Omaha Awarded 2010 NCAA Wrestling

 The NCAA on Thursday announced that the 2010 NCAA Wrestling Championships will be held at Qwest Center Omaha on March 18-20.  The event, which will be co-hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Omaha Sports Commission, will mark the first time in NCAA history that the event has been held in the state of Nebraska.

"We were extremely impressed with the proximity of everything in Omaha," said Tom Bold, the former chair of the wrestling committee that presided over the selection of the future sites of the NCAA Championships. "The Qwest Center Omaha, hotels, airport and restaurants are all very close. Also, Omaha is conveniently located with regards to many of our institutions and the fans that have supported this event in the past. With the great partnership the NCAA already has with the city of Omaha through the Men’s College World Series, we know that they will to do a tremendous job."

Qwest Center Omaha also hosted the 2005 Big 12 Wrestling Championship and is scheduled to hold the 2005 NCAA Regional Volleyball tournament and the 2006 NCAA Semifinals and Finals for volleyball.  

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to wrestle for the national championship in front of our fans,” said Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning.  “The Qwest Center is a great venue, and I think fans that come in to watch the tournament will have a great time in Omaha.”

Omaha was one of three cities to learn Thursday that it would be hosting the NCAA Wrestling Championships.  St. Louis was awarded the 2008 and 2009 tournaments, with Philadelphia hosting the 2011 event.  In addition, the sites for the 2006 and 2007 NCAA Championships were already set for Oklahoma City and Auburn Hills, Mich., respectively.

The Nebraska wrestling team opens its 2005-06 season with a home dual on Nov. 18 against Boise State at 7 p.m.