Per Media Release:
The DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau (DCCVB) and Northern Illinois University (NIU) are proud to welcome the Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) State Wrestling Finals to the NIU Convocation Center. 2022 marks the 23rd year DeKalb County has hosted the event, which were not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The IESA State Wrestling Finals will attract an anticipated 5,000 visitors to the area and contribute an estimated $400,000 to the local economy during the two-day event.
The 2022 IESA State Wrestling Finals will be held at the Convocation Center on the campus of Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, on Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12. Admission for spectators open at 10 a.m. on Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday. Daily admission fees: K-8 and senior citizens – $7.00; Adults – $12.00. Advanced ticket sales will be available through Ticketmaster beginning Monday, March 7th. Additional information about the IESA State Wrestling Finals can be found on the www.iesa.org wrestling webpage or on the NIU Convocation Center website convocenter.niu.edu.
Wrestlers in grades fifth through eighth from across the state will participate individually and in team competition in a two-class format. 250 schools from across the state are participating in this year’s IESA State Wrestling State Tournament Series. The IESA State Wrestling Finals made its DeKalb County debut in 1999 with venerable Chick Evans Field House serving as the host venue. The NIU Convocation Center has hosted the event since 2003.
DeKalb County and Northern Illinois University’s long history of supporting and hosting student-athletes and state tournaments include the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Football Championships, IHSA Boys and Girls Basketball Supersectionals and numerous cheerleading and dance competitions. The DeKalb County Convention and Visitors Bureau is proud of its strong relationship with the IESA and the State Wrestling Finals, and we look forward to welcoming thousands of fans from across the state to DeKalb County the weekend of March 11 – 12.