If an athletic department employee went to his/her boss and pitched defunding a sport that has seen ten-fold growth in youth female participation, the high school participant population increase by more than 40,000 individuals, positive, quality role-models emerge at its highest levels, and recent elite, record setting performances, that boss might be well justified to consider the employee crazy. However, that very conversation is happening at staggering rates in university athletic departments across America.
The Paradox Of College Wrestling
As evidence, Logan Stieber, the best wrestler for national champion Ohio State, marked the end of a historic career, winning his fourth individual NCAA championship. He becomes only the fourth person to accomplish this feat, and yet, despite the exclusivity of the club and the greatness of the accomplishment Stieber is relatively unknown outside the world of college wrestling.
Stieber’s situation is emblematic of the state of college wrestling right now. What should be an exciting time is actually an embattled one. There are major Hollywood films about the sport, records being broken, individual standouts who would make excellent ambassadors (like Stieber, and Olympic gold medalist Jordan Burroughs), and parity amidst many of the elite programs. And yet, athletic departments, instead of riding this wave of growth and good fortune, are moving the opposite direction.
Just this week, Cleveland State’s wrestling team, one of Ohio’s few remaining Division I programs, was alerted it will be defunded in 2016. This is especially surprising in the Midwest, which many consider to be the epicenter of wrestling; to add insult to injury, the city of Cleveland will host the 2018 NCAA D-I wrestling championships.
Wrestling Cuts Deserve A Reversal
Despite unprecedented achievements by both its individual competitors and teams, astronomical growth in the lower amateur ranks, and low cost of operation on a per student-athlete basis, wrestling is constantly on the chopping block.
Since 1977, the number of Division I programs has been cut nearly in half. This is due, in part, to the growth in popularity of lacrosse, the necessity to cut scholarships to remain in compliance with Title IX, and the lessening importance of wrestling at national and international levels. However, it seems that athletic departments are missing a major opportunity by sacrificing wrestling as an easy loss.
In a climate where public outcry about the behavior of entitled athletes and the paychecks of overpaid coaches has become deafening, wrestling should offer a respite for university athletic departments. Instead, a low-overhead sport currently riding a wave of youth and amateur popularity is being forfeited, and perhaps universities should be paying closer attention.
Feature photo courtesy of A. Carpenean
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.