years to come.”

The OHSAA reported that the 2024 state tournament drew 66,285 fans over five sessions, including 14,043 for the finals.