The EMPIRE STATE GAMES competition is a program of the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, is a member of the National Congress of State Games, and is a recognized State Games Program of the United States Olympic Committee.

The wrestling portion of the Games begins on Thursday July 27 in two Divisions- High School and Open in Greco-Roman Wrestling.

The complete schedule:

Thursday July 27- Open and High School Divisions- Greco-Roman- 10:00am & 2:30 pm

Friday July 28- Open and High School- Greco-Roman 8:30am

                          Open and High School Freestyle Wrestling 3:00pm Preliminaries

Saturday July 29- Open and High School Freestyle Competition- 8:30am

                              Open and High School Medal Rounds-- 12:30pm

New York City wrestlers will have a full contingent of wrestlers in both style of wrestling in the High School and Open Divisions.  Qualifying tournaments were conducted at Monsignor Farrell High School in June and the top two place finishers in each weight class advanced to the Games

On the 16th of August 1978, 4,500 men and women paraded through the old Archbold Stadium on the campus of Syracuse University and ignited the torch for the Empire State Games and, along with it, a new spirit and the beginning of a new and exciting grassroots amateur sports movement in the United States.

Today, more than 40 states around the country have instituted state games programs attracting nearly a half-million participants each year. New York's Empire State Games are not only the first program of its kind in the nation but is often considered to be the most successful, setting a standard for multi-sport amateur athletic programs and offering opportunities to all of New York's athletes.