MPSSAA Wrestling Championships Moving to Salisbury Beginning in 2027

The Wicomico Civic Center will host Maryland's public high school wrestling state championships for at least three years, marking the first time the event has been held on the Eastern Shore.

The Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury will host the 2026-27 Maryland Public Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) State Wrestling Tournament. | Wicomico Civic Center

Maryland's public high school wrestling championships are headed to the Eastern Shore for the first time.

According to the Baltimore Sun, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) has selected the Wicomico Civic Center in Salisbury as the new home of its state wrestling championships beginning in 2027.

The two-day tournament is scheduled for March 5-6, 2027, and will bring together nearly 800 wrestlers from more than 200 public high schools across Maryland.

The agreement calls for Wicomico County to host the championships through 2029, with an option to extend the partnership.

Growing Event Finds a New Home

The wrestling championships have been held at Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro since 2016 after previously spending more than a decade at Cole Field House in College Park.

MPSSAA Executive Director Andy Warner said the move reflects the continued growth of high school wrestling across Maryland.

"The MPSSAA state wrestling championships have seen rapid participation growth over the last five years across our three divisions," Warner said in a statement shared by Wicomico County Tourism and published by The Sun. "We believe the Wicomico Civic Center and the Wicomico County area offer a tremendous opportunity to elevate the wrestling championships and showcase the sport's top high school athletes."

The move also marks just the second MPSSAA state championship event to be hosted on the Eastern Shore, joining the state field hockey championships at Washington College.

Economic Boost for the Eastern Shore

According to a Wicomico County Tourism news release cited by the Baltimore Sun, local officials estimate the championships will generate approximately $1.5 million annually in economic impact through hotel stays, restaurants and other visitor spending.

Tourism Manager Justin Polizzi said hosting one of the state's largest high school sporting events aligns with the county's commitment to youth sports tourism.

"It's a really big honor," Polizzi said. "For the MPSSAA to trust us to bring the championship to Wicomico County and the Eastern Shore, it's a huge honor and a huge privilege to be able to host this type of event."

With wrestling participation continuing to rise statewide, the move gives one of Maryland's premier high school championships a larger stage while bringing the event to a new region of the state for the first time.

The first day of wrestling practice for the 2026-27 season is Nov. 14. Competitions can begin on Dec. 4 and Feb. 6 is the last play date for state duals seeding. Regional duals competitions will take place Feb. 9-11 with the state semifinals and finals taking place on Feb. 13. Regional tournaments are scheduled Feb. 26-27.