Big 12 Wrestling Expansion
- Thread starter buf87
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This would be a great area for the NCAA to get innovative and bring more excitement to the sport. Throw out the conferences and run a revolving district/relegation type format to build new value to each team and tournament. It will never happen though because 1- TV deals (B1G network.... Though they could still broadcast their member teams) and 2 - too much arrogance wrapped up in 'how it was always done.'
NDSU up to #18 with our gopher head coach and #5 ranked recruiting class last year. We are ready for the big 12.
I wish ISU could just run over to the Big Ten and join them for wrestling - but i get why they can't. I'm much looking forward to something... the Big 12 teams may as well be scheduling as if they are independent at this point.
So what the deal with the Pac-12? Jim Nelson tweeted that it would be a merger between Pac-Big 12-WWC this weekend. Any rumblings on this?
That would basically be every wrestling school west of the Mississippi except Iowa and Minnesota, wouldn't it? Wouldn't be a very deep qualifier - basiaclly the EIWA of the West. But more brand name schools and some recruiting exposure in California. I'd take it.
No.
His tweet said "Rumors circulating...". He didn't present it as fact.
He followed up later with quotes from KJ about the WWC. And later still with a story that said the Pac-12 and ACC were in the conversation at various times, but weren't able to commit.
Glad you posted this I thought I was going crazy! Yeah all I got out of it was he was speculating a rumor was all.
Sorry, looking at how I worded my post I can see how you thought I said he presented it as fact. I tweeted at him saying that I had not heard anything on the Pac-12, and he said it was in the talks (but still speculation). I was working NAIA and Big Ten this weekend, so I didn't devote as much attention to the big 12 stuff as I would've liked.
I may be the only person thinking this way, and with all due respect to some decent wrestling schools in the WWC, I think the B12 joining with a non-power 5 conference for any sport is dangerous. It dilutes our brand, and suggests we are a Power 5 pretender. I know we do this in other sports, and I understand the ramifications of having a 4-team conference, but I would rather we worked harder at ACC or SEC or PAC12 or brought in a couple of at least decent quality independents (big time athletic programs) than throw in with a non-Power 5 conference. To me, it is bigger than wrestling; it is about how we wish to be viewed by others. Am I wrong on this?
On another note, and I know I am off topic, I was not as bummed about the tournament as some were. At first, I was disappointed in our losses, but then I realized that overall, we did about as seeded: 3 wrestled below seed, 2 above seed and the rest on seed, or something like that. I like the direction we are going, and really hope that Gabe's shoulder does not impact his career. I thought he won the award for the most gutsy performance of the weekend. Glad he is a cyclone. My biggest beef was, like others, the stalling. I hate to see a guy win a gold and hardly ever shoot - just counter the other guy and wait for an opening to get a TD on a counter. Kills the spectator aspect of the sport in my opinion - but unfortunately, it works!
On another note, and I know I am off topic, I was not as bummed about the tournament as some were. At first, I was disappointed in our losses, but then I realized that overall, we did about as seeded: 3 wrestled below seed, 2 above seed and the rest on seed, or something like that. I like the direction we are going, and really hope that Gabe's shoulder does not impact his career. I thought he won the award for the most gutsy performance of the weekend. Glad he is a cyclone. My biggest beef was, like others, the stalling. I hate to see a guy win a gold and hardly ever shoot - just counter the other guy and wait for an opening to get a TD on a counter. Kills the spectator aspect of the sport in my opinion - but unfortunately, it works!
Yes, you are wrong in this. In many ways. 1, there aren't any independent schools that have wrestling. 2, the SEC doesn't have wrestling (just MIZZOU, and that's why they're wrestling in the MAC), and 3, the Big 12 is the only Power 5 conference with wrestling that doesn't have an AQ tournament anymore, so there isn't a huge incentive for those conferences to join up with the Big 12, especially when it would likely lead to the Big 12 schools likely taking the conference championship from the "host" conference many years (unless we joined with the BIGTen, which I don't see even being in the cards).
The biggest thing is that Texas should start up a wrestling program, and get KSU to get their program back up and running (even though it's been decades since they had the sport).
Wrestling in the Big 12 got hurt the most when Nebbie and Mizzou left the conference.
With the merger being announced, interesting article and comments about future growth
http://www.examiner.com/article/okl...12-to-merge-with-western-wrestling-conference
http://www.examiner.com/article/okl...12-to-merge-with-western-wrestling-conference
Those Pac-12 comments are probably just wishful thinking but that would be a pretty awesome qualifier with just about every team west of the Mississippi. I think it would only be missing Minnesota, Iowa, UNI, and Missouri. It wouldn't be super deep but it would be deeper than the similarly sized EIWA. While I assume it would only be a qualifier and not feature a full conference dual schedule, it would be nice to get out to California once a year for recruits.
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I would have liked to see the Pac 12 folded in. It would have given the whole more legitimacy in relation to the Big 10. Also would have strengthened West Coast recruiting. This will become more important as the Big 10 sews up the East.
Of course, what I've just said is obvious to everyone commenting here ....
Of course, what I've just said is obvious to everyone commenting here ....
