Black Hills Nationals Wrestling Tournament Moving to Rapid City

The Black Hills Nationals Wrestling Tournament is moving to Rapid City from April 4–6, 2025, moving after 20 years in Spearfish, South Dakota.

The Black Hills Nationals Wrestling Tournament, the Central States Fair, Inc., and the Rapid City Sports Commission made the announcement. The event draws 7,000 fans and participants and generates around $4 million in estimated revenue annually.

“We’re looking for long-term partnerships. After meeting with the staff from the Central States Fairgrounds and with Domico Rodriquez, executive director of the Rapid City Sports Commission. “We believe this is going to be a positive move for our tournament, Rapid City, and the entire region.”

The Black Hills Nationals draws competitors from across the region and the country. The April 2024 event hosted more than 1,700 wrestlers from 25 states and two Canadian provinces.

“It’s time for some big changes and we are very excited about the opportunity presented to us in Rapid City,” Tournament Founder and Director Frank Pavich said. “Moving to the Central States Fairgrounds in the James Kjerstad Event Center is going to take this already great tournament to the next level.”

“Bringing quality events to the Rapid City area is what we are all about,” said Rodriquez. “It’s not every day that a nationally recognized, established, quality event like the Black Hills Nationals is looking to move venues. We couldn’t be more excited to partner with them, promote wrestling in our region, and take the event to the next level.”

The event’s participants range in age from preschoolers to retirees, in both male and female divisions. The added floor space for more mats and additional seating in the James Kjerstad Event Center allows the tournament to continue its growth.

“We’ve been working hard at renovating our facilities and being able to host events like this,” said John Kaiser, assistant general manager at Central States Fair, Inc. “We are going to provide a great experience not only for the competitors, but for everyone involved from families, to sponsors, to vendors and workers.”