National Prep Wrestling Tournament Eligibility Criteria

Criteria For School Eligibility

  • Participating schools must be accredited by an established regional, independent school accreditation organization that is recognized by the appropriate state department of education and the National Association of Independent Schools.

  • Wrestling must be a recognized varsity sport at participating schools and an interscholastic competition schedule must be published by the school for public viewing not later than December 1st.

  • Participating schools may not take part in their state's public school state wrestling championships.  

  • Participating Schools must join the NWCA prior to their first competition and follow the NWCA / Trackwrestling / National Prep OPC weight management guidelines. 

  • Participating schools are required to operate in accordance with the National Federation Rulebook

  • Schools that are virtual or on-line schools must be accredited and affiliated with a participating National Prep Tournament network school. 

  • Schools that rely on public funding to sponsor operations do not qualify.

  • Schools must participate in their qualifying zone tournaments in order to be eligible to participate in the National Prep Tournament.

  • Eligible schools that are not located in a qualifying zone will be assigned to a qualifying zone by the National Prep Board.

  • Schools must be approved by the National Prep Board, for National Prep Tournament eligibility  not later than November 1st of the season in question.  

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Eligibility for Individual Wrestlers

  • Must be enrolled as a full-time student at a school approved by the National Prep Board for participation not later than the end of the second week in January.

  • May not have reached one's 19th birthday prior to August 1st of the school year in question. 

  • Eighth grade student athletes who are enrolled full-time, as an eighth grader, at an approved National Prep network school are eligible. 

  • Student-athletes, grades eight - post graduate, who are enrolled as full time students at schools that meet the national prep eligibility criteria are eligible to participate in the National Prep Tournament.