NCAA Announcement
FERRUM, Va. -- The National Collegiate Athletic Association has announced site selections for the 2019-2022 wrestling championships and Ferrum College has been chosen to host the 2019 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. This is the first time the College will host a national championship since joining the NCAA Div. III ranks in 1985.
Under the direction of Head Coach Nate Yetzer, Ferrum will host the 2019 NCAA Tournament at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, Virginia. Built in 1971, the Berglund Center is a 9,828-seat multi-purpose arena located in the Williamson Road neighborhood of Roanoke, Virginia.
The Berglund Center is the area's premier sports and entertainment venue, and was the former home to the Roanoke Dazzle basketball team, as well as the Roanoke Express and Roanoke Valley Vipers ice hockey teams. Currently, it is the home of the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs of the Southern Professional Hockey League.
"We are so excited to be selected to host the NCAA Wrestling Tournament in 2019," said Director of Athletics Abe Naff. "Coach Yetzer and his staff have worked so hard to bring this event to the Roanoke Valley. The Ferrum wrestling program has come so far in four short years. Hosting and winning the East Regional this year was so exciting for the College, and now learning that we will host a national championship is just wonderful."
"My staff and I are thrilled that the NCAA has selected Ferrum to host the 2019 championships," said Yetzer. "We will do our best to ensure a quality experience for everyone involved ... wrestlers, coaches, officials and fans. Our guys are so excited to be able to wrestle for a national title so close to campus."
Ferrum has hosted two NCAA East Regional Tournaments in the past three seasons, including in 2015 at the Berglund Center. The Panthers also hosted the NCAA East Regional in 2017 at Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, Virginia. Ferrum has hosted a number of NCAA first round or regional site events, including:
- 1988 - Football first and second rounds (Rocky Mount, Va.)
- 1989 - Football first round (Rocky Mount, Va.)
- 1992 - Men's Basketball first round (Ferrum)
- 1996 - Women's Basketball first round (Ferrum)
- 2004 - Baseball Regional (Martinsville, Va.)
- 2007 - Baseball Regional (Ferrum)
- 2014 - Women's Basketball first and second rounds (Ferrum)
- 2015 - Wrestling East Regional (Roanoke, Va.)
- 2017 - Wrestling East Regional (Rocky Mount, Va.)
For more information on the NCAA's announcement or to speak with either Coach Naff or Coach Yetzer, please contact the Ferrum sports information office at (540) 365-4306 by phone or
gholden@ferrum.edu by e-mail.
