BREAKING: FHSAA approves new structure for state duals

The FHSAA state duals district and region rounds will take place on the same weekend — January 15-16, 2027 — starting this coming season.

BY BRANT PARSONS — Qualifying for the FHSAA state duals will have a different look starting in the 2026-2027 season.

Instead of having separate district and region duals events, both will be held on the same weekend in one location for each pair of districts. Meaning that those in paired districts (1-2, 3-4, 5-6, etc.) will crown their district champion and runner-up and those four teams will then compete in the region quarterfinals and semifinals the same weekend.

That weekend will be January 15-16, the weekend before the FHSAA state duals tournament.

The FHSAA approved the new plan on Wednesday.

Each event will be held on Track Wrestling and it will be a two-day team bracketed tournament (see image). The brackets can be expanded for districts with more than eight teams competing. The champion will qualify for the region finals the next weekend.

The weekend of wrestling should be blocked to not have any other boys wrestling events. Girls events will still be held that weekend.

More details will be announced as they are finalized.