Though only three months have passed since the first matches of the 2025-2026 high school wrestling season in California, those 90+ days have been action-packed, and there’s no doubt the last few weeks have been a whirlwind.
The last day of the regular season was Feb. 6, and there wasn’t much time for the athletes to rest before their divisional championships the weekend of Feb. 15.
Now, the pressure and intensity have been compounded, and it’s time for the final obstacle between them and the biggest stage of the year.
Across the huge state this week, the California Interscholastic Federation’s geographical sections are holding their championships events, where the top performers will punch their tickets to the state tournament.
In the Northern Section, the best of the best will converge on Shasta High School in Redding, California, for two days of competition at the 2026 NSCIF Wrestling Championships, Feb. 20-21, and all of the action will be broadcast live on FloWrestling and the FloSports app.
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Within the Northern Section, there are multiple divisions that are populated by using the size of the schools (enrollment) from the previous year, and the divisions must be assigned by Dec. 1 of the current season.
The eight largest schools in the Northern Section competed in the Division I tournament. The next nine schools by size made up the field in the Division II event.
The Division III and Division IV schools competed together in one tournament, with the top half of the field (by enrollment) making up Division III, and the bottom half being Division IV.
Through the divisional tournaments, wrestlers have earned their spots in the upcoming NSCIF Wrestling Championships, also called the NSCIF Masters Championship Tournament, where each weight class includes 16 entries situated into double-elimination brackets.
Six of the entries come from Division I, five from Division II and five from the Division III/IV tournament.
Even though six wrestlers ultimately will place at the NSCIF Championships, only two boys and two girls from each weight class will advance to the state tournament. The breakdown of how many athletes advance from each section is listed below.
In all, California includes 10 geographic sections that all are enduring the same challenges in February on their way to the 2026 CIF State Wrestling Championships presented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association.
The state event will be held Feb. 26-28 at Dignity Health Arena in centrally located Bakersfield, California.
As you get settled in for the next step of the championship season, here's everything you need to know about the 2026 CIF NCS Wrestling Championships, including a link to the brackets:
What Are The Weight Classes In California High School Wrestling?
In Pounds
- Boys: 108, 115, 122, 128, 134, 140, 146, 152, 159, 167, 177, 192, 217, 287
- Girls: 102, 107, 112, 117, 122, 127, 132, 137, 142, 147, 157, 172, 192, 237
NOTE: The additional 2-pound growth allowance has been added to these weight classes. According to NFHS rules, wrestlers will be given one pound for the second day weigh-in.
2026 Northern Section CIF Wrestling Championships Brackets
Here’s where you’ll be able to find the brackets for the 2026 Northern Section CIF Wrestling Championships:
How To Watch The 2026 NCS Wrestling Championships
Live coverage of the 2026 NSCIF Wrestling Championships on Feb. 20-21 will be broadcast on FloWrestling and the FloSports app, with news, notes, stats and more available on both platforms.
Archives will be available immediately following the conclusion of each match.
If you’re going to be in the area and want to catch the action in person, go to this page for spectator and ticket information.
How Many Wrestlers From Each Section Advance To The State Tournament?
Here’s a look at how many athletes from each section, per weight class, will advance to the state event:
Boys
- Southern Section: 10
- Central Section: 10
- Sac-Joaquin Section: 5
- North Coast Section: 2
- Central Coast Section: 4
- San Diego Section: 4*
- Northern Section: 2
- Los Angeles Section: 1
- Oakland Section: 1
- San Francisco Section: 1
*San Diego Section will fill any voids left vacant by the Oakland Section.
Girls
- Southern Section: 8
- Central Section: 5
- Sac-Joaquin Section: 5
- Northern Section: 2
- North Coast Section: 3
- Central Coast Section: 4
- San Diego Section: 3
- Los Angeles Section: 2
Read more about the 2025 state meet:2025 CIF California State Wrestling Championship Results And Brackets
2026 Northern Section CIF Wrestling Championships Schedule
Here’s a look at when everything is going down in California:
All Times Pacific
Friday, Feb. 20, 2026
- TBA
Saturday, Feb. 21
- TBA
When Is The 2026 CIF Wrestling Championships?
The 2026 CIF Wrestling Championships presented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association will be held Feb. 26-28 at Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield, California.
Did You Know: High School Championship Wrestling In California Spans Five Decades
The first CIF state championship for boys was held in 1973. The first event for the girls took place in 2011.
Amazingly, it took three decades for California to see its first four-time state champion. That honor went to Bakersfield’s Darrell Vasquez from 1999-2002 at 103, 112, 119 and 125 pounds. In the years since, three more athletes have added their names to the list.
There are 24 three-time champions and 83 wrestlers who have won twice.
On the girls side, five wrestlers own three CIF state titles.
Clovis tops the list of all-time team titles with 13, while the Selma girls lead the way with three.
The Central Section Division IV boys tournament first was held during the 2021-2022 season.
2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings
Top 20 as of Feb. 18, 2026
Curious about how the top wrestlers from each state stack up against competitors from across the country?
Click here to see the latest high school rankings from FloWrestling.
Three State Wrestling Titles? Wowza! Check This Out!
Watch Gilroy’s Daniel Zepeda win his third California state wrestling title in 2025, defeating Alias Raby from Anderson.
This was the 150-pound title tilt. Zepeda won at 138 pounds in 2024 and 132 pounds in 2023.
Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling
Trackwrestling officially has merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform.
Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.
This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.
FloWrestling Archived Footage
Video footage from all events on FloWrestling will be archived and stored in a video library for FloWrestling subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.
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