High school wrestling: What are the nation's best venues to watch a meet?

From sparkling new facilities to dusty old barns, here are some of the top places to watch tournaments and dual meets in 2022-23

There are many spectacular facilities to watch high school wrestling from coast to coast.

SBLive set out to find the best venues, big or small, to witness action on the mat.

Related: Vote for the best pound-for-pound high school wrestler in the nation in 2022-23?

Here are 15 venues that stand out:

Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City (New Jersey)

Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey March 2-4 / Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Located on the historic Atlantic City Boardwalk, Boardwalk Hall has hosted the NJSIAA State Wrestling Championships since 2002. The venue opened in 1929 and contains the world’s largest musical instrument, a pipe organ that is more powerful than a dozen orchestras. The state championships drew a three-day attendance of 41,971 in 2019.

Bob Carpenter Center, Newark (Delaware)

Nicknamed “The Bob,” the 5,100-seat facility on the University of Delaware Campus has hosted the Beast of the East since 1997. The Beast of the East began in 1993 and has become one of the country’s premier high school wrestling tournaments.

Canon-McMillan High School, Canonsburg (Pennsylvania)

Pennsylvania may be the most wrestling-obsessed state in the nation, and Canon-McMillan has a storied history of success on the mat. The Class 3A power also hosts the prestigious Powerade Wrestling Tournament, which had a record 70-team field for its 56th edition last December.

CHI Health Center, Omaha (Nebraska)

Formerly the Qwest Center in Omaha, the CHI Health Center plays host to the Nebraska state high school wrestling championships / JonClee86, Wikimedia Commons

Home of the NSAA State Wrestling Championships since 2006, CHI Health Center is a beautiful facility in downtown Omaha that hosted the Division I Wrestling Championships back in 2010. The 2006 state tournament drew more than 50,000 spectators over three days, and attendance has remained strong throughout the years since.

Clovis High School, Clovis (California)

Clovis High School hosts the Doc Buchanan meet in 2014 / "2014 Doc Buchanan" by jrsachs is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

A longtime state power in California, Clovis has had plenty of intense battles with crosstown rival Buchanan High School. Clovis also hosts the annual Doc Buchanan tournament, which boasts one of the strongest fields of any tournament in the state.

1st Summit Arena, Johnstown (Pennsylvania)

Better known as Cambria County War Memorial Arena, the intimate venue is the home of the PIAA Southwest Regional Wrestling Tournament. 1st Summit Arena has hosted many famous musical acts and political rallies over the years, and was a filming location for the 1970s cult classic movie Slap Shot.

Giant Center, Hershey (Pennsylvania)

The Giant Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  / Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Another Pennsylvania staple, Giant Center is the venue for the PIAA Individual Wrestling Championships. The massive 10,500-seat facility will be bustling for this year’s tournament, which runs March 9 to 11 in Hershey.

Jack Stephens Center, Little Rock (Arkansas)

The arena draws crowds from all across Arkansas for state wrestling every winter / Photo by Tommy Land

Located on the campus of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Jack Stephens Center has hosted the AAA State Wrestling Championships since 2008. The tournament is run by former Oklahoma State star Pat Smith, a National Wrestling Hall of Fame member who was the first four-time NCAA champion.

Jim Norick Arena, Oklahoma City (Oklahoma)

The historic facility, which hosts the Oklahoma State Wrestling Championships, sits in the middle of the OKC Fairgrounds. Jim Norick Arena will be the site of two more state tournaments before its scheduled demolition in 2024. The final plans for a new arena at the OKC Fairgrounds were approved last summer.

Mechanics Bank Arena, Bakersfield (California)

The third and final day of competition in the 2022 CIF State Wrestling Championships at Mechanics Bank Arena on Feb. 27, 2022  / Photo by Joe Bergman

The downtown arena hosts the CIF State Wrestling Championships, arguably the toughest state tournament in the country. There is only one state champion crowned per weight class for the entire state, making a California state title worth its weight in gold.

Tacoma Dome, Tacoma (Washington)

Wrestlers compete at the 2022 Mat Classic in Tacoma, Washington, an all-classification state championship meet that has long taken place at the Tacoma Dome / Photo by Vince Miller

Inspired by the now-demolished King Dome, the Tacoma Dome is a 21,000-seat facility in downtown Tacoma that hosts numerous events each year. One of them is the WIAA State Wrestling Championships, known locally as the Mat Classic.

The Dome, Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio)

The Dome in Cuyahoga Falls, hosting a basketball game Sunday, is a premier wrestling venue / Photo by Ryan Isley, SBLive

The recently-renovated gym is the home of Walsh Jesuit High School, a historic power in Ohio wrestling. The school also hosts the Walsh Jesuit Ironman, which has become the premier high school tournament in the United States. The 28th Ironman was held in December.

Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Portland (Oregon)

OSAA state wrestling is hosted where the Trail Blazers won the 1977 NBA Championship / Photo by Taylor Balkom

The original home of the Portland Trail Blazers, Veterans Memorial Coliseum sits next door to the Moda Center. The charming facility hosted every OSAA State Wrestling Championships between 2008 and 2020, and will once again be filled to the brim this February for the state of Oregon’s top high school wrestling event.

Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines (Iowa)

The Wells Fargo Arena hosts the Iowa state championship wrestling meet / Photo by Matthew Putney, SBLive

Iowa’s capital city hosts the IHSAA State Wrestling Tournament, one of the top-attended amateur wrestling events in the country. The Iowa Hawkeyes have led the NCAA in attendance for each of the past 15 years, and the Iowa State Cyclones are also one of the most-supported programs. The Hawkeye State’s love for wrestling extends to the high school level.

Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul (Minnesota)

The Xcel Energy Center hosts MSHSL state wrestling every year / Photo by AlexiusHoratius, Wikimedia Commons

Minnesota is another wrestling-crazed state, and the MSHSL Wrestling State Tournament is a can’t-miss event in the Upper Midwest. The Xcel Energy Center was built for the Minnesota Wild and holds nearly 18,000 spectators.