Why only 5 in Big XII with wrestling?
- Thread starter cyingreen
- Start date
In the past 70 years, texas has finished in the top 15 about 40 times, with several more top-25 finishes.
As for TAMU, texas owns the series 68-36, with a huge chunk of TAMUs wins (12) coming during 1984-1999 (a time of a couple poor coaching hires by Texas). Before and after that period Texas pretty much dominates the series (64-24)
Last edited:
I just don't understand why Texas would dominate wrestling when it doesn't dominate any other sport that it participates in. They're consistently competitive in sports like basketball and baseball. But they're competitiveness in those sports doesn't compare to ISU dominance in wrestling.
I would think that A & M would be the school that would be more
interested in building a wrestling program.
interested in building a wrestling program.
Um... because we are Iowa State, that's why. Only program with 1,000 dual wins, 8 National Championships, 17 National Runner-ups, 65 Individual National Champions, 14 Conference Championships, 199 Individual Conference Champions, home of Dan Gable and Cael Sanderson, thats ******* why.
That would be a good definition of dominating
And we've won how many national championships in the past 30 years? If we have dominated in wrestling by your definition. Then Texas dominates in a lot of sports. I hate to say it, but there is only one school that has ultimately dominated college wrestling, and that is iowa. We are elite, not dominating.
Texas can and will dominate in anything they choose to throw money at. Today's world of college athletics is different than the previous century. Nebraska doesn't get recruits today because Bob Devaney had good teams. They have amazing facilities and throw a s#!&load of money at the football program.
ISU, Okie State, and Iowa are the most dominant wrestling programs. To say otherwise is moronic. Also, Iowa wasn't good until Gable, and then they nearly ruined it with Zalesky driving the program into the ground.
Until Texas can court a coach that's worth his weight, which I don't think will happen at a program with zero history, they won't be much of a factor in wrestling.
Word.
Wrestling is a completely different beast than any other sport. Money will get you some places, but tradition and the chance to be part of a program with history is more useful when recruiting.
I agree, but don't try to tell me that Texas isn't the same in football, baseball, etc.
We've only won 3 conference championships (granted the last 3) in how long?
It is probably silly to argue if Texas could be elite in wrestling because I don't think they would ever care enough to try. I happen to think if they wanted to, they could.
The real argument I was making is that our status in the world of wrestling is not better than the status of Texas in the sports they compete in. It's certainly not a knock on my school so don't take it that way.
The last CC we had before Cael was in 87. However, most of that I attribute to Douglas being a turd of a coach at ISU. Douglas = Zalesky, IMO.
I don't think anyone has been saying that Texas isn't dominant in most sports that they compete in. Saying that they would be good in wrestling if they decided to fund it because they're Texas is a stupid notion. Look at tOSU and Penn State, how much they've spent on the sport the past 15 years, and see how "dominant" they are. Money won't get you anywhere in wrestling because it's such a different animal than nearly every other university varsity sport. The only reason that VTech was any good for a while was because of Brands. They got Brands because Zalesky was too busy ******* things up and Iowa's hands were tied. That doesn't usually happen.
I disagree but that's ok.
By the way, Texas money is different than Penn State money. :wink:
Sure we have history, but your idea that "because we are Iowa State" sounds like you are from UT. I'm also not saying that UT would supplant ISU as a Top 5-10 program, but I don't think they would be a pushover if they decided they wanted to develop a program.
Fact: Prior to our last three Big 12 titles, we had a drought of conference titles longer than the Cyclone Men's Swim Team.
Fact: We also haven't won a National Title in 20+ years.
As a Top Dog, we RARELY beat our biggest rival in a dual meet.
Our football team defeats Iowa more frequently than our Wrestling program.
IMO, it is the thought that "because we are Iowa State" could have been a contributing factor to ISU legend, Cael Sanderson, leaving. We assume that because we are Iowa State that we will naturally take our place in the top 5 in the country.
Considering there are so few schools that actually compete in NCAA Wrestling, the idea of trying to make a big splash is what motivated Penn State to make the move they did. Give them time and they will be knocking on the door. Seriously, if ISU were so great, why would Sanderson leave his alma mater?
He left because of money.
Also, like I said, Iowa was irrelevant until Gable. He built the program, and we're still seeing slight repercussions of it. He built a dynasty, and it's difficult to completely tumble it, especially with Brands at the helm.
Honestly, the whole discussion on Texas is pointless. You are all speculating about a program that doesn't exist, money that you assume they would get but have no clue about, the ability/inability to get a coach and wrestlers, their ability to build facilities, assuming they would care, assuming anyone down there would care enough to actually go and watch, and so on. They clearly dont want a program or dont have the ability to have one, because if they did, they would have a program. So to speculate the success of a program from the ground up that doesnt exist is just pointless.
Last year we weren't and they have just begun pouring the money in. They are the perfect example of going from nothing to something almost "immediately".
Texas could do it twice as fast and with greater success than OSU as well.
tOSU has had a wrestling program for a bit, and they were absolute **** for nearly 10 years. They're decent, but they still aren't very good. That's because tradition is a master and elevates schools in the sport.
