Final X: Rutgers on June 8 and Final X: Lincoln on June 15
AUSTIN, Texas – January 2, 2019 — Today, FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content and USA Wrestling, the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, announced the two sites for Final X in 2019.
Final X: Rutgers will be hosted at the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) on the campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, N.J., on Saturday, June 8. Final X: Lincoln will be hosted at the Bob Devaney Center on the campus of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Saturday, June 15. Both of these events will have exclusive live and on-demand coverage on FloWrestling, as well as on the FloSports apps on iOS, Roku and Apple TV 4.
The Final X series will determine the 2019 U.S. Senior World Teams in all three of the Olympic disciplines. This is a change from last year, with the addition of Greco-Roman wrestling to the events in 2019 alongside men’s and women’s freestyle.
The Final X Series will have the same basic format as 2018, where the top two wrestlers in each of the 30 World Championship weight classes will compete in a best-of-three series to determine who will wrestle at the 2019 Senior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, September 14-22, 2019.
In 2018, in its first year of existence, Final X was held in three locations over three consecutive weekends, with Lincoln, Neb., State College, Pa. and Bethlehem, Pa. serving as the host cities, on the campuses of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Penn State, and Lehigh, respectively.
The complete World Team qualifying procedures for each style have not yet reached final approval within USA Wrestling. Therefore, information on the weight classes assigned to each Final X and the final event schedule at each Final X location will be announced at a later date.
Lincoln will host a major Senior World Championships qualifier for USA Wrestling for third-straight year at the Bob Devaney Center. In 2018, Final X in Lincoln was held there, as well as the 2017 Freestyle World Team Trials. Other USA Wrestling events held in Lincoln were the UWW Junior National Championships in 2000, 2001 and 2004 and the Cadet National Championships in 1995. Many other major wrestling events have been in Lincoln, including the 2000 and 2009 Big 12 Championships and five Big 8 Championships (1960, 1971, 1982, 1990, 1995). Lincoln has also hosted the UWW Junior World Team Trials.
The RAC is the home of Rutgers wrestling, as well as its basketball and gymnastics programs, and other major events. The RAC was opened in 1977 and has a seating capacity of approximately 8,000. Rutgers is ranked No. 4 among NCAA Div. I wrestling programs in attendance, with an average of 4,680 fans in the 2017-18 season. Rutgers is also scheduled to host the 2020 Big Ten Wrestling Championships at the RAC, its first time hosting the event since joining the conference. When Rutgers was in the EIWA, it hosted the EIWA Championships in 2013.
Information on ordering tickets for the Final X: Rutgers and Final X: Lincoln will be announced shortly.
For more information, visit FinalX.tv, FloWrestling.org, or TheMat.com.
About FloSports
FloSports, the innovator in live digital sports and original content, partners with event rights holders, governing bodies, and other media companies to unlock a world of sports coverage that true fans have been waiting for. Through live streaming of premier events, original video programming, and weekly studio shows, FloSports is growing the sports, the events, the athletes, and the fans. Current verticals under the FloSports header include Wrestling, Rugby, MMA, Football, Track, Gymnastics, Hockey, and more.
About USA Wrestling
USA Wrestling is the National Governing Body for the sport of wrestling in the United States and, as such, is its representative to the United States Olympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. USA Wrestling is the central organization that coordinates amateur wrestling programs in the nation and works to create interest and participation in these programs. USA Wrestling has more than 237,000 members, including athletes, coaches, officials, parents, fans and others who are actively involved in the sport. Its president is Bruce Baumgartner, and its Executive Director is Rich Bender.