I would like to see another juco started up, I think Butler would be a good idea, but with football probably wouldn't fly so a school like Pratt, Cowley, Cloud, or Allen would be great.

I think another DII school would be great as well with plenty of DII's in the state. Also another NAIA or small college should add wrestling, I know there was talk about Baker sometime ago, they would be a nice school to have wrestling.

I agree, I also like the idea of another juco adding wrestling. If Baker would have had wrestling I would have seriously considered it as a school as it looked good on paper just no wrestling, so I'd have nothing to watch during the winter time so I chose Colby instead. Pratt would be a good choice or Cowley but they have an oustanding Baseball team so who knows?

I was posting a couple of years ago that I thought WSU would be the logical choice for a D1 program due to the strong local wrestling at the youth and high school level. That is still true, but I think it would also be good to have any new Kansas D1 to be in the Big 12 Conference. I wonder if it would be possible to put WSU in the Big 12 for wrestling?

I think that promoting girls wrestling even to the point of eventually adding a women's program to the school too could be helpful. I like the idea of getting it added on the high school level. That would probably have to start as soccer did and now lacrosse at a few high schools at first and then the popularity would grow and the number of high school teams too. As high school teams grew so would the committment at the youth level for girls.

On Smokeycabin's post:
"One more thing. Maybe form a not-for-profit group called Friends for College Wrestling in Kansas. You'll need a wrestling attorney for that."

Is this group currently being formed and taking contributions? It seems like one of the first decisions of the group would be to decide on which of the three big universities to convince to add the program.

Having WSU wrestle in the Big 12 would probably be possible Vince. Boise State competes in the Pac 10 for wrestling and Northern Iowa has been approached about joining the Big 12 as well.

WSU would be the logical D-I choice, but pursuing movement at the juco, NAIA, D-III and D-II levels would be the right place to start. Show the D-I schools that wrestling can be sucessful and you may get some movement.

But then the ball will be in the Kansas wrestling community's court. Go to the meets, take your wrestlers from all levels and show the colleges that this is a sport that will be supported as a whole. The last thing they want to do is start these programs, then hold meets in front ot 30 people.

VS Vike coach,

Thanks for that information. I think that is good news, because I really do think it would be best to get a Kansas D1 program right into the Big 12.

I agree also we will need to support it with attendance and I think Wichita could do that the best right now.

I also think we are going to have to support it financially from private sources (individuals and hopefully corporate). I think Smokeycabin is probably correct that it will take probably at least $100,000 of annual (not one time) funding like this to make it work.

I wonder what the budgets are at Iowa State, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and what are their main sources of revenue. When you name these bordering states that have Big 12 Division 1 programs it makes you more disappointed that Kansas does not have one.

Swayz this is a great idea. I live in El Dorado just a few blocks from the campus and they should get a wrestling program. I think that at one point they were talking about getting one but if they are still talking about it then it hasn't gone through. Now I have to go all the way to Labette to just get to do something I love to do. The sooner we get a program aside from Newman the better.

The guy who was Athletic's Director when I was at Butler was the same guy who was the Athletics Director at Newman when they decided to bring wrestling (Curtis Hammeke). He is now at FHSU as their Athletics Director. Butler has enough envolvement with the staff working at the State tournament each year that Butler would make plenty of sense. I talked with Shawn Silvis a while back and he said if they would have had wrestling he would have probably went there for 2 years to start.

What it is going to take is a couple of things:

First, either the MIAA or whatever the heck that conference is with Baker and Tabor and Saint Marys and Friends and those guys need to have a couple of schools add the sport. Then the concept of college wrestling can spread. I mean, let's face it, to most of the Kansas wrestling community, college wrestling is kind of an abstraction; that's not a slam, but just reality.

With no D-I program and limited lower division programs, there's no exposure and that's what is needed. You need to create an atmosphere in which small college wrestling is as a common as small college basketball.

Once that happens, the D-I schools can start to look at wrestling as a viable option. And as much as all of you Jayhawks and Wildcats want it, it isn't going to happen. If Kansas is ever going to get D-I wrestling, the most likely place would be at Wichita State. It has the facilities, the probability of community support and NO FOOTBALL to get in the way.

I truly feel that this is a cause worth fighting for. I'll tell you what: It was nice to be back here this year and to be able to jump in the car, drive less than an hour in any direction and see college wrestling when ever I felt like. You'd like it too, trust me.

You don't need other schools in a conference to have wrestling, but it does help. Not sure what the total numbers in the Nation are for teams not in a conference, but I know UCO is one of them on the DII level.

Fort Hays is a prime example, as Washburn Emporia State etc. do not have wrestling and thus they compete in the RMAC in wrestling now

I guess what I was going for Aaron and Bronco was that for colleges to add the sport, they're going to want at least a few teams relatively close by to cut down on travel time and costs. I'm not saying it's a requirement, but it'd be handy.

Think of the West Kansas vs. East Kansas debates you could have every year on the days leading up to the Fort Hays State vs. Washburn dual meet!!! LOL

Everyone it is time for some action on trying to get KU to add a wrestling program for both men and women. It needs to be both. There are Title IX objections that KU will bring up as a defense so that is one reason we need to support a women's program. The other reason is that we are developing a very good women's program in comparison to other states so we need to encourage the development of women's wrestling in both high school and college.

I urge everyone to go read the topic KU It Is Time To Add Wrestling that is currently on the Kids Forum and the College Forum. I put it on the high school forum too but I guess it was dropped because they felt I had it on too many forums. I know that was breaking the rules but I thought this was important enough that it needed to reach everyone and not everyone reads all the forums. We need to push KU now because of the new ESPN contract that they just received. CARPE DIEM, Seize the Day, or the opportunity. They cannot use money as an excuse. In the topics read how Smokeycabin, Sean McCarthy, STA wrestling coach, suggests how our organizations need to act at this moment. Remember CARPE DIEM time at KU. I pretty much think it is now or never time. Lew Perkins the KU Athletic Director says their playing in the BIG TIME now. Well I say NO Lew not until you field an NCAA Big 12 Division 1 wrestling team!

QUOTE]Originally posted by Husker Fan:
It is being reported today in a KC Star article that KU just signed a seven year contract extension with ESPN for $40.2 million dollars ($5.74 million per year). It stated that this was more than a 300% increase. It also stated that this money will lead to deparment-wide improvements in KU athletic programs.

I can't think of a better one than the addition of a Mens and Womens NCAA wrestling teams. I think everyone should e-mail Lew Perkins or the KU athletic department with that suggestion. [/QUOTE]

Smokeycabin:

I just sent this letter to all the Kansas Kids Officers and Directors that have an e-mail address listed. I got to do some things at home now but I will work more on it later by sending it to KWCA leaders, high school coaches and club directors if they have e-mails. If someone else has some time to help me with this, I would appreciate it. We just need to contact these people to tell them to get their petition letters ready to send to the KU Athletic Director and the KU Chancellor.

Hello,

I would like for you to read a topic that I have introduced both on the Kids Forum and College Forum on the USAW-Kansas Kids Forums. I even added to the High School Forum breaking all the rules about only introducing a topic on one forum. I thought it would be permissible this time since I believe it is so important for all of us to act now. This is the reason why:

QUOTE]Originally posted by Husker Fan:
It is being reported today in a KC Star article that KU just signed a seven year contract extension with ESPN for $40.2 million dollars ($5.74 million per year). It stated that this was more than a 300% increase. It also stated that this money will lead to deparment-wide improvements in KU athletic programs.

I can't think of a better one than the addition of a Mens and Womens NCAA wrestling teams. I think everyone should e-mail Lew Perkins or the KU athletic department with that suggestion. [/QUOTE]

I would like for you to visit the topic on either forum and closely study the call to action for wrestling organizations, wrestling clubs and high schools wrestling coaches that Smokeycabin, (Sean McCarthy), the STA wrestling coach has made to all of us. See his ideas and suggestions for our organizations leaders.

I hope we all act. Please consider being a leader in this effort. Get a petition together from your organization and send it to the KU Athletic Director and the Chancellor.

Remember CARPE DIEM (Seize the Day or Opportunity). I believe it is now or never at KU. Let us not let this opportunity slip by us.


Thank you,


Vince Nowak
Wrestling Parent and Tax Paying Kansas Citizen

I am urging everyone who posted on this topic and wants NCAA Division I wrestling to return to KSU and KU to read Ted Witulski's letter and accept his challenge to join his army of foot soldiers to make this a reality (see the posting about it on the home page breaking news section)

http://www.usawks.com/College/Witulski.htm

The Kansas wrestling community needs to come up with the 500 foot soldier volunteers that Ted is looking forward. I hope we come up with more. Please join and urge your friends in the Kansas wrestling community to do the same. This needs to be a state wide effort with all hands on deck. The time to act on this is now.

Once again, Egg has mistakenly posted under his daughter's log-in!

It is Egg who is recommending that KSU mens' BB be put of its misery and adding a winter mens' sport in which the 'Cats would have a better than average chance of success.

Once again, Egg has mistakenly posted under his daughter's log-in (2x)!

but---which sounds better: Power Cat Basektball or Power Cat Wrestling?

Power Cat Wrestling, and no matter who we hired for coach he would be better than Jim Wolridge, haha.

You know I really wish we had DI wrestling in Kansas. But here is the problems. I you know anything about club wreslting in Texas University's, it has been around since the early 80's. Texas A&M started like in 85. Don't know real dates. The point is that having a club will not help you. It only helps the school by taking a load off them. Another problem is that KU is in transformation from a B-Ball school to a F-ball school. K-state has got to get their F-Ball back on the map. So, how long do you think that will take. WSU is our only hope. Because they have no F-Ball. Adding a program would be much easier there when meeting Title 9 requierments and money issues. So how do we do it? If you are friends or know 1. AD's and Presidents at our state Juco's, ask them to start the pressure. 2. If you have an in with a state Rep or Cong, ask them to help fuel the fight. 3. If any of us know AD's and Pres. at other DI schools who just started wrestling, How did they do it and what do we need to do to? We as a group could also start hitting on the KSHSAA, they may have some friends in the right places to push on.

Just some thoughts.

The most recent D1 program added to a school, was about 2 years ago, at Utah valley State College in Orem Utah. One of Sandersons is coaching. The next most recent was 30 years ago.

And your point? Stay on topic. Somebody knows somebody at Utah State. Ask them what it was that made it feasable for them to start the program. I will tell you this is never going to come to a point that is worth looking at for schools unless the wrestling community can stop bagering and entertaining ideas.

I just recieved an e-mail from the AD at WSU, his statement was that at this point we are not in a place finacially to even think about it. This fight is going to take state legislators. These schools are not going to budge until they have no choice. And that pressure needs to come from a body that has that type of pressure. And Kansas legislators could give a crap about college wrestling.