With State Budget Crunches - Make it one class for individual sports. Wrestling 8 Regions with 4 qualifiers each. 32 man bracket and one venue. Should be able to see the best kids in the state with that format.

RJW,
Those media trucks from Wichita never cover anything in regards to wrestling local or otherwise, except the State tournament. That is why it is so important to keep them rolling to one location for that one time of the year. Remember, it doesn't matter for what reason we start losing wrestling programs, Title IX, budget cuts, lack of local interest etc., once it becomes acceptable there soon won't be wrestling anywhere. I would venture to say that the 4A schools could be some of the hardest hit by Title IX once the courts start requiring the high schools to follow the same criteria the colleges are required to meet to be in compliance.
Again, and this is just my opinion, but I do not believe that putting one class of schools in any arena will provide enough revenues for the KSHSAA to continue to do so for long. Not unless Salina is going to give away the facility and all the other costs associated with such an event. People argue that the 321A is successful at Hays with about the same amount of competitors but I believe that has more to do with the size of the communities and the way they support ALL their sports. I was at one of the last state tournaments held at a high school gym prior to the move to Wichita. While the gym was packed it held a maximum of 1,500 fans. I see nothing to indicate that those numbers would be much different today if the tournament was broken up. Simply put, other than western Kansas schools 4,5 and 6A won't draw as many fans to a wrestling event on an individual basis. That is great for you but bad for us in and around the major metropolitan areas.
I like most on this board will follow my team wherever they go but that won't feed the bulldog where the sport is concerned.

Im still amazed to see people talking about this. The fact is the State tournament will get seperated next year, there just isn't anyway around it because of the way KSHSAA operates. The only question is where will each class be going. I can say with almost absolute certainty that the three classes that were at Wichita will not all be in the same building next year. Understand that KSHSAA does not care about the media, what they do care about is having things done in a procedure that has been repeated so many times before. All I can say is expect to see seperation next year.

Can't a man dream, Nigel?

Sure, go ahead.

Nigel---

You hit that right on the head about the KSHSAA not caring about the media...I'm not saying that when at the State tournament, the media deserve to be treated like kings, but over the years, they have been crapped on by the powers that be (KSHSAA) in Wichita...You don't stick working members of the media in one of the back hallways to work, away from any of the action...You want to know why the state wrestling tournament is not covered as well as it should be? It's because of the KSHSAA and it's "not caring" attitude...

While I'm asking since I'm the only person that really tries to cover wrestling for my paper and nobody seems to know at the news office (only 3 of us, and the other 2 aren't the biggest sports fans), do I have to contact the KSHSAA for passes for regionals and state to "officially" get in?

Aaron:

For Regionals, simply go to the pass gate and identify yourself as a member of the media (and considering where they are, that shouldn't be too hard LOL). For State, you will need to contact KSHSAA directly to request credentials. You'll pick them up at the Coliseum.

Actually, for Regionals, you should call the host school at least a few days before the tournament starts and let them know you are coming...That way, they will be expecting you and you won't have as much trouble getting through the pass gate...

For State, things may have changed, but the last I heard, the Newton Kansan sports editor took media requests, and they had to be submitted in writing on newspaper letterhead...You also have to show your newspaper press pass at the pass gate...

Here's the solution to satisfy everyone.

Split out the classes to each have their own state tourneys, and bring back Grand State.

Newspaper letterhead huh? lol...our paper is so podunk small town that it should be fun finding that

GRAND state now i havnt heard that sense 1976 but you want the best of the best thats a way to go. top 2 guys of each class in state and lettem kick hell outa each other in salina for the big finale. That will also give ya the top school and the top class in the state. but then the 4a guys wouldnt have anything to argue about. And we would find out if they or the 321a are THAT MUCH BETTER THEN 5a and 6a. i think you would find it evens out over a 10 year time frame. THE SINGLE A STATE TOURNYS WERE BORING BUT GRAND STATE WAS AWSOME

What Jim said reminds me of a beer commercial: BRILLLIANT!

Grand State would be great for the sport, but I say only allow Seniors. Invite all state placers that were seniors and combine the A's to set up brackets and a Senior So-Long type of farewell and aprreciation for the great wrestling of the past 4 seasons given to Kansas Prep wrestling. It would also be a good warm up for some for the National High School Championship

Sorry but the idea isn't going to fly with kshsaa

NIGEL NEVER SAY NEVER IT WORKED ONCE AND THE GOOD OL KSHSAA WERE THE ONE WHO SET IT UP. BUT IN ALL TRUTH I LIKE THE IDEA OF PUT UM ALL IN THE SAME PLACE AND DO THREE DAYS IM A BIG A FAN OF THE SPORT AS ANYONE BUT I WANT TO SEE ALL THE GUYS THAT WE HERE ABOUT FROM THE EAST AND THE WEST SMALL AND BIG SCHOOLS FOR GOD SAKE WHO CARES ABOUT AN EXTRA MEAL OR SLEEP MAN THIS IS STATE

Make the best wrestlers in the state wrestle each other? BRILLIANT!!!!!

I didn't say never, but from my conversation with Rick Bowden its pretty much a given tht grand state won't be making its way back anytime in our lifetime.

Ok, I can understand not wanting to have a grand state for sports like football, volleyball, basketball, baseball and others, a school like Derby would kill a school like Jackson Heights in basketball, but what is wrong with having a grand state with individual sports? I mean, I would really like to know the KSHSAA's reasoning for not letting this happen. Heck, they are all together for track, why not give grand state medals to the top 6 placers overall?

Golf, track, cross country, and most importantly, wrestling need a grand state so we can really know who is the best in the state, not who is the best in the state in each school's relative-size class. The size of the school has no bearing on the talent of the individual.