KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The 2012 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will take place in Des Moines, Iowa, March 1 – 3, which is a location change from the original agreement. The change occurs because of facility renovations at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau, Des Moines Area Sports Commission and Grand View University (Iowa) will host the 2012 event at the Richard O. Jacobson Exhibition Center.

“The very nature of the circumstances surrounding this bid process required the NAIA to attract a quality venue and a solid host committee,” said NAIA Championship Sport Manager Scott McClure. “We’re confident that the host committee and the city of Des Moines will go the extra mile in making this year’s NAIA Wrestling National Championships at the Jacobson Exhibition Center an outstanding experience for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”

The Exhibition Center was completed in 2010. The state-of-the-art facility has fixed seating for 3,500, meeting rooms, concession areas and a second-floor VIP area. The facility has hosted events such as the 2011 Wrestling Corn Cob Nationals, the USA Gymnastics Region IV Championships and is scheduled to host the 2012 Junior High Wrestling State Meet.

The 2011 event marked the seventh NAIA Wrestling National Championship held in the state of Iowa. Prior to Cedar Rapids, Sioux City served as hosts for six years in two different stints. The NAIA estimates that 5-8,000 fans attend the wrestling championships each year.

The 2013 NAIA Wrestling National Championships will go back to the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The dates will be Feb. 28 – March 2.

The championship consists of 10 individual weight classes with five different sessions during the three-day span. Wrestlers qualify for the championships in one of two ways: placing in the top four in any weight class at the Qualifying Group tournament or through an intercollegiate tournament during the season. For more information on qualification, click here.

In the history of the sport, there have been 19 national team champions as former member Notre Dame (Ohio) won its second-straight National Championship in 2011. The first NAIA Wrestling National Championships occurred in 1958 and were held in Mankato, Minn. The host school, Mankato State won the inaugural title. Currently, 37 varsity programs sponsor wrestling in the NAIA.