If PSU and Iowa were able to pull this off at a great venue and bring in someone who was putting up $1 million that went straight to wrestling programs I would be pissed if we didn't participate because it was in Iowa or Pennsylvania.
National Duals
- Thread starter OSUBigBadBob
- Start date
Good call. Just booked two nights at the Hyatt (theyre filling up fast) for less than one night at B12s.
We should stop simping to PSU and go ahead and enjoy the tournament. If the tournament is inevitable, they will come join. Right now the wrestling is concentrated a lot around BIG area. Having National dual close to OSU is a threat to PSU. Rotating the venue might help. But, ultimately PSU will do all things they can to avoid it.
Main reason why PSU doesnt do home/home with OSU anymore. To maintain the status quo.
Main reason why PSU doesnt do home/home with OSU anymore. To maintain the status quo.
I would be pissed too. However, you have to understand how PSU is in a much different position than we are. They do not need the money and are fighting like dogs to preserve the status quo. Iowa is in a little different position, which is why I believe they are thinking harder about participating.
This will be an awesome event whether PSU wants to be a part of it or not. People always ask how you bring new fans into the sport. Events like this are a great start. Cael can sit in his castle counting his team trophies while the rest of the sport enjoys an awesome event.
Love the idea but $200k to the winner is peanuts, I thought it was the winner gets a milly
$200K is not peanuts to any program.
Winter is coming for Olympic sports. A wrestling program getting to add $200K to their bottom line in a weekend is a big deal.
$200k is a significant budget filler for almost every non-Blue Blood Football school. Is it Program changing money? To some, but it is most definitely an option that helps not cutting a Program too.
I mentioned nothing about growing the sport in my response. You said more schools would consider going if this was a charitable contribution. This implied to me that you think 20k-200k is nothing to most wrestling schools and that they would be more interested in supporting a cause than some extra cash. My statement is that what I believe you implied is out of touch. How that makes me out of touch, I am not sure? I also wasn’t trying to be condescending about how I said it. Truly felt your opinion won’t be shared by 85% of the programs.
If you’re implying that this event only helps the winner which is likely to be a school that doesn’t “need” the 200k, then I think that’s shortsighted.
This isn’t just a rich get richer deal. Get your program in here and the 20k helps cover the cost. Get exposure and if you can perform and maybe knock off a bigger/richer school think what that could do for sport excitement, alumni support, recruiting all at the beginning of the season. It could be a launch point for some programs and for some kids.
Can you imagine where football and basketball would be if their notion of growing the sport was only focusing on those who played at the youth level? I'm sorry but this is just utter insanity. If college wrestling's notion of growing the sport is only focused on those who compete and are involved on the youth level the sport won't be here in 30 years on the college level.
I completely understand you taking Cael's side on this, because you are a huge Penn State fan. And being a huge Penn State wrestling fan, Cael is God to most Penn State Wrestling fans. But for Cael to come out the other day and pretty much put down the idea of this was ridiculous. For Penn State to not participate in this, and Penn State being the best over the last 15 years, is ridiculous. An event like this with all of the best teams participating draws fans. Penn State would draw fans. Fans create money. Without fans and income from the fans, the sport dies. What I am saying is that this event creates interest and gets people pumped up about the sport, that is why it benefits the sport! And yes, definitely make this a charity event instead of throwing the money at the colleges. Put the money towards growing the sport more than just what this event will help it grow!
To this point, the more money made on the event, the possibility of bigger prize money in the future.
Say the event brings in 20 million and the location moves to a bid situation for other venues and advertising dollars blow up, you could see the prize for attendees rise to 50-100k. If that were to happen, almost every Athletic Dept. would think harder about funding cuts to Wrestling. It's not like you see Men's Tennis generate that kind of money for themselves (among others, not picking on Tennis.)
but that's how sports are grown. At the foundational level. I'm dumbfounded that many on here and elsewhere don't understand how you build something. Hint: the roof goes on last.
As a matter of fact, football and basketball grew from the pee wee, high school, and pick up games in the neighborhood. The professional leagues became popular because many of the fans had participated in, or attended high school games.
I feel like many of you are married to the concept because you're OSU fans. The truth is that national duals do squat to promote the sport outside the diehard fans.
It would only draw those fans already invested in the sport. Surely you guys see this. This has zero to do with who I root for. It's just common sense. The mistake here is marketing it as a national duals. It should have been promoted as a charity event. The biggest detriment to the sport is the lack of quality in HS coaching. I live in South Carolina. The coaching overall is abysmal and that's being kind. You can't grow the sport unless we start teaching coaches the fundamentals of coaching. Seriously. I've seen coaches on their phones with their back to the mat as their wrestler is looking for instruction during a match!!! You don't create future fans and donors that way. Then donation of mats and shoes. Many HS gyms have old or used mats.
Truth is, only Wrestling fans watch in any form and nature. So what exactly is your point?
It is a fact it’s easier for a casual fan to follow a dual than a tourney. That’s not debatable.
Anything that highlights the sport is good. Things that highlight the sport that can remove weight from an AD is even better.
You and Cael are the only people not excited about this.
I will say, it should be held at rotating neutral sights and not have a home in Tulsa.
Improving youth and high school wrestling would definitely help the sport, but I do not see it as the only way to grow the fan base. UFC, auto racing, and boxing are all able to thrive without any real presence at the high school level.
Wrestling should thrive at the high school level, but Football coaches, specialized minded parents/mentors are a major culprit on the sport at the high school level.
