MSHSL makes changes to Girls Wrestling, along with Baseball/Softball
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. — Continued expansion of Girls Wrestling and an option for Member Schools to play additional baseball and softball games were among the approvals by the Minnesota State High School League’s Board of Directors during its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, Oct. 2 at the League Office.
Girls Wrestling, first sanctioned by a vote of the Representative Assembly in 2021, will expand from four to eight sections with two state qualifiers from each weight class in section competition. This increases the number of state qualifiers in each weight class from eight participants to 16.
At its meeting on June 3, 2025, the Board of Directors approved adding a half day to the Wresting State Tournament with Day 1 beginning on Wednesday afternoon. That approval provided increased flexibility, in part, to accommodate the growth of Girls Wrestling and planned additional qualifiers. The half-day addition also provided the ability to move to full wrestlebacks at the state tournament level.
During the 2024-2025 school year, there were nearly 1,500 participants in Girls Wrestling. That was an increase from the 1,066 that participated in the 2023-2024 school year. In its inaugural season of 2021-2022, there were 250 participants.
The Board of Directors also approved the option of adding up to four regular-season games in baseball and softball. The approval provides scheduling flexibility, especially in case of inclement weather that often presents challenges in the early spring.
The approved proposal will allow teams to count in-season tournaments, doubleheaders or triangulars as one event, instead of the two or three games that might be played on that day. Tournaments paired on Friday and Saturday will count as one event. Teams will be permitted to have a maximum of two in-season tournaments.
More than 80 percent of the softball and baseball coaches surveyed supported the proposal. The Region Committees and Activities Advisory Committee also approved the proposal.
(Press Release Courtesy MSHSL)
