The Kansas City Star reported record revenues for both KU and KSU for Fiscal Year ended June 30, 2013.

KU's report shows operating revenue at $93,114,168 and operating expenses at $79,720,036 for operating profit at $13,394,132.

KSU's report shows operating revenue at $70,457,283 and operating expenses at $59,325,573 for operating profit at $11,131,710.

The KU article link at the bottom of this post points out that KU ranked 19th in the country in revenue in FY 2013! It also points out that the Big 12 in 2007 paid KU $8.4 million in television money and this has skyrocketed (to use their term) to $20.8. It was a big jump from the year before when it was $14.1 million. The five year comparison chart in today's newspaper printed article (FY 13, 12, 11, 10 and 2009) of these numbers indicates that KSU's TV revenue has grown form $11 million in 2009 to $21 million in 2013. I am not sure you can find the five year chart online but it is worth a look if you can find it.

I read these two articles and looked at the charts and I can't help but wonder why these Kansas D-1 universities should not be adding wrestling programs at this time. After reading the two articles I researched to see the latest Kansas high school sports participation numbers from the National Federations of State High School (NFHS)for 2012/2013. Wrestling ranked 5th in high school boys participation at 5,156 participants, 8.24% of the total boys participation from all Kansas sports of 62,547.

The ranking were:

1-Football- 16,189 25.88%
2-Track & Field- 9,945 15.90%
3-Basketball- 9,059 14.48%
4-Baseball- 6,143 9.82%
5-Wrestling- 5,156 8.24%
6-Soccer- 4,212 6.73%
7-Cross Country- 3,813 6.10%
8-Golf- 3,097 4.95%
9-Tennis- 2,379 3.80%
10-Swimming & Diving- 1,619 2.59%
11-Bowling- 935 1.49%

This may be the time for us as individuals and as Kansas wrestling organizations to contact our representatives and the KU & KSU Board of Regents to advocate for D-1 wrestling programs at both KU and KSU. I think that both schools could afford to have both men's wrestling and soccer programs along with any additional women programs needed to satisfy Title IX requirements.


[Here is a link to the article on the KU report:

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/03/28/4923010/ku-reports-record-93-million-in.html

Here is a link to the artilce on the KSU report:

http://www.kansascity.com/2014/03/28/4922892/k-state-shows-athletic-surplus.html

One of the current regents, Shane Bangerter, is a former high school wrestler. He grew up in Leoti.

The board of regents will leave the decision to add or subtract programs from Kansas schools to the President and members of administration for that University.

Due to Title IX men's sports have been reduced to basically football, basketball (both revenue generators) and baseball. Someone needs to perform an extensive study of the correlation of the decline of men's competitiveness in non-revenue, Olympic Sports since the enforcement of equalization of men's and women's scholarships.

There is a "secret" formula for an opportunity at adding wrestling to a D1 school's men's athletic offering.

1. NO football program (86 scholarships)
2. Excess dorm space
3. No existing Title IX compliance issues.
4. A documented need to augment existing enrollment numbers.
5. Proximity to other D1 programs to compete against.

There are 275,000 high school wrestlers in the U.S. Only 76 D1 wrestling programs are in place today. That is that is approximately 753 scholarships and 2,280 roster spots.

In Kansas we have no D1 opportunity yet Oklahoma, Colorado, Nebraska, Missouri all have one school and Iowa has three. Sad to say we are surrounded by opportunities yet offer none. This leaves our wrestlers with just ONE school that offers and in state tuition for Kansas wrestlers.

What can we do? KU and KSU are NOT the answer...

Slight correction, Oklahoma has two D-1 programs at both Oklahoma State and the University of Oklahoma.

I realize the odds are probably non existent that the athletic departments or even the administrations at KU or KSU would approve a wrestling program. It has been almost fifty years since KU had one and I believe around forty years since KSU had a program. It will only happen if they are forced to do so by the legistlature, the board of regents, or some other outside entity that might have some degree of regulatory control of them such as the NCAA or the Big 12 or who knows maybe the Big 10 conference someday.

It will probably not happen in my lifetime but I have not given up hope that KU and KSU will one day have a D-1 wrestling programs again. I want the same for Wichita State but I am not sure if they are in financial shape to do it. I still intend to devote my main support to the Kansas College Wrestling Fund and the Kansas colleges that currently have programs.

However, these articles point out that the money is plentiful at both schools. KSU is showing operating profit of $11 million in FY 2010, $23 million in FY 2011 and $12 million in FY 2012 and $11 Million in FY 2013. All these things you point out are they not issues in Oklahoma, Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri? Don't all those schools have football programs and Title IX issues too? How do they make it work? Why can't KU or KSU make it work the same way.

We know how many kids we having wrestling in Kansas at the youth and high school levels. Does this state not deserve wrestling programs at their two biggest state schools with D-1 programs? I think it does. I think most of us do.

I know it is not likely to happen anytime soon but I also know it will definitely not happen if we do not let some people who could possibly have some power to change the situation know that it should happen and with the facts of why we think it should happen.