University Nebraska Omaha to drop wrestling, football

[isukendall]

UNO takes aim at Division I - Omaha.com

LES SIGMAN BLOG: Help save UNO Wrestling!!! | TheMat.com - USA Wrestling

The day after winning their third consecutive D-II national title, UNO is moving up to Division I (for basketball, supposedly) and dropping wrestling and football in the process. I'm hoping something can be done to stop this from happening, but it's likely a done deal. There is contact info for UNO's chancellor and AD in the second link, they will get phone calls and emails from me tomorrow.

 

[Wesley]

Shall we recruit their wrestlers to help them out?

 

[BenEClone]

I trust the management has done the math - football, e.g., is an expensive sport and I suspect their revenue is negligible. Oakland, the Summit basketball champ plays Texas as a 13 seed. I doubt they'll pull local prospects away from Creighton or NU. They are a perrenial power in D-2 wrestling. If the leagues allow it, they might be to join the Big 12 in wrestling. Frankly though, I suspect wrestling is not a revenue sport, even for a repeat national champion. But, it probably doesn't cost a lot either. If they do go down, we might want to consider an offer to one of their wrestling coaches.

 

[Judoka]

Great article about this on USA Wrestling's website.

SESKER COLUMN: Decision to drop wrestling at Nebraska-Omaha makes no sense at all | TheMat.com - USA Wrestling

Sounds more like the Athletic Director doesn't like the wrestling coach more than anything else. He even called the coach to inform him about it while the team was at the hotel celebrating their third consecutive national championship.

 

[Tank]

Great article about this on USA Wrestling's website.

SESKER COLUMN: Decision to drop wrestling at Nebraska-Omaha makes no sense at all | TheMat.com - USA Wrestling

Sounds more like the Athletic Director doesn't like the wrestling coach more than anything else. He even called the coach to inform him about it while the team was at the hotel celebrating their third consecutive national championship.

Which is crazy b/c Denney and Higdon are great guys and would do anything to help a person out. Both are big players for the University in charity events and give the University a good name.

After reading more into this and talking to some buddies in Omaha, sounds like ol' Trev is trying to make a name for himself and it sucks that 2 key sports like football and wrestling, that have had great success in the past, are his tickets to bigger and better things.

 

[Judoka]

Haha, listening to this guy flounder is just horribly bad...

From the ESPN article: "The wrestling team needed an infusion of cash to be competitive at the D-1 level"

Did they need extra special headgear or something?

This was after he told another reporter that the issue wasn't money, but that there new conference didn't support wrestling (even though several conference members have wrestling teams with no issue).

I still can't believe he called the team while they were celebrating their third consecutive championship to tell them they were canned. Also, apparently when the team got home this evening he had the fieldhouse locked up and security to prevent them from getting in. I hope this guy not only gets fired, but is never able to find a non-minimum wage job ever again.

 

[Tank]

Haha, listening to this guy flounder is just horribly bad...

From the ESPN article: "The wrestling team needed an infusion of cash to be competitive at the D-1 level"

Did they need extra special headgear or something?

This was after he told another reporter that the issue wasn't money, but that there new conference didn't support wrestling (even though several conference members have wrestling teams with no issue).

I still can't believe he called the team while they were celebrating their third consecutive championship to tell them they were canned. Also, apparently when the team got home this evening he had the fieldhouse locked up and security to prevent them from getting in. I hope this guy not only gets fired, but is never able to find a non-minimum wage job ever again.

If this is true, my money will no longer be going to UNO athletics!

 

[Judoka]

If this is true, my money will no longer be going to UNO athletics!

It was reported by a UNO fan on a wrestling forum I post on, I'm sure we'll know if a few days if it is true, but given how the guy ahs acted so far, I wouldn't be suprised.

 

[CarolinaCy]

Great article about this on USA Wrestling's website.

SESKER COLUMN: Decision to drop wrestling at Nebraska-Omaha makes no sense at all | TheMat.com - USA Wrestling

Sounds more like the Athletic Director doesn't like the wrestling coach more than anything else. He even called the coach to inform him about it while the team was at the hotel celebrating their third consecutive national championship.

He (AD Trev Alberts) probably wanted to tell the coach in person instead of letting him read the massive front-page story in the OWH on Sunday, or hear it second hand from someone else who would read that story.

 

[cyhawkdmb]

It was reported by a UNO fan on a wrestling forum I post on, I'm sure we'll know if a few days if it is true, but given how the guy ahs acted so far, I wouldn't be suprised.

They (UNO Fans/Players) had a rally there so I would think it is false.... According to the channel 6 News... they had footage of it...

 

[heitclone]

This move makes no sense, UNO's 2 best programs are football and obviously wrestling. The football move makes sense from a money saving standpoint but is a wrestling program really that expensive?

 

[cyhawkdmb]

This move makes no sense, UNO's 2 best programs are football and obviously wrestling. The football move makes sense from a money saving standpoint but is a wrestling program really that expensive?

Right now the UNO Wrestling budget is approx 250,000.... One of the North Dakota Schools Wrestling program, which is a Summit league School has a budget of almost 600,000... And they said UNL Is just over a million... Like I said in another post, I have a cousin that plays football at UNO... And It sucks for him.. But I think Trav is probably right...

 

[wartknight]

UNO had a very limited timeframe to make this decision to move up. Tough to be a fan of both those sports, but their success really doesn't mean much to the bottom line when they are drawing from such a limited fanbase. Its the same case at many lower division schools

 

[Cyclones_R_GR8]

This move makes no sense, UNO's 2 best programs are football and obviously wrestling. The football move makes sense from a money saving standpoint but is a wrestling program really that expensive?

Does a Division II school have to abide by Title 9? It could be that if UNO jumps up to Division I they will have to add scholarships to be Title 9 compliant and there just aren't enough funds.

 

[Judoka]

Does a Division II school have to abide by Title 9? It could be that if UNO jumps up to Division I they will have to add scholarships to be Title 9 compliant and there just aren't enough funds.

All schools have to be Title IX compliant, regardless of level. Title IX isn't just about sports scholarships.

 

[drmwevr08]

All schools have to be Title IX compliant, regardless of level. Title IX isn't just about sports scholarships.

Yes and keeping the men and women in compliance costs a lot when you have to begin spending more on wrestling or football. I think this is definitely part of the equation.

 

[AlumNi]

Yes and keeping the men and women in compliance costs a lot when you have to begin spending more on wrestling or football. I think this is definitely part of the equation.

If UNO were to keep wrestling, as another poster said, that budget would have to rise significantly to compete at the Division I level. And in order to keep wrestling, the school would probably have to add one or maybe even two more women's sports to keep Title IX in check.......something which UNO is not in compliance with now.

 

[Judoka]

They (UNO Fans/Players) had a rally there so I would think it is false.... According to the channel 6 News... they had footage of it...

The NWCA backs up that he had it locked.

UNO Wrestling and Trev Alberts Box | OpenMat News

 

[Wesley]

Haha, listening to this guy flounder is just horribly bad...

From the ESPN article: "The wrestling team needed an infusion of cash to be competitive at the D-1 level"

Did they need extra special headgear or something?

This was after he told another reporter that the issue wasn't money, but that there new conference didn't support wrestling (even though several conference members have wrestling teams with no issue).

I still can't believe he called the team while they were celebrating their third consecutive championship to tell them they were canned. Also, apparently when the team got home this evening he had the fieldhouse locked up and security to prevent them from getting in. I hope this guy not only gets fired, but is never able to find a non-minimum wage job ever again.

Maybe his new name will be Airhead Alberts.

 

[CarolinaCy]

The NWCA backs up that he had it locked.

UNO Wrestling and Trev Alberts Box | OpenMat News

I don't know why that would be necessary, this isn't even remotely close to a final decision yet. This is just what the AD and Chancellor will recommend to the BoR, which has to make the final approval, and they aren't scheduled to meet until late April some time.