If you check Omaha radio station website. 1620 Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Local show and you can go back and listen to all the podcasts from this week. I recommend listening to the Craig Sesker interview as he lays out the relationship between wrestling coaches and AD. Interview is from the 14th. You can also hear the AD "DOUCHEBAG" Alberts interview as well.

Wanted to bump this topic back up. If anyone has not listened to DB Alberts (I mean AD Alberts, no DB is correct I guess) in the press conference and on the podcasts Lazyman_1 refers to above definitely check it out. His rationale is ridiculous. I liked Flo's letter, but I wrote my own and sent it to the regents as well. After listening to AD/DB I had to point out how stupid he sounded. If anyone else wants to copy the e-mail and send it to the regents you have my permission. If anyone wants to repost it on Flo or on any other forum you also have my permission. Keep contacting the regents!

_________________________________________________________________

Subject: UNO Wrestling Program- Thank you for reading!

To: Nebraska Board of Regents
From:
RE: UNO Wrestling

Nebraska Board of Regents,

I am writing to express my dismay that UNO is planning to move to the Division 1 level and leave behind it’s most decorated and successful program. I am an avid wrestling fan, and follow UNO wrestling as it is one of the closest (and most successful) collegiate programs in the area. Even though I am from Kansas, I consider UNO to be “my” program as there have been numerous Kansas high school wrestlers who have achieved great success at UNO.

I understand the need for growth and change in UNO’s current athletic program, and I am aware that many difficult decisions needed to be made to best make this move. I however do not understand the rationale for eliminating your most successful sport. I empathize with the football team, but understand the budgetary and Title IX need to eliminate this largest and most expensive male sport, but eliminating the wrestling program while also starting a men’s golf and men’s soccer program is nonsensical.

In listening to AD Trev Alberts defend this position at both the press conference and also on radio 1620 in Omaha, I have become more convinced that this is a poorly contrived solution. The initial reason given for the elimination of programs was strictly financial. AD Alberts has since backpedaled from this explanation in regards to the wrestling program. The wrestling program’s operating budget has not risen in the last 30 years, and with the exception of the coaches salaries costs UNO’s athletic department very little in comparison to other sports. The UNO wrestling team fund raises over one-hundred thousand dollars annually to fund its travel and competitions. The vast majority of the materials (mats, equipment, uniforms, etc. ) are already purchased and will only require regular upgrades as opposed to purchasing an entire new uniform set for the newly established programs. In addition wrestling is a very inexpensive sport to sponsor because it is an indoor sport which will require no practice fields or competition fields. Soccer will certainly incur this additional cost and I would assume the golf team would be required to purchase tee times from the local golf courses to practice which will be a recurring, yearly cost. AD Alberts also discussed that the wrestling team cost the university a total of $450,000 per year- but this cost also included grants and academic scholarships that the wrestling team received in addition to the operational costs. Does AD Alberts not expect the golf or soccer team members to receive grants or academic scholarships? Why is this money being counted as an expense for the wrestling team when in fact it is an expense for UNO students- who just happen to be athletes on the wrestling team.

During AD Alberts interview on radio 1620 March 14th (which are available via podcast), his rationale became even more convoluted. He backed away from the budgetary rationale, but stood by his decision to remove the sport of wrestling. Basically, his rationale went as follows:
1. The Sport of Wrestling has been very successful at the D-II level. (No arguments here).
2. To compete at the same high level in D-I would require an increase in budget.
a. Based on the budgets of some of the D-1 programs in the area.
3. If no budget increase was allowed, the UNO wrestling program would be a mediocre D-1 program at best.
a. Based on D-1 wrestling programs with similar budgets as UNO’s current budget.
AD Alberts’ Conclusion:
4. Since UNO Wrestling MAY NOT be able to compete at the highest level, the program should be eliminated in favor of starting a golf program and soccer program to better fit in the new conference.

There are so many flaws with this line of reasoning that it is hard to decide where to begin, but here goes.

1. The wrestling programs AD Albert’s was comparing to are in no way near as successful as UNO’s. Winning 6 of 8 D-II championships is surely a sign that they are ready to compete at the highest level. UNO has had wrestlers compete very well against the best D-I talent, having several Midlands champions in addition to a US World Team member.
2. By AD Alberts’ own admission on the radio, the golf and soccer programs will not be fully funded. Essentially the plan is simply to offer some additional sports to fit in to the new conference and to provide opportunities for area high school students to compete at the D-I level, but he stated they would not be funded in such a way to allow them to compete for championships- conference or national. Basically these sports would be club sports that offer scholarships, but the school will not commit to competing for championships.

My question is why eliminate what makes UNO unique and is a major part of its identity nationally in favor of starting programs the athletic director and department do not intend to make competitive. Why not allow the UNO Wrestling program to compete at the D-I level and see if they can in fact achieve success, when the two new sports are not even expected by the AD to compete for championships in the conference let alone nationally. As AD Alberts’ indicated in his press conference- Omaha supports excellence. You can find no higher achieving collegiate program in Omaha than the UNO wrestling program. I hope that you, the board of regents see fit to continue to support this excellence.

Thank you for the time spent reading this e-mail.

Sincerely,

Great letter Kale!

Kale, An Excellent Letter.

But am wondering,

#1 is it necessary for UNO to go DI in wrestling? isn't staying where they are at an option?

#2 If UNO was to go DI in wrestling would the B12 be an option; would they accept a school for one sport; esp. a sport for which they are "hurting" for participants? UNO Would be a nice replacement for UNL!!

Randy and Dad,

Thanks for the kudos!

to answer your questions, I don't know if UNO could continue to compete at the D-II level or not, but would certainly be worth considering. Wish I had included that in the letter!

I personally wish the Big 12 would extend an invitation to UNO as well as any other potentially displaced wrestling program. Having only 4 teams in the Big 12 is a travesty, and our league needs to do something to address this issue. Unfortunately I doubt wrestling is a high priority sport so it probably doesn't recieve much attention from the powers that be. I think UNO might even be more competitive than UNL in several weights!

[quote=GregMann]Kale, An Excellent Letter.

But am wondering,

#1 is it necessary for UNO to go DI in wrestling? isn't staying where they are at an option? [/quote

The Regents could vote "NO" on the proposed move to DI, although this is probably not likely. The move to DI is a disaster for all the student athletes in all sports at UNO. Not only are the football and wrestling teams being dropped, but the scholarships of all the other sports are being "adjusted". In DII, partial scholarships can be awarded so for instance, 9 scholarships can be shared amongst 25 wrestlers. In DI, scholarships are full or nothing - no sharing. Also, some sports will have reduced numbers of scholarships; women's swim & dive (who were the 1st to rally support for the football & wrestling team) are being cut from 8.1 to 3.5. Good ole Trev is deciding which sports will receive increased funding and which will have their funding reduced. I am told that the LOI signed by new recruits are legally binding for the sports that remain, so they will be given full-rides, while some existing teammates will lose scholarships they already had. This doesn't even address the fact that none of these athletes will be eligible to compete in post season competition or championships for 4 years.

The link below takes you to an article with details of how the move to DI will affect the remaining sports.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110321/MA...er-scholarships

Lou Ann:

This is not a big issue but I was always under the impression that partial scholarships could be given in D-I for wrestling and other sports. Otherwise why would a sport be allowed a fraction of a scholarship like it says the women's swim & diving team being cut to 3.5 instead of a whole number like 3 or 4. When I read the article it just said that in women's volleyball only full scholarships can be given in D-I. I am not sure that is true for other D-I sports. Perhaps someone knows for sure but I thought partial wrestling scholarships could be given for D-I wrestling.

you are correct it is this way in almost all sports

Husker Fan is correct. Scholarships can be divided and used as partials. 9.9 scholarships could be used to support 35 wrestlers if need be. This is at the Div 1 level.

I heard thru the grapevine that the Western Wrestling Conference has extended an invitation to the UNO Maverick Wrestling Team.

Western Wrestling Conference has UNI, Wyoming, Northern Colorado, and so on.

Good discussion.
You are correct that the scholarships in D1 can be divided in most "non-revenue" sports. (I think Football and BB cannot be divided).

>>>and as Kale mentioned in his letter:
The school does not have to offer the full 9.9 scholarships either. The school could move to d1 and not change any funding to any of the teams. The team can create an endowment to supplement what the Athletic Department funds if they wish.


visit mavwrestling.com to see much of the media attention, letters, and Fund Drive that is surrounding this situation.

The regents vote at a meeting Friday morning, March 25th in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Division I FB & BB scholarships are 100% award or none. All other DI sports can "divvy" up their allotted scholarships.

"For we wrestle not against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12

If anyone is interested you can watch the regents meeting online. If your a wrestling fan it is very interesting.


http://www.ketv.com/video/27319456/detail.html

Sounded like the board just passed to go with Trev Alberts to Div 1. It sounded unanimous.

UNO WRESTLING IS DONE

I Would punch Trev Alberts in the face if presented with the opportunity.

Next we just need to find out where Coach Denney will land. Benedictine would be a pipe dream but nice. He was one of the top options to send my kid to. You knew he was going to give them good mentoring besides wrestling.

If anybody hears where Denny might land let me know.

I can't tell you what a good man Coach Denney is. He has led the team through these difficult 2 weeks with such class and strength. I believe he has a plan and that we will see him coaching again soon. I'll be sure to post when his plan is finalized and made public.

I think Benedictine College should try talking to Coach Denny. It might be a good fit since it is not that far from Omaha.