Holding Our Breath: No Resolution on Proposal

Willie Saylor, Editor

The much talked about measure to turn the NCAA Championships to a dual meet format will undergo further evaluation.

First discussed at the NWCA Coaches Convention in August, the proposal sparked debate and derision amongst Division I’s 77 head coaches. The concept was nearly shelved last week before an 11^th hour vote narrowly passed and advanced the proposal on to last week’s NCAA Cabinet Meeting.

According to the NCAA press release, cabinet members were ‘cautiously optimistic,’ but wanted a more detailed study on the proposal’s potential implications. They voted the proposal back to the Wrestling Committee Members for further development.

The cabinet requested information on:

- How an NCAA-sanctioned dual championship would affect the individual tournament.

- The perspective of NCAA media partners

- Budget comparisons of current and proposed championships

- The survey of Division I coaches

- The Student-Athlete’s perspective

The next step is likely to be a re-evaluation of the proposal at the next February when there’s another NCAA legislative meeting. And that’s a good thing for wrestling. Instead of pushing through a partially developed duals plan for which there wasn’t anything close to a consensus from the coaches, the NWCA and NCAA Wrestling Committee can iron out the details.

Among wrestling fans, there seems to be a general misunderstanding about the proposal’s vote being deferred and its timetable. The measure is certainly not dead. It may not even be delayed.

The original prospectus was for the National Duals to usurp the Individual tournament as the sanctioned event beginning with the 2013-2014 wrestling season. Should the cabinet approve the design in February or at their later meeting in June, the schedule for a new system could still be on track.

10 comments

tmelli 8 months ago

Why not assign placement points to the dual meet tournament and combine it with the points earned at the Individual tournament to determine a team champion?

Bret Stamper 8 months ago

Having an NCAA Dual Championships is a great idea. But I think they have to figure out a way to do it without making any changes to the current championships.

Like most of us, I only have access to the information that is disseminated online, and it has been stated that 'the NCAA won't allow two championships.'
It seems to me that if it were marketed correctly, having two championships could be a great thing for all, including the NCAA and ESPN.
They could call it the coveted "Double Crown" of wrestling...sweeping both tournaments would be the ultimate objective for a team. And hey, then the smaller programs would have two official ways to put themselves on the map.
So I don't understand why its just accepted that we can't have two. If its a marketable and profitable idea, it seems to me that the NCAA could be convinced.
Just my two cents...

Chris Chorzepa 8 months ago via Flosports for Android

Go watch the quentin wright interview from this year. He said a team championship is more important and more special, even though he didn't win an individual championship. It matters.

Jamie Sperrazza 8 months ago

@ Jamie Sperrazza: it is not replacing the current system. Not at all. The only thing changing from current format is NCAA wouldnt sponsor the team awards. Thats it.

I read it over again Joefan. Your right. I guess the major thing they are messing with is tradition. I like that tradition, but I definitely like seeing more competition. I wonder how the wrestlers feel about recovery time between two major tournaments in multiple locations? You go all out for you team in February and maybe wrestler through an injury to win the team title if you have to and then you are so banged up you can't wrestle in the individual championships a few weeks later. Sure, these guys at this level are gladiators but I don't want to break them down for our entertainment.

CaliCoachN 8 months ago

Let me also say that I don't personally like the change, but I can't really argue against it other than to say that it's tradition. But, in my opinion, that's not a very good argument...the more I read and try to be objective, the more I think this is the right way to go.

It bothers me that so many "wrestling fans" argue that this proposal would decrease the intensity of the wrestle-backs. Elite level wrestlers (every single wrestler at the NCAA's) hate losing! For the team or not, they have goals of being AA's and will scrap tooth and nail to win a match, and not go home, regardless of whether or not they're involved in a team race. I cannot believe that these guys only go out to battle as hard as they could for their teammates and not for their own dreams, especially at the NCAA INDIVIDUAL tourney. I don't think changing who hands out the trophies will affect that whatsoever.

joefan 8 months ago

Money 8 months ago

Hard to believe the NCAA will approve this unless it can be proven that ticket sales plus sponsorships plus ESPN licensing money plus NWCA contributions is enough to cover the entire cost of the event. Otherwise, why would the NCAA pay extra money for no good reason?

I'm not one hundred percent against the proposal. I say that fully understanding that my opinion doesn't matter. Off the top of my head I can come up with one aspect of the current system that really makes it really fun to watch. Wrestle-backs. That is where the team championships are won. That is where you see coaches motivate wrestlers that will not reach their ultimate goal that year and get them to wrestle as hard as they can for 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th. That is where wrestlers put their emotions aside and do it for their team so they can win the team championship. A dual is fun to watch because that has its exciting moments as well, but the current system isn't broken like the BCS is. I could see the top 4 teams maybe after the NCAA championship wrestling for the ultimate team championships, but completely replacing the current system is uncalled for and not in the best interest of wrestlers and fans of the sport.

FloBro5000 8 months ago

Probably the best course of action. Proponents of the plan shouldn't have to re-work too much of the proposal, but the extra time will allow the dissenters a few months to un-bunch their panties and chill out. Let's hope it goes off as scheduled in 2013-14.

Holding Our Breath: No Resolution on Proposal

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