Southern Iowa Classic today!

FAIRFIELD - It began last century and used to be a two-day affair. Lately, it has always been a Saturday thing. In 2021, the Southern Iowa Classic, hosted by Fairfield, will be wrestled today, Friday.

No spectators are being admitted.

There will be 11 schools with Albia, Burlington, Centerville, Davis County, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Fort Madison, Keokuk, Knoxville, Mt. Pleasant, Washington and Fairfield facing off.

To be sure all 11 made it, the date was changed from Saturday to Friday on Wednesday.

'We just made the decision late yesterday,” Fairfield athletic director and former Trojans wrestling coach Jeff Courtright said. 'Saturday's weather forecast prompted the decision.”

Both the junior varsity and varsity tournaments will now be Friday and run simultaneously. Weigh-ins are at 2:30 p.m. for this tournament, which was started in 1999.

The plan is to start the JV first round at 3:30 p.m. and varsity first round at 4:30 p.m. The tournament's conclusion?

'It will be a later night,” Courtright said. 'Hopefully around 10ish?”

Fairfield has allowed fans to attend basketball games, but the no spectator rule is a combination of circumstances. There are obvious concerns about social distancing so the edict is partly due to the number of teams (11 whereas basketball only has two), with only one set of bleachers available because there will be four mats on the floor.