Hard for me to believe that FHSU cannot request to not have a home game on the weekend of 321A state wrestling. Anyway, I don't care if its FHSU's fault or the MIAA's fault! KSHSAA should pull the plug on state wrestling in Hays! This is seriously hard for me to say as an FHSU alum, but FHSU no longer deserves to host 321A state wrestling! More importantly, the kids who qualified for State deserve better!

As a coach that has been to every state tournament in Hays since 2001 (with the exception of Wichita in 2002 I believe) I totally agree with Mr. Mann and Mr. Williams thoughts and comments. Every year the hospitality shown towards the competing teams has declined! And I myself am also an FHSU grad, and I have numerous friends that are involved with hosting this, but when is enough enough? It's tough to think that someday FHSU will no longer have the opportunity to host this awesome event because they just "don't care".

I think it should go A) Too many classes so B)cant find a venue to combine tournament, and C)all the good refs are tied up because of at two many state tournaments resulting in crappy officiating.

And again, fan o' sport. . . all three dead horses in whatever order. . . but, by all means, flail away.

A. Downsize 5A and 6A to 25% just like 4A and closer to 321A that will permit better planning options for a one venue tournament.

B. See A although I would like to see 48, 64, the rest...

C. One site would lead to the need for fewer officials but absent a grading or evaluation system we could still end up with the good ole boys no matter how old, out of shape, and blind they are.

D. The Kansas wrestling fans absolutely DESERVE a single site state tournament so that we can ALL watch the kids we have been watching since they were in grade school. USAWKS finds a way so why can't KSHSAA???

How is that for some flailing Greg?

Agreed. Walk away from Hays for a year or two and see if they learn to appreciate it.

Will, flail away 'til your arms are too tired to flail any longer.

We all know all.

I watched my heros wrestle in Hays, won titles in Hays, and coached champions in Hays. Gross Memorial is hallowed ground for me and I'm ready to leave. Maybe when they realize that an event that pulls in $1 million plus in consumer spending is more of a "priority" to the community than a basketball game they'll ask to have us back. We've had to work around their schedule for the last 3-4 years and enough is enough.

I believe you hit the nail on the head with this comment. I'm going to go a step further and call it China money. That appears to be all that matters to FHSU anymore. They have definitely been headed in a different direction over the past several years and as sad as it is to say I believe 321A wrestling (And State BB & VB) needs to do the same.



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One nail missed. Lentz has NO power. Musselman is the bully on the block. Lentz does what he's told. And unfortunately Musselman doesn't care what you think as long as he's getting his pay. Look at the progress of Ks. wrestling under his seniority as exhibit A.

Here is an article posted in March of last year discussing some of the issues.

Hays Daily News


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Patrick, you are correct that Mr. Lentz cannot make such a decision on his own. I know Gary pretty well from professional dealings and I am sure he would not make such a decision unilaterally. He would seek nput from the field and/or his executive board. But, complaining to the guy who IS in charge of the state wrestling series seems to be reasonable place to start.

I am guessing if more than a few KSHSAA members contacted him with the same concern he would take it on up the command chain of the KSHSAA.

Mr. Lentz will be in Hays this weekend, either Friday or Saturday. If you believe FHSU no longer treats KSHSAA championships as marquee events, respectfully let him know of your unhappiness.

The KSHSAA comes in for a lot of bashing on this board, some justified, but a lot, not. When there is no finite standard with which to measure, progress, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Seeing or not seeing progress is often the result of one's own tunnel view of events.

the article is pay to read.

The only time I watched the High School State Tournament at the Fort Hays Coliseum was when one of my older brothers wrestled there his Senior year. I thought it was awesome. The two years I wrestled at State in 4A we wrestled at Russell and Abilene in their high school gyms (nothing against them, just wasn't a State caliber atmosphere). You talk about a let down. Heck, my son got to wrestle in the Bicentennial Center and the Kansas Expocentre before he even wrestled in high school. They should appreciate what they have to offer and make an effort to give other young wrestlers memories that they will never forget.

After reading that article, I get the feeling that FHSU no longer wants to host the events but doesn't want to make the unpopular move of turning KSHSAA away. Looks to me like their approach is to make it a pain in the ass so KSHSAA pulls the plug and is the "bad guy!" Well, I say pull the plug and publicize why! Go to a place that respects our student-athletes!!

outstanding Greg. Where is the progress in your eyes? With out tunnel view? Where is ks wrestling or any other sport in Kansas better off now then when Gary Musselman took the helm?

I am not the one complaining about "progress" or the lack thereof, so define your terms. I am guessing that no matter what Musselman did it would not be "progressive" enough.

I think FHSU would have hell to pay with the Hays Tourism and Convention Bureau if they turned the KSHSAA away!

Here is the article copy and pasted.

FHSU airs concerns about tourney revenue
3/2/2013
By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net


Fort Hays State University President Edward H. Hammond hopes to meet with Kansas State High School Activities Association Executive Director Gary Musselman sometime this spring to discuss the school's involvement with state tournaments.

Hammond said in an interview Friday the school still wants to host state volleyball, football, wrestling and basketball, but something must be done to alleviate costs associated with those events.

"Primarily, we need to talk about how we continue to provide them the facilities they need in a way that's a win-win environment," Hammond said. "They've made some decisions at the Kansas High School Activities Association to make some changes in the schedule and have negatively impacted the revenues we have been able to generate from the tournaments."

FHSU hosts the Class 1A, Division II state volleyball tourney, the Class 2-1A state football championship game, the Class 3-2-1A state wrestling tournament and the Class 1A, Division II state basketball tourney, which starts Wednesday at Gross Memorial Coliseum.

Class 1A was divided into Division I and Division II for basketball and volleyball starting with the 2010-11 school year. Division II teams, which come from the smallest schools in the state, were assigned to play their state tournaments in Hays. That is about the time when FHSU Athletic Director Curtis Hammeke started noticing a decline in revenue.

Musselman said KSHSAA has not received a proposal from a member school to re-unify Class 1A. That would help FHSU, Hammond said.

"We'd draw better crowds, and it makes it more worthwhile for us to do it, rather than have the very small crowds we have," Hammond said. "All these events are a money-maker for (KSHSAA), the community makes money out of it, but it costs us money."

When asked if the state events still were making money for his department, Hammeke said "it depends on what all you consider."

"Football runs in the red," Hammeke said. "If you take all the expenses into account, you're not making money. I don't know if we're making any money if you take the facilities and the lights and all that."

The most recent FHSU study estimating the state tournaments' economic impact for the city of Hays came out last year. For the four state events, the combined financial impact is $1,628,370. Those figures do not take into account fans who make day trips to state events and do not stay overnight.

FHSU receives all concession income from state events, and receives 20 percent of ticket sales. FHSU for the last several years also has added a $1 surcharge on every adult ticket; most of the other state sites do not do that. The university also receives a share of the sale of souvenir T-shirts.

Hammeke had a meeting with Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty in the spring of 2012 to inform him of the financial difficulties the university's athletic department was experiencing with state events.

Hammeke planned to meet with Dougherty again in the fall about asking for financial assistance from the city for hosting the tournaments, but that meeting has yet to take place.

Hammeke and Hammond planned to meet with Musselman in December, but the meeting was canceled due to inclement weather. Hammond wants to talk with KSHSAA staff about the athletic department's financial concerns before approaching the city.

"I think that's where we start," he said. "I think we need to pursue that discussion with (KSHSAA) before we turn around and have a discussion with the city."

Musselman said he "would be certainly happy" to meet with FHSU officials.

"We're very appreciative of Hays, Fort Hays State and the athletic department," Musselman said. "We certainly want to work at ways to continue that."

Hammond, aware of the tournaments' impact for the city of Hays, is seeking to find a way to break even or run the events at a minimal loss.

"First of all, our objective is to keep the tournaments in town," Hammond said. "The amount of loss, it was there two years ago, but it was small, it wasn't an issue. But now, it's getting bigger and bigger.

"Our No. 1 priority is to continue to host the events. Our No. 2 priority is to do it on a break-even basis."

Cheifs, Thanks for providing the article.

I would submit that some of the drop off in attendance has been due to messing with schedules to accommodate FHSU activities. I would also submit that part of the drop off is due to increased ticket prices. And finally, I would submit part of the cause is the proliferation of live video options.

But, again, if it is such a pain to bring $1.63 million dollars to their community on an annual basis, lets look at other options.

If there are none, we can just continue to bend over.