Wrestling Season

[HGoat]

Anyone else think that they should shorten the wrestling season by about a month?

There a number of benefits I see from this:
1. Won't have to compete with the NCAA basketball tournament. Seems like a no brainer
2. By march, almost no one is healthy. Shortening the season could improve the product on the mat.
3. Making the season a mostly one semester sport would benefit the athletes so that they could load up on coursework during the part of the year where they aren't competing as much
4. The season is just too long. Stretching the season out as long as it is is just unnecessary and I would think causes the casual fan to lose interest.

Thoughts? Really the only benefit I see from the current system is that the NCAA tournament is during spring break.

 

[Scott34]

I can see where your coming from but not sure if it would work out that well. Wrestlers need the early meets/matches to get there conditioning up and matches under there belt so not sure u can take that part away from em. And the bigger meets/matches are what helps there seedings at the end of the year. Just not sure where you take away matches that wouldn't affect the wrestler as an individual.

 

[cloneswereall]

Anyone else think that they should shorten the wrestling season by about a month?

There a number of benefits I see from this:
1. Won't have to compete with the NCAA basketball tournament. Seems like a no brainer
2. By march, almost no one is healthy. Shortening the season could improve the product on the mat.
3. Making the season a mostly one semester sport would benefit the athletes so that they could load up on coursework during the part of the year where they aren't competing as much
4. The season is just too long. Stretching the season out as long as it is is just unnecessary and I would think causes the casual fan to lose interest.

Thoughts? Really the only benefit I see from the current system is that the NCAA tournament is during spring break.

1. Why move the tournament around? It still sells out every year, so it isn't like it's losing attendance because of the MBB tournament.
2. I would argue that the tournament in March allows for people that got dinged up in December/January to get healthier, improving the product on the mat where it matters: NCAAs and Qualifying tournaments.
3. Wrestling will always cross between semesters no matter what you do to the season, unless it gets moved into the summer (Freestyle season).
4. The season is no longer than the football or basketball seasons (unless you're on a garbage football team that doesn't play in December). The only thing that would likely happen with shortening the season would be that there would end up being less dual meets, and probably a worse garbage tournament:elite tournament ratio since we all know those record-boosting early-season tourneys are going to still be around.

 

[ricochet]

1. Why move the tournament around? It still sells out every year, so it isn't like it's losing attendance because of the MBB tournament.

You could have nationals the same weekend as the Super Bowl and it would sell out because you have a very loyal core following. The idea behind moving it is to try and get some main stream exposure. I'm not sure it would really help but going head to head with the MBB tournament gives it no chance at any exposure.

 

[NEICyFan]

I don't think the season is too long but I'm all for moving the NCAA tournament so it doesn't conflict with the NCAA hoops tourney.

 

[theshadow]

January: Open tournaments
February and March: Duals
1st weekend of April: Conf/Qualifying tournaments
3rd weekend of April: NCAA

One semester? Check.
Out from the shadow of basketball? Check.
Shorter season? Check.
Better weather for northern NCAA sites? Check.
Minimize conflicts with other NCAA championships? Check.

The biggest potential issue is an arena conflict with an NBA or NHL team in the playoffs.

 

[HGoat]

January: Open tournaments
February and March: Duals
1st weekend of April: Conf/Qualifying tournaments
3rd weekend of April: NCAA

One semester? Check.
Out from the shadow of basketball? Check.
Shorter season? Check.
Better weather for northern NCAA sites? Check.
Minimize conflicts with other NCAA championships? Check.

The biggest potential issue is an arena conflict with an NBA or NHL team in the playoffs.

I like this model. I think it has more benefits for both the fans and the athletes.

 

[Judoka]

I'm kind of indifferent on this one. The long season is definitely a grind and a shorter season would lead to fewer injuries. But a shorter season would cut down on the number of duals which would suck. I also don't think competing with the basketball tournament is that much of a negative - the arena has no problem getting filled and putting it during March Madness means there are a lot more people than usual turning on their TVs to watch college sports, and wrestling probably gains more watchers via spillover from that than they lose people to watching basketball.

 

[wonkadog]

I'm kind of indifferent on this one. The long season is definitely a grind and a shorter season would lead to fewer injuries. But a shorter season would cut down on the number of duals which would suck. I also don't think competing with the basketball tournament is that much of a negative - the arena has no problem getting filled and putting it during March Madness means there are a lot more people than usual turning on their TVs to watch college sports, and wrestling probably gains more watchers via spillover from that than they lose people to watching basketball.

Haha, are you serious? I live every year to watch those first couple weekends of the NCAA basketball tournament and not once have I have ever "spilled over" into watching college wrestling.

 

[buf87]

I would never be able to go to Nationals if they moved it to last half of April or early May because of farming, so I am 100% against it.

 

[SouthJerseyCy]

I'm kind of indifferent on this one. The long season is definitely a grind and a shorter season would lead to fewer injuries. But a shorter season would cut down on the number of duals which would suck. I also don't think competing with the basketball tournament is that much of a negative - the arena has no problem getting filled and putting it during March Madness means there are a lot more people than usual turning on their TVs to watch college sports, and wrestling probably gains more watchers via spillover from that than they lose people to watching basketball.

Competing with March Madness is the single stupidest thing our sport does and is so easily correctable. I'm a huge wrestling fan, but even I often miss some action because of this. Also anyone who is a 'sports fan' (and not a 'wrestling fan') would be watching wrestling if it were not competing with BB. Especially if it was moved to after the NCAABB tourney when there is a 'lull' with few competing sports.

 

[Judoka]

Competing with March Madness is the single stupidest thing our sport does and is so easily correctable. I'm a huge wrestling fan, but even I often miss some action because of this. Also anyone who is a 'sports fan' (and not a 'wrestling fan') would be watching wrestling if it were not competing with BB. Especially if it was moved to after the NCAABB tourney when there is a 'lull' with few competing sports.

I'm not saying that moving it to April wouldn't be better. I just don't think it is as much of a negative as it looks.

 

[MartyFine]

January: Open tournaments
February and March: Duals
1st weekend of April: Conf/Qualifying tournaments
3rd weekend of April: NCAA

One semester? Check.
Out from the shadow of basketball? Check.
Shorter season? Check.
Better weather for northern NCAA sites? Check.
Minimize conflicts with other NCAA championships? Check.

The biggest potential issue is an arena conflict with an NBA or NHL team in the playoffs.

Should do something like this. And wrestling teams could still have a fall workout period and possibly exhibitions with other schools.

 

[theshadow]

But a shorter season would cut down on the number of duals which would suck.

ISU is only wrestling 13 duals this season -- its fewest in ~50 years. National Duals (if you can get in) is now an exempt event, so it's a freebie on the schedule.

The best (and easiest) way to pump up the number of duals is to use one "date of competition" and have a tri or a quad. You just need to be creative with travel and scheduling. It would be ridiculously easy to knock out 3-4 duals against D-1 teams in just one weekend trip. North Carolina alone has 7 D-1 teams. New York/New Jersey has 9, and Pennsylvania has 11.

It would be nice if multiple schools from two smaller conferences could have a dual "Challenge" one weekend per year, at a neutral site if need be. Each team gets 3 duals.
Big 12/ACC: ISU/OU/WV vs. UVA/VT/Pitt
Big 12/ACC: ISU/OU/OSU vs. Duke/UNC/NCSU
...or whatever mix-and-match you feel like.

 

[kingcy]

Competing with March Madness is the single stupidest thing our sport does and is so easily correctable. I'm a huge wrestling fan, but even I often miss some action because of this. Also anyone who is a 'sports fan' (and not a 'wrestling fan') would be watching wrestling if it were not competing with BB. Especially if it was moved to after the NCAABB tourney when there is a 'lull' with few competing sports.

Why not move it to the week before? EPSN pretty much has one game on at a time. There are limited games on Saturday and Sunday, people would be flipping around the ESPN networks looking for a game.

They could also move them to the dead Sunday between the Final 4 and Championship game.

 

[isuska]

Why not move it to the week before? EPSN pretty much has one game on at a time. There are limited games on Saturday and Sunday, people would be flipping around the ESPN networks looking for a game.

They could also move them to the dead Sunday between the Final 4 and Championship game.

All the conference tournaments are going on the week before. So instead of the First Round Games we'd have to compete with for example the Big12 Tourney

 

[ca4cy]

All the conference tournaments are going on the week before. So instead of the First Round Games we'd have to compete with for example the Big12 Tourney

And ESPN has much more skin in the game with conference tournaments than they do the big dance. "Championship Week" is pretty much wall to wall hoops on all the ESPN networks and I don't think wrestling would get a sniff if they went up against it. Wrestling is fortunate that CBS has the contract on March Madness and ESPN has the space to fill that was previously occupied by basketball.

I too wish wrestling would move away from the NCAA tournament, or at least the first weekend of it. I enjoy wrestling a lot, but when it comes to that weekend it gets the corner tv with the sound off in my basement while the 2 big screens are dedicated to hoops. The only time wrestling gets full attention is if there's an ISU kid on the mat and I'd much rather be able to enjoy both sporting events on their own merit. In the years I go the NCAA wrestling I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of good hoops.

If they don't want to go later in April, I'd rather they go to Final Four weekend and go back to having the Championship matches Saturday afternoon or run the tournament Wednesday to Friday. Of course that was an easier sell as an ISU fan when we were a basketball also ran. Personally I think it should go to the weekend after the Final Four in conjunction with moving the start of the season back to December or turning it into a one semester sport. Whatever they do, they need to make sure ESPN is on board. Wrestling needs the coverage it is getting, but it would be even better if it didn't have to share the spotlight.

 

[HGoat]

And ESPN has much more skin in the game with conference tournaments than they do the big dance. "Championship Week" is pretty much wall to wall hoops on all the ESPN networks and I don't think wrestling would get a sniff if they went up against it. Wrestling is fortunate that CBS has the contract on March Madness and ESPN has the space to fill that was previously occupied by basketball.

I too wish wrestling would move away from the NCAA tournament, or at least the first weekend of it. I enjoy wrestling a lot, but when it comes to that weekend it gets the corner tv with the sound off in my basement while the 2 big screens are dedicated to hoops. The only time wrestling gets full attention is if there's an ISU kid on the mat and I'd much rather be able to enjoy both sporting events on their own merit. In the years I go the NCAA wrestling I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of good hoops.

If they don't want to go later in April, I'd rather they go to Final Four weekend and go back to having the Championship matches Saturday afternoon or run the tournament Wednesday to Friday. Of course that was an easier sell as an ISU fan when we were a basketball also ran. Personally I think it should go to the weekend after the Final Four in conjunction with moving the start of the season back to December or turning it into a one semester sport. Whatever they do, they need to make sure ESPN is on board. Wrestling needs the coverage it is getting, but it would be even better if it didn't have to share the spotlight.

This was my point. I posted the other message points because I thought they were logical. But moving the wrestling tournament away from the basketball tournament seems like such a no-brainer to me that I can not believe anyone who is a true wrestling fan is fighting it.