The weather in the Northeast has been frightful, even causing changes to schedules and formats for last weekend’s Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference Divisional Class Wrestling Tournaments.

None of the chaos changed the ultimate goal, however, which was to qualify for the 2026 CIAC State Open & Girls’ Championship Wrestling Tournaments on Feb. 27-28.

After braving the cold and battling a blizzard, perhaps facing the best of the best from across Connecticut this season won’t seem so daunting. 

We’ll find out for sure this week at the recently renovated Floyd Little Athletic Center in New Haven, Connecticut, where two days of wrestling will end with a new crop of state champions.

Oh, and all of the action from the 2026 CIAC Open State Championship and 2026 CIAC Girls State Championship will be broadcast live on FloWrestling and the FloSports app. 

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The structure of CIAC wrestling includes four classifications that are based on enrollment for grades 9-12. The placement of schools for this season was based on male enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year and actual entries from the year before. 

The four divisions of competition for Connecticut are Class LL (697 students and above), Class L (524-696), Class M (364-523) and Class S (up to 363).

From last week’s four divisional meets, the top six finishers in each weight class now get to see their seasons continue in New Haven.  

The four divisional champions will be seeded according to state seeding placement points and state seeding criteria. Each weight class then will be bracketed based upon the placement of the four divisional winners.

In Connecticut, girls participate in the regular season as members of the wrestling team at their schools, and they’re able to represent their schools at the divisional events. 

Girls who finish in the top six places at the divisional tournaments will have the option of representing their schools in the Open State Championship or competing in the Girls’ Invitational Tournament – but not both. 

Entry into the girls-only state event is based on past performance at the tournament, placing at this year’s divisional meets, by defeating a state champion or divisional placer from last season or by placing in any sanctioned CIAC girls tournament during the current season.

Teams are allowed one girl per weight class at the state invitational. 

As you prepare to watch the 2026 CIAC State Open & Girls’ Championship Wrestling Tournaments, here's everything you need to know, including links to the brackets:

About The Floyd Little Athletic Center

The Floyd Little Athletic Center recently reopened after the start of a $9 million renovation process that included a new hardwood floor, replaced rubberized running track, digital scoreboard over the court and two additional scoreboards over the bleachers.

A second phase of the process will be renovations to the entrance, concessions areas, restrooms and bleachers. 

What Else Is On The Line This Week?

The top five boys and top three in each weight class will advance to the New England Interscholastic Wrestling Championships at the Providence Career and Technical Academy on March 7-8.

The event includes standout performers from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

This year’s New England Wrestling Championships will be the 61st edition of the event, and the weekend will include the third annual Girls’ New England Championship.

What Are The Weight Classes For High School Wrestling In Connecticut?

• Boys: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285
• Girls: 100, 107, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 165, 185, 235, 285

2026 CIAC State Open & Girls’ Championship Wrestling Tournaments Brackets

Here’s where you’ll be able to find the brackets for the 2026 CIAC Open State Championship and 2026 CIAC Girls State Championship: 

• 2026 CIAC Open State Championship Brackets Can Be Found Here
• 2026 CIAC Girls State Championship Brackets Can Be Found Here

How To Watch The 2026 CIAC State Open & Girls’ Championship Wrestling Tournaments

Live coverage of the 2026 CIAC State Open & Girls’ Championship Wrestling Tournaments on Feb. 27-28 will be broadcast on FloWrestling and the FloSports app, with news, notes, stats and more available on both platforms.

Watch here: 2026 CIAC Open State Championship | 2026 CIAC Girls State Championship

Archives will be available immediately following the conclusion of each match.

If you’re going to be in the area and want to catch the action in person, click here for spectator and ticket information.

What Are The Four Divisions In CIAC Wrestling, And Where Were The Divisional Events?

The four divisions of competition for Connecticut are Class LL (697 students and above), Class L (524-696), Class M (364-523) and Class S (up to 363), and the locations for the 2026 CIAC Divisional Class Wrestling Tournaments were as follows:

• Class LL – Trumbull High School
• Class L – Wilton High School
• Class M – Guilford High School
• Class S – Killingly High School

2026 CIAC State Open & Girls’ Championship Wrestling Tournaments Schedule

Here’s a look at when everything is going down in Connecticut:

All Times Eastern

Friday, Feb. 27

• Noon-1 p.m. – Registration & Weight Check 
• 1 p.m. – Weigh-ins/nail check/skin check by weight class
• 2:15 p.m. – Coaches meeting/Scratch meeting
• 2:30 p.m. – Doors open for spectators
• 3 p.m. – Welcome, presentation of divisional OW awards, national anthem
• 3:15 p.m. – Championship Round of 32 (about 100 matches, six mats)
• 4:45 p.m. – Championship Round of 16 (112 matches, six mats)
• 6:30 p.m. – Round 1 Consolations (about 100 matches, six mats)
• 8 p.m. – Championship Quarterfinals (56 matches, four mats) & Round of 8 Consolations (56 matches, two mats)
• 9:30 p.m. – Estimated finish time

Saturday, Feb. 28

• 8:30 a.m. – School opens 
• 8:30-9 a.m. – Weight check
• 9:15 a.m. – Weigh-ins by weight class
• 10 a.m. – Round of 8 Consolations (56 matches, four mats)
• Noon – Championship Semifinals (28 matches, two mats)
• Noon – Consolation Quarterfinals (28 matches, two mats)
• 2 p.m. – Consolation Semifinals (28 matches, four mats)
• 2:45 p.m. – Third- and Fifth-Place matches (28 matches, four mats)
• 4 p.m. – Parade of Past Champions; finalist introductions, national anthem
• 4:15 p.m. – Championship Finals; Awards
• 6:45 p.m. – Estimated finish time

Who Won At The 2025 CIAC State Open & Girls’ Championship Wrestling Tournaments?

• Girls – Trumbull
• Class LL – Fairfield Warde
• Class L – Xavier
• Class M – Foran
• Class S – Killingly
• Open – Xavier

Did You Know: This Year’s CIAC Tournaments Have Been Dedicated To....

From ciac.fpsports.org:

This year’s state tournaments are dedicated to Steve Merlino, longtime chair of the CIAC Wrestling committee who has retired from that position of leadership.  

A recent inductee into the New England Wrestling Hall of Fame, Steve has been active in CT wrestling for many years, founding programs at Lyman Memorial and Coventry, and being extensively involved with area wrestlers through his action with the Windham Wrestling Club (now Silverbacks) since 1988. 

As CIAC chair, he has worked hard to implement our Girls Championship, as well as being an advocate of both safety for wrestlers and the overall growth of the sport.  

If you see him in New Haven at the head table or when he is handing out medals, be sure to thank him and shake his hand. However, being the proud Italian he is, be prepared for a big hug.

2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings

Top 20 as of Feb. 18, 2026

Curious about how the top wrestlers from each state stack up against competitors from across the country?

Click here to see the latest high school rankings from FloWrestling.

Throwback: Asa Hemsted UPSETS Three-Time Iowa State Champion In 2024 Semis!  

It’s the Class 3A, 175-pound semifinals at the 2024 IHSAA State Championship: Maximus Magayna, Waterloo East vs. Asa Hemsted, Carlisle 

Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling

Trackwrestling officially has merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform. 

Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.

This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.

FloWrestling Archived Footage

Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.

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