The current talk and speculation, revolves around plausible changes to the BIG 12 conference. Some of the current members and affiliates, possibly leaving to join other conferences.
One of those teams is the University of Kansas. In discussing where they might go, there has been consideration for the BIG 10.
I guess to the rest of the world this may not pose a problem but it does to me I'll tell you why.
In the entire world of Collegiate sports in the United States, there is and has been only one conference where every single team has and always has had a wrestling program.
I don't mean only NCAA DI. I mean all of college. DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, NJCAA, CCCAA, and those other divisions that are rarely talked about.
Now some may point to the fact that the American Rivers Conference not only has that every school has a wrestling program, they also require it. That is true, but if you look at the entirety of the history of the conference, as in what it was before it became the ARC, you'll note teams that did but no longer have Wrestling.
As of today in NCAA DI, we have seven conferences for wrestling.
ACC
BIG 10
BIG 12
MAC
PAC 12
SOCON
EIWA
Then we also have five conferences that used to sponsor wrestling that no longer do.
SEC
BIG SKY
CAA
MEAC
WAC
The BIG 10 the only conference where every team has wrestling and has always had wrestling.
Every other conference has teams that have either never had wrestling in their entirety or teams that had wrestling at one point and then discontinued it.
So my final analysis is, Kansas Jayhawks either reinstate your wrestling program or stay out of the BIG 10.
Reinstating would be a phenomenal choice. The state of Kansas produces a fair number of NCAA D1 talent, and it would be nice to see these kids have a place at home to wrestle. Although Kansas State has the better tradition, the Jayhawks did have success in wrestling as well. 5 BIG 12 champions and one NCAA runner-up.
If Kansas joins the BIG 10 and does not reinstate wrestling, then a history of 125 years comes to an end.
I guess I may be the only person on planet Earth that actually cares, but I feel like something needs to be said about this. So, I said it.
The Big 10 will either want KU for basketball or reject them for football, but either way, I promise you the lack of a wrestling program won't be a factor.
ReplyDeleteMy concern and my assertion was for the sport of wrestling. I didn't write this as a BIG 10 fan, I wrote this as a wrestling fan. The fact stands that today in collegiate sports & throughout the entirety of collegiate sports...I'm talking THE ENTIRE HISTORY...The BIG 10 is the only conference where all teams have ALWAYS had wrestling.
DeleteKansas joins and they don't reinstate wrestling, that's a 125 year old piece of history that vanishes over night.
That's the entire point of my article.