Wrestling Blogs - Jim Brown

Another Iowa/Iowa State wrestling dual meet is in the books and the Hawkeyes have prevailed. There is a strong possibility that they will move into the number one spot in the rankings especially since Oklahoma State lost.

With 9,000 fans in attendance the meet was a sellout – sort of. Iowa State has chosen to “curtain off” 5,000 seats in Hilton Coliseum to create a more “intimate” atmosphere for wrestling meets. They also moved the mat completely to one end so that the view would be better for all attendees – but especially for season ticket holders. Iowa State head wrestling coach, Cael Sanderson explains it like this, "How do we make this a more exciting environment? How do we make it more appealing for people to buy season tickets? It's just for the overall atmosphere, and that's really it. We don't have enough fans right now to use (all of) Hilton and have the atmosphere we want in every match. We knew this Iowa match would be the one exception. The only problem is this match only comes around every two years." (1)

When it comes to wrestling, I am just a fan. I don’t know how to recruit, or coach or win an NCAA championship. However, I make my living by being a marketing consultant and today – Iowa State got it wrong.

Loyalty programs help make my mortgage payments so I completely understand the principle of rewarding your best customers – i.e. your season ticket holders. Except in this case. Iowa vs. Iowa State is what we call in marketing a “category killer.” No college dual meet consistently draws as many fans as this one – nine of the ten meets with the most attendance in history have been between these two schools. Last year over 13,000 fans were in the stands at Carver Hawkeye Arena for the dual. To put it in perspective, last weekend 4,500 fans attended the Iowa State/Minnesota meet, which pitted the, then, number 1 and number 2 teams in the country against each other. At roughly the same time 4,144 fans were watching the most storied rivalry in collegiate wrestling – the Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State “Bedlam” series. Friday night the third oldest rivalry in NCAA wrestling history, the Oregon vs. Oregon State “Civil War” battle played out in front of 930 fans. Today’s figure alone would have placed Iowa State 9th in TOTAL SEASON attendance last year among NCAA Division I wrestling programs.

So – what’s wrong?

Iowa State chose to turn away at least 2,000 fans – maybe more - from what ESPN.com has included in its’ “101 Things All Sports Fans Should Experience Before They Die.” Even if you are the most rabid of wrestling fans (unless you’re in Iran), you don’t have the slightest idea about how electric a wrestling meet can be until you’ve attended this dual in either Iowa City or Ames. Today, Iowa State chose to diminish that tradition.

Simply put – wrestling needs more fans. Fan support is an essential ingredient in curbing the elimination of college wrestling programs. You just can’t turn people away when you have other options. Who knows how many potential new Cyclone season ticket holders were disappointed because they could not experience the atmosphere today?

Is there a direct correlation between 2,000 more fans in Hilton Coliseum and saving the University of Oregon wrestling program? Of course not. However – someone has to set an example of what wrestling can be and create a standard to which all other teams can aspire.
So – Coach Sanderson and AD Pollard, here’s a suggestion for what to do two years from now when you again host the event. First, put the mat back in the center of the arena and set the goal of a real sellout. Second, overwhelm your season ticket holders with the love and attention they deserve. Open up the doors of Hilton an hour or two before the meet “by invitation only.” Serve them a buffet. Bring in Nate Carr, Eric Voelker, Mike Land, Kevin Jackson, etc. for a “meet and greet”. Give them a collectible gift that is available only to them. At intermission introduce the 10 fans that have purchased season tickets for the most years. Get creative. Reward your season ticket holders – but not at the expense wretsling’s future.






Note (1): The quote cited in paragraph 2 is from an article in the Iowa City Press-Citizen written by Andy Hamilton.