MARQUEE EVENT RETURNS TO ST. LOUIS AND ENTERPRISE CENTER; ECONOMIC IMPACT PROJECTED TO BE $20 MILLION FOR REGION
ST. LOUIS – October 2, 2024 – There’s no place like home. St. Louis has been the most frequent home for the NCAA DI Wrestling Championships, having hosted the event nine times. The NCAA announced today it will be bringing the Wrestling Championships back to St. Louis and Enterprise Center in 2027. The announcement is part of the culmination of a months-long bid process for the NCAA’s championship events across all sports and divisions for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.
“It’s a huge win for Downtown St. Louis and for our region to secure one of the NCAA’s highest-profile and most impactful events,” said St. Louis Sports Commission President Marc Schreiber. “This does not happen without the investment that has been made to improve Enterprise Center and the presence and support of outstanding partners, including the Blues and University of Missouri, which we are grateful to have as our co-host.”
Celebrating its 30th year, Enterprise Center has been transformed with comprehensive renovations and upgrades and is now better equipped than ever to host one of the NCAA’s crown jewel championships.
“First and foremost, we love the energy and excitement that NCAA Championships bring to our region,” said St. Louis Blues and Enterprise Center President & CEO Chris Zimmerman. “Having hosted numerous NCAA events since Enterprise Center opened in 1994, we are so grateful for the partnership we have with the St. Louis Sports Commission. Importantly, we are thankful for the critical financial support the building received from both the City of St. Louis and the Missouri legislature enabling us to completely reimagine and rebuild Enterprise Center. Public support, coupled with ongoing investment from the Blues ownership group, was instrumental to keep the facility competitive for these highly sought after national championships.”
The St. Louis Sports Commission has shared co-host duties with the University of Missouri for the previous nine DI Wrestling Championships hosted in the Gateway City and will again team up with the Tigers for the 10th time.
“This is exciting news!” said Mizzou Wrestling Coach Brian Smith. “I know St. Louis takes pride in hosting NCAA championship events as they have in the past with hockey, gymnastics, basketball, and of course wrestling. St. Louis has always produced the wrestling championships at the highest level because of the commitment from the St. Louis Blues, Enterprise Center, the Sports Commission, Mizzou, and the great people of St. Louis.”
The NCAA DI Wrestling Championships are a perennial sellout and bring 17,000 fans from around the country. The event has 330 wrestlers that participate, plus coaches, trainers, and support staff, and a large media following making it one of the NCAA’s most impactful, high-profile championships.
With the Wrestling Championships now locked in for 2027, the St. Louis region can look forward to a run of major championships the next few years. St. Louis is primed to host the previously-awarded 2025 Men’s Frozen Four and 2026 DI Men’s Basketball 1st & 2nd Rounds, both at Enterprise Center. The continuing attraction of high-profile NCAA events to St. Louis over the next few years will bring a valuable economic impact for the region while contributing vitality to its downtown.
“St. Louis is an outstanding destination for major sporting events. Our national partners know this community rises to the occasion and they trust us to handle their events with great care,” said Schreiber. “When St. Louis comes together like this, we can make great things happen and deliver meaningful wins to our community like we celebrate today.”
