Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association becomes 10th state high school association to partner with USA Bracketing

Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) and USA Wrestling have partnered to use USA Bracketing for all wrestling events, results, statistics and weight management, beginning with the 2026-27 season.

Under the partnership, all regional, sectional and state tournaments operating within the MPSSAA will use USA Bracketing. Additionally, MPSSAA host schools and organizations can use the software at no additional cost and stream events with fully integrated graphics to multiple providers.

“USA Wrestling is thrilled to partner with the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association as it begins to utilize our USA Bracketing event management software to enhance its high school wrestling operations,” said USA Wrestling Executive Director Rich Bender. “USA Bracketing is prepared to meet the technology needs of state associations, and our partnership with the MPSSAA will allow both organizations to elevate their programs to the next level. We thank the MPSSAA for opting to work with us, and we look forward to achieving success as partners.”

USA Bracketing allows hosts to manage events for multiple levels of competition — including varsity and junior varsity — while simultaneously running individual and dual meets within a single event.

"The MPSSAA is excited to partner with USA Bracketing to provide our 200 member high schools with free bracketing and meet management solutions for regular season and postseason contests," said MPSSAA Executive Director Andy Warner. "Today's announcement is a win for the wrestling community and underscores the power of strong partnerships in supporting Maryland's 120,000 student-athletes."

Weight management incorporates weight assessments, descent plans and roster management, all of which will adhere to the MPSSAA’s Wrestling Weight Management Plan.

The MPSSAA becomes the 10th state high school association or managing entity to leverage USA Bracketing’s state-of-the-art technology for its wrestling events and operations management. Other organizations to partner with USA Bracketing include the Mississippi Wrestling Foundation, the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA), the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA), the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), the Alaska School Activities Association (ASAA), the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA), the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL), the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA). Additional state high school associations are expected to announce partnerships with USA Bracketing in the future.

USA Bracketing, developed by USA Wrestling, serves as the event management software for all USA Wrestling regional and national events. Since its launch on Jan. 1, 2025, USA Bracketing has supported more than 10,000 live events.

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) was formed in 1946 to administer interscholastic athletics on behalf of Maryland’s 24 local educational agencies and the Maryland State Department of Education. In its 81st year, the MPSSAA supports 200-member high schools, conducts 88 state championship tournaments in 25 sport offerings, and has over 120,000 annual participants in interscholastic athletic programs.

The purpose of the MPSSAA is to promote, direct, and control all interscholastic activities of high school students, including recommending the development of new and innovative programs; to establish, maintain, and enforce regulations as may be necessary to assure that all such activities shall be part of and contribute toward the entire educational program of the state of Maryland; and, to cooperate closely with the state department of education in the development of that program to safeguard the physical, mental, and moral welfare of high school students and protect them from exploitation.

The Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) provides leadership for interscholastic athletics programs that support and enrich the educational experience of students throughout Maryland. The MPSSAA operates under the authority of the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and 24 local school systems.

USA Wrestling is the national governing body for wrestling in the United States, and a member of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and United World Wrestling, the international wrestling federation. USA Wrestling provides competition and programs for over 397,000 members of all ages, including athletes, coaches, officials and club leaders. As the NGB for wrestling, USA Wrestling is also responsible for the selection of U.S. World and Olympic teams at multiple age levels in the Olympic disciplines of men’s freestyle, women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, as well as beach wrestling. USA Wrestling also provides extensive quality opportunities in folkstyle, the traditional style of wrestling in the United States. For more information, visit TheMat.com.