Readers Comments (21)

1. Jim Brown says:

   May 28, 2010 at 9:17 am

   Dead on! The key is that every effort requires someone to take on the leadership initiative. I’ve tried a couple of things and have found that if you get out front there are people who will follow.

   I still want the wrestling community to change its mindset. “Saving college wrestling” is a defeatist attitude. Why can’t we focus on “growing American wrestling?” Yes – be proactive about retaining the programs we have, but use that as the foundation for adding new programs. Is there a tuition driven school near you that could use wrestling (men’s AND women’s) to increase enrollment? That school is a target. Call that AD and get him/her fired up about the benefits of wrestling. Contact the president of the alumni association.

   Let’s get moving!
2. Visegip says:

   May 28, 2010 at 11:58 am

   “So, young student athletes have to pay the price for Politicians not being able to do their job, which is managing a state. Have salaries at these institutions been cut? Have legislature salaries been cut? These are some of the questions we should be asking. We did attempt to ask these questions when UC Davis announced it would be eliminating its program.”
   Wrestlers dont have unions, public employees do. Its my opinion that we need to face the fact that in the future we may become a scholarship free sport and coaches may become part time volunteers. We need to start finding ways to fund ourselves.
3. Jim Harshaw says:

   May 28, 2010 at 2:03 pm

   Excellent article. Before we get mainstream- which we don’t even necessarily need- we have to keep wrestling people in the fold. We have to communicate with them on a regular basis. People are busy and if I have to go to my favorite wrestling teams website to get news on my program then guess what… I’m not going to get the news. I’m busy and get my news via the major media outlets- wrestling isn’t there. With technology now the playing field is level. We CAN communicate with and grow our base. We need a system for programs to maintain contact with their fans, alumni, parents, community and prospective fans. Grow wrestling in your community and then there is a market for wrestling on a larger scale. I may not have the silver bullet but dammit it’s a solution.
   http://www.riotsportsmarketing.com
4. Billy says:

   May 28, 2010 at 2:41 pm

   I think you have some good points in your article, but you missed a few things. The main reason for the demise of college wrestlings relates to simple economics: Everything is about money nowadays. Period. Title IX is not really to blame, for Title IX has not hurt other male-dominated sports such as baseball, basket ball, and football– and it won’t so long as they draw huge crowds….and money and attention. Wrestling never drew huge crowds (except in parts of the Midwest), but in the past there was a sense that such a unique sport should be supported. Nowadays nobody cares. Everyone is out to get what they can and screw the rest. That’s modern America. To make matters worse, the disparity between the best and the worst D1 schools is soooooo huge that practically 97 percent of the D1 programs cannot even imagine competing with the top 3 percent. The scores are ridiculously lopsided year after year. That’s insane. Most other sports are better balanced regionally, with many schools capable of winning titles. Iowa, Iowa State, and Oklahoma State are pretty much the only competitors in D1 wrestling. Sure, occasionally some other school comes along — but not very often. So athletic directors are thinking, “Hmmm…there’s absolutely no way we’ll ever win a NCAA title, and there’s little hope we’ll even have an individual champion unless we invest massive amounts of money…so let’s just cut this program and fund something else.” I mean, what do you expect Cal State Bakersfield to say? “Yes, let’s just keep getting the crap beaten out of us year after year after year after year.” I think it’s great that, say, Iowa is so good, but it’s not so good for the sport in general. In the history of college wrestling, never has a West Coast or East Coast school won a national D1 title (the closest was Arizona State). That’s one big reason why there is really no chance of saving wrestling in the long run. Cael did a good thing by moving to the East Coast. If only the West Coast had a powerhouse school. I think if people want to save wrestling, they have to donate heavily to some West Coast school to get them on map. We need a John Smith or Cael or Brands to come out West with huge donations following. That’s the only way to save wrestling.
5. febus says:

   May 28, 2010 at 3:11 pm

   i recommed we do a voluntary tax (on all entities that make a profit from wrestling) and use the funds
   generated to promote wrestling. pay writers to write about wrestling in the newspapers, paid for commecials for select dual mts, touraments(freestyle and greco too) and state tournies. email lists for the entire USA for upcoming events for fans to attend. there are great proos on youtube that are vry moving and dynamic that could set the example.
   we need a figurehead… name coach (gables was a great choice when he turned down1+million at okie st not certain who now… brands??? to be our joe namath ).

   we need things for kids to do at freestyle tournies etc like… pony rides, clowns, collector items, boy scout type merit patches for other than medallist achievements.

   we need nuway to get on board and not jus give wrestling colleges money.

   we need tailgate parties before and or after major events. UNI used to host an alumni night at their local tavern. we need celebreties in attendnce at matches. we need public challenges like ride the bull (auience member tries to ride a former wrestler at a dual meet for a prize…
   and so much more that is for another tme
6. Steve says:

   May 28, 2010 at 10:27 pm

   Eliminate the gender quota and there is a chance to save wrestling programs and add some.

   Other sports don’t need fans to justify their existence, we’re kidding ourselves if we think that will save programs Women’s lacrosse now has over 90 Div I programs, with more coming next year, yet less than 1/4 the number of high school participants. Take a look at the women’s tennis rosters at many Div I schools and they are full of foreign players.
7. dgEE says:

   May 29, 2010 at 7:05 pm

   I completely agree with agree with Billy, its all economics. I’m from Arizona and I think Arizona has been one of the most successful states out West. Here is a bit of history:

   NCAA HISTORY
   Since becoming a varsity program in 1962-63, Arizona State has had at least one wrestler represent the program at 45 of the possible 48 NCAA Championships (which includes the 2010 tournament), including the last 36 in a row. The Sun Devils have placed among the Top 10 nationally 18 times and earned five trophy finishes (Top 4), including the 1988 NCAA Championship crown and runner-up finishes in both 1989 and 1990.

   http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-wrestl/archive/asu-m-wrestl-yearbyyear.html

   By the way ASU did win a National Championship back in the day in 1988 with Bobby Douglas as head coach. Since Bobby Douglas left and shortly after Lee Roy Smith (both from Oklahoma), the only thing they can come up with is a single National Champion every now and then (and I mean decade). And lets face it, that’s not enough to recruit the cream of the crop with a mediocre coach. ASU was on the brink of having its wrestling program cut until Sunkist Kids came to the rescue. And still, they hire a mediocre coach that won’t get them anywhere. Coaches don’t get enough of the credit. Any state out west doesn’t have the money to pay for top notch coaching staff that can recruit top-notch wrestlers. The only think keeping ASU afloat is funding from Sunkist and other private organizations.
8. dave says:

   May 31, 2010 at 11:17 am

   mich hull once wrote, if title IX is so good, why not have all elementary, middle and high schools also adhere STRICTLY, to the same rules. we can blame college football, lesbian driven democrats, the economy, whatever. Until title IX is repealed or reformed I am afraid college wrestling and mens gymnastics will be in the exact same predicament. Leo Kocher, univ of Chicago, has been a driving force in stopping title IX. no one is more informed than Leo. unfortunately if college wrestling survives it will be because of UFC, and MMA wrestling alumni who funnel some money back to their wrestling programs.
9. George Cumpston says:

   May 31, 2010 at 11:43 am

   Move wrestling to a 2nd semester sport.
   Quit competein with basketball
   Move the Div I, II, and III Championship Tournaments to April.
   Thie is a no-brainer and Bobby Douglas has proposed this for years
10. Brady Westwater says:

    May 31, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    Yes, the economy is the latest problem – but Title IX is still the root cause and the main cause – and it will continue to be the main cause long after the economy recovers.

    That was made clear when even wrestling programs that had shown they could be partially or largely self-funding, were and are still being dropped. It’s never been about the money. It’s been about killing off the sport for a wide variety of political and cultural reasons.

    Granted only a very small minority of people have a hostile attitude towards men’s sports – and specifically, wrestling (such as the person who killed the program in Fresno) – but they are the ones who been been in control of how Title IX has been implemented and they are the ones who have made it possible for this decades long assault on the sport.

    The number of wrestling programs killed by Title IX has also made it easier to cut wrestling than any other sport both because each college can point to all the other wrestling programs being cut in their area – plus the fewer programs and thus fewer near-by opponents there are in an area – the harder it is for existing programs to survive.

    In addition, any hopes of over turning the way the law has been misapplied will be totally dead with a Supreme Court that will soon be even more antagonist to men’s sports than previous courts.

    So while I agree we need to find new ways to financially support wrestling – the sport is still doomed at the college level until Title IX is reformed by Congress. And that is where 100% of the national effort (as opposed to local self-funding efforts) has to be between now and November.

    There are a lot of scared Democrats running for Congress this year – and control of the Senate is at stake.
    And with the rapidly declining number of men supporting Democrats in this election, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity.

    Every wrestler who is a Democrat needs to let their national representatives know that the reform – as opposed to repeal – of TItle IX is a major issue.

    The national wrestling organizations also need to work with other men’s sports – and – hopefully – the more enlightened women’s sports – to draft the reforms needed in TItle IX to allow it do what it was supposed to do; make it possible for women to play sports in college – but not at the expenses of men’s sports.

    There also needs to be a provision to allow for – or even require – the reinstatement men’s sports – when the demand for them can be shown – that were dropped due to incorrect interpretations of TItle IX. Federal aid also needs to be guaranteed during the first few years of each program’s reinstatement. And the amount required for that – would be a rounding error in almost all other federal programs. But, after that period – the programs would have to stand survive on their own merits.

    Then the more men – and women – who tell every candidate of each party running in the primaries – or in the general election – that their publicly endorsing and signing a petition to vote for this bill – will decide who they are going to vote for in the upcoming election. That – and only that – can save the sport of wrestling in colleges and universities. It’s not the money – it’s the politics.
11. Steve Kilmister says:

    June 1, 2010 at 5:50 pm

    I agree with Billy: It’s economics. These days America has really just turned into a take-what-you-can-and-forget-the-rest country. Sad but true. And don’t forget that the demise of college programs started before TItle IX. Brady Westwater suggests above that Republicans will save wrestling. That’s insane. Remember, republicans have been in charge until relatively recently. And Republicans did nothing and they won’t do anything because republicans have become closet freaks who are greedy and money hungry. Wrestling doesn’t make money, so republicans (outside of Iowa and Oklahoma) are not interested.
12. Chad Crow says:

    June 2, 2010 at 11:45 pm

    By Chad Crow
    Past competitor, referee, and coach.

    I respectfully offer this observation to any and all of those in our college wrestling family to consider. More importantly, it begs the question as to what are we, as a wrestling community, willing to do to further advance and protect our sport?

    As most of us already know, in the past 30 some years, our wrestling fraternity has lost somewhere around 50% of our collegiate programs. Ostensibly, this has happened because of the pressures of Title IX, hostile Athletic Directors, budget cuts and simple mismanagement. Additionally, television and cable access channels have increased the popularity of some sports, notably football and basketball; and now, non-traditional sports such as X-Games, mix-martial arts, etc., seem to crowd wrestling even further out of the sports “enthusiast’s” attention. But I submit that there is an even deeper reason we continue to struggle for the attention and recognition that wrestling deserves.

    Some wrestling purists will suggest that, “Many fans of other sports simply don’t understand us, they don’t understand how incredibly tough it is to wrestle, they just don’t understand how remarkable the dynamics of this sport are; so we’ll just have to try survive their ignorance.” While this devotion to wrestling is commendable, I submit to you that we will NOT survive as a collegiate sport much longer if we fail to realize the seriousness of our present condition.

    Do we need new rules? No. Do we need to display our athletes on the mat differently? No. Do we need to have athletes risking life, limb and serious injuries to compete with the entertainment “circus” that’s currently available to today’s cable viewer? No. The answer isn’t just “no”, it is unequivocally NO to each question. But what then, do we need to do – not just to survive, but to thrive, grow and become the future aspiration of many young athletes. What is it that we can do to make them dream, yearn and clamor to want to take part in what we know to be the most remarkable sport in the world? Don’t we claim to shape hearts, souls and character better than any other sport that athletes could choose from? What is it then that prevents wrestling from becoming “their” sport of choice?

    Ready? Here it is – “Boredom”. Not always, but too often we’re boring. We need to develop an alliance, a partnership if you will, between athletes, coaches and referees; who are willing to embrace and enforce the rules of engagement – in particular, stalling – to create a contest of excitement and action.

    Consider this – collegiate wrestlers are arguably the most highly conditioned, technically trained and disciplined athletes to step onto a sports platform. Yet too many matches end up with a bout score of 2-1, or 3-2; many of these bouts having been wrestled into overtime – but with little if any action occurring until the closing moments. The current condition is one of a “Catch 22”, so to speak; and it damages our sport to no end.

    What and why is this? In large part, it is a combination of these three factors:
    1. Today, many college wrestlers “wrestle not to lose”, as opposed to trying to win by actually attacking and scoring on one’s opponent. Between closely matched opponents “Counter Wrestling” is more the norm than is aggressive wrestling – the reason being, an aggressive wrestler who makes a mistake will pay for it.
    2. Currently, the administration of stalling by referees is largely that of allowing whatever scoring has occurred to “rule the day”. If one wrestler is out in front by point or two; unless the stalling is grievous – the match continues as is. A purist might accept this – but our fans, the media and the sports we compete with will not permit wrestling to flourish or increase in popularity if we with continue with this “status quo”.
    3. Coaches live with this, because in the “counter wrestling” culture, neither the coach nor the athlete can afford to be “too” aggressive, as a full throttle attack contains considerable “risk”, especially if the referee allows the defensive wrestler to repeatedly counter and wait for a mistake each time he is attacked.

    By agreeing among coaches, athletes and officials to simply execute what the rules currently demand – aggressive wrestling – we can achieve a level of excitement that will draw competitors, fans and the media to our doorstep. We will grow. We will be the epitome of what young athletes and their parents dream about.

    Incidentally, for the most part, this collegiate “counter wrestling” mentality has not reached down into the high schools. Many of the kids at that level simply attack, make mistakes, and attack again. It’s great fun to watch them.

    My comments are not at all new on this subject. The environment of “aggressive wrestling” has always been available to us, and over the years there are a few college and university institutions that have successfully adopted this paradigm as their persona, their identity if you will. You all have seen them – and they are exciting. I could name names, but that is really immaterial. What’s important is that their athletes attack – all the way to the edge, and beyond. They strive for the fall, and they are the guys who, if your kid is ahead 5-3 going into the last period, you already know that you are dead, because they will chase you down and attack and score on you – that is, if officials and coaches everywhere are willing to require what the rules already stipulate. We need to demand this of ourselves and our athletes if we want wrestling to grow into what it was meant to be – the Sport of Kings, the greatest sport alive!

    In closing, it is paramount that coaches and referees both get on the same page with this problem – and the solution. The wrestlers will always adapt to the rules – if aggressive wrestling is enforced, they will engage. But if athletes realize there is more to lose than gain in being aggressive, especially if coaches and referees permit counter wrestling and stalling, then we will continue to get the same result – a few great matches, surrounded by a sea of boredom.

    This is nothing more than a change of attitude, but a change with enormous implications. Do we have that type of courage?
13. David Dubois says:

    June 4, 2010 at 2:42 am

    Here are my reasons for the decline of wrestling:

    1) As some have already suggested, wrestling is struggling with a different kind of economic ethic nowadays, one that is not-so-willing to support less-than-blockbuster events. The exact same thing is happening in the music world: classical music used to be supported heavily even though it never drew big bucks; the idea was that it was considered something important that ought to be supported. Nowadays nobody cares.

    2) The age factor: wrestling is a youth sport. With baseball and basketball, you can have a group of 50-60 folks out playing in a park. And if you play tag football, the same applies. With wrestling, you just won’t have 55 year-old Johnny calling up his friend 49 year-old Mikey saying, “let’s go to the park and wrestle today.”

    3) The scoring is hard to follow. Sure, it’s easy for those of us who wrestle, but not so easy for newcomers who don’t have any intention of actually wrestling.

    4) Dominated by a few schools. Go look at which schools have won NCAA titles. Maybe 98 percent of the team titles have gone to three schools.
14. Mike Bonora says:

    June 4, 2010 at 2:28 pm

    The site and nonprofit are still in its infancy but the founder, Matt Bradshaw, has a real passion for saving this sport. With enough support he might actually do it.

    http://www.savingwrestling.com/
15. Matthew John says:

    June 5, 2010 at 10:55 am

    The slow death of college wrestling is a complex issue, but it boils down to the professionalization of sports. When college wrestling first got going, it was, like most sports, relatively inexpensive for the universities. The training was not nearly as rigorous as it is nowadays, and it didn’t require the time or money commitment that is now necessary to be competitive. It was, more or less, thought of as a sort of fun extracurricular activity, a way of generating school spirit and fitness. And it had some cultural prestige, too, given that the great thinkers of ancient Greece wrestled. But as time went on, many college sports became professionalized in a more profound way. Thus colleges tried to keep up with this by hiring more staff, offering scholarships, and instituting a more rigorous schedule. So wrestling following this intensification that was going on — largely because of the professionalization of sports — but in the meantime wrestling never become professional. Thus the other sports started drawing huge crowds, because they had professional equivalents, while the crowds for wrestling either stayed the same or dwindled (except in certain areas of the Midwest). So the death of college wrestling as we know it was sealed at this point.

    The same has happened to, for example, gymnastics. There are only 16 Division I schools left in gymnastics, despite the fact that the sport is gender equal. In fact, there were more women then men involved in college gymnastics. So while it’s popular to to blame Title IX, it is a rather dubious claim: college wrestling was on its way out before that. Sure, Title IX hasn’t helped things, and sometimes it is cited as a reason to do away with wrestling, but it didn’t cause the downfall. If anything, Title IX has merely sped up the decline that was already in place.

    To end on a brighter note, I don’t think college wrestling will die. I am sure it will survive, but maybe more as a Division III sport or live on through wrestling clubs. In any case, I hope it survives. There are some good signs here, too. Cael’s move to Penn State was the best thing that has happened to wrestling in years. He effectively pushed college wrestling to the East Coast, which will help break the regional hegemony of the Midwest. And Cornell is also rockin’ nowadays. So now we need a superstar coach out on the West coast. Cheers, M
16. Stephan Jones says:

    June 5, 2010 at 11:49 am

    It seems to me that blaming Title IX and “stalling” for the decline of college wrestling is absolutely ridiculous. It’s a way of not facing the reality that wrestling didn’t make it to the world of professional sports. And in America, if there ain’t big bucks involved, forget it. That’s why the former Eastern Bloc countries do so well in wrestling: they aren’t really concerned about the money.
17. Blu says:

    June 14, 2010 at 10:22 am

    I just watched the world team trials. As you know, there is not a stalling penalty in freestyle, and yet the matches are more interesting than NCAA championships. The stalling thing isn’t such a good rule.
18. Rob Mack says:

    June 16, 2010 at 9:47 pm

    I wanted to mention that in NC / SC, there are a number of schools that have added wrestling and in
    Newberry and Limestone’s case; they have approx 50 wrestlers each. Its seems apparent that depending
    on what formula a school uses; it says the sport makes money or it does not. In the last 10 years, UNCG,
    Gardner Webb, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, Belmont Abbey College, all in NC have added. In SC
    Newberry, Limestone, and Anderson have added wrestling, with no schools dropping in last ten years.

    Thank you UNC, NCSU, APP State, Campbell, UNCP, and The Citadel, for having wrestling all these years!
    Rob Mack Elon College Wrestler 77-80 current coach wilmington rugby football club nc end
19. Where do we go with the DI wrestling? | OpenMat News says:

    August 19, 2010 at 8:58 am

    [...] 106 DI programs and I am sorry but that is pathetic. A few months ago I wrote an article titled “Who is to blame, the slow death of College Wrestling”. We are all utterly frustrated and to be honest somewhat embarrassed that as a community we can not [...]
20. highschool dad says:

    September 5, 2010 at 12:12 pm

    Lots of issues for sure, but one that cannot be ignored – and most everyone does – is that wrestling is absolutely boring for the casual fan. Our society needs instant gratification and entertainment or they move on, and vote with their feet and $$ elsewhere. I’m not saying that is a good thing, I’m saying its reality.

    Freestyle / Greco have two simple rules that should be no brainers for folkstlye. If you step out of the circle, one point for your opponant. Way to much wrestling on the edge with wrestlers jumping out at the first flinch. Second, first to score wins ties. No more ridiculous overtimes with different rules than whats in place during the regular time. That was always stupid.
    both these simple changes would provide incentive for more offense and less defensive wrestling, and increase the action and scoring. Increased action and scoring are proven variables in fan appeal in every sport thats out there. Scoring sells tickets.
21. viratas says:

    September 5, 2010 at 6:04 pm

    I like your points, but in freestyle IMO it has had the opposite result. By far the most boring style to watch.