Apr 18, 2017 2 min read

The 2019 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be held in Pittsburgh at PPG Paints Arena, the NCAA announced Tuesday afternoon.

The University of Pittsburgh will host the three-day event March 21-23. PPG Paints Arena seats 18,387 for hockey games and has yet to host an amateur wrestling event since opening in 2010.

The wrestling championships will be returning to Pittsburgh for the first time since 1957 when the event was held at the Fitzgerald Field House. Three Pitt wrestlers won NCAA titles 1957, including Tom Alberts, a Waynesburg High School graduate, who decisioned Waynesburg College’s Ralph Schnieder, 8-5, in the 167-pound final.

“It is a tremendous honor for the city of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh to be chosen as hosts of the 2019 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships,” said Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke. “Pittsburgh and PPG Paints Arena have all the amenities to host a first-class championship featuring world-class competitors. We are proud to be the host institution for the event and look forward to an amazing turnout from the passionate wrestling fans in this region.”

The Fitzgerald Field House recently housed the 43rd annual Pittsburgh Wrestling Classic, an event that brings thousands of wrestling fans throughout the country to the city of Pittsburgh.

“It is an incredible opportunity to have the NCAA Championships in the city of Pittsburgh,” Pitt head coach and 2008 NCAA Champion Keith Gavin said. “We are located in a major hotbed for the sport of wrestling and I am thrilled that our great city gets to experience such a top-notch event.”

The 2018 NCAA Championships will be held March 15-17 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.