Cheesehead Preview

The 2026 Cheesehead Invitational returns to Kaukauna High School this weekend, January 9–10, bringing together elite wrestling talent from across the country. Known for its rigorous “Hybrid” bracket system, this year’s event is set to be a record-breaker with teams traveling from 13 different states.

Tournament History and Overview

Founded in 1999, the Cheesehead has grown into one of the premier high school wrestling tournaments in the nation. It is hosted at Kaukauna High School and utilizes a unique bracket style designed to maximize mat time for all participants.

• Format: The tournament starts with a 64-man bracket that feeds into a round-robin phase. This ensures every wrestler competes on both days and faces high-level opposition regardless of early results.
• The Reach: This year, teams will travel over 34,000 miles combined to compete. Notable far-flung programs include Casteel (Arizona), Jesuit (Louisiana), and several Florida teams like Lake Gibson and Merritt Island.

Attendee Information

• Location: Kaukauna High School, 1701 County Rd. CE, Kaukauna, WI.
• Schedule:
  • Friday, Jan 9: Doors open at 4:15 PM; wrestling starts at 5:00 PM.
    • Preliminaries as needed (21-42 seeds)
    • Session 1 All 12 mats Time
    • Round 1- Bracket of 64 5:00pm start
    • Round 2- Bracket of 32
    • Round 3 -Rd 1 Championship 4×4
    • Round 4- Rd 2 Championship 4×4
  • Saturday, Jan 10: Wrestling resumes at 8:30 AM (doors open at 7:30 AM). Finals are projected to begin around 5:00 PM and conclude by 7:30 PM.
    • Session 2
      • Round 5- Rd 1 Consolation Bracket of 32 All 12 mats
      • Round 6- Rd 3 Championship 4×4 – Mats 1 – 8 – Cons. Bracket round 16 – Mats 9-12
      • Round 7- Rd 1 Both Brackets of 8 – Mats- 1 -8- Cons. Bracket Quarters – Mats 9 -12
      • Round 8- Rd 2 Both Brackets of 8 – Mats 1- 8 (Champion Semifinals mats 4, 5, 6) – Cons. Bracket Semifinals Mats 9 -1
      • Round 9- Wrestlebacks Both brackets of 8 – Mats 1 – 8 – Cons. Bracket 17th and 19th place Mats 9 – 12
      • Round 10 – 7,9, 11, 13, 15th place matches – Mats 1 – 8
    • Session 3
      • Round 11 – Finals 1st, 3rd and 5th place matches – Mats 1, 2, 3 5pm to 8:00pmRound 5- Rd 1 Consolation Bracket of 32 All 12 mats 8:30am
• Tickets: Presale tickets are available on the tournament website to avoid long lines. Options include all-session passes and single-day tickets. Purchase here: 2026 CHEESEHEAD WRESTLING TOURNEY Tickets, Fri, Jan 9, 2026 at 5:00 PM | Eventbrite
• Concessions: The “Cheesehead Cafe” is highly regarded, offering a menu specifically designed for athletes and their families. Spectator carry-ins are generally not allowed. Check out the Concessions Menu here!
• Streaming: For those unable to attend in person, the tournament is being live-streamed by Illinois Matmen. It is a pay per view event at the cost of $15.
  
  Rokfin.com/ILMatmen