The changes, as outlined below by Andy Hamilton of Trackwrestling.com, are being presented to the NCAA in the coming weeks, and could be in place as early as the 2019 season.
In a nutshell, the BRTF hopes to make NCAA Division I wrestling a single-semester sport, while also creating a revamped championship structure focused on end-of-the-year dual meets and separating some from the NCAA Division I basketball tournament.
The ideas are not altogether new, but this is the first-time recommendations will be presented to the NCAA for implementation. According to Hamilton's article there continues to be spirited debate by the BRTF and plenty of hoops to jump through, but the members seem to all agree that these steps could help student-athletes better assimilate to the academic rigors of college life and create additional revenue for top-tier programs who qualify for the end-of-year dual meet championships.
Dual meets provide a clear picture of competition for fans who currently sit outside the day-to-day of the sport. The meets are easier to televise, discuss and promote. I'm in favor of the steps taken and think that with more details will come even more support from coaches, athletes and fans.
Concentrating the season into one semester and creating new ways for fans to watch the sport is a positive for our sport.
To your questions …
Rutgers coach Scott Goodale coaching at the Big Ten Championships (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)Q: Rutgers has a quality team, but lots of seniors. How many classes away do you think they (or any rising program) are from sustained top-10 finishes?
-- Anil C.
Foley: Rutgers is well within reach of a top-10 finish by 2020. With Nick Suriano on their squad and big-name Jersey talent staying in-state they will continue to grab points at the NCAA tournament. In the right year a top-10 finish could be as few as three All-Americans with bonus points. That's very doable for Coach Goodale and Coach Pritzlaff.
Q: Does wrestling have a race problem? The best U.S. wrestler alive is either Kyle Snyder or Jordan Burroughs, who is black. Yet almost every Division I roster is exclusively white (or at least 85 percent white). As a minority in Carver-Hawkeye it was made very clear that I wasn't welcome by fellow fans. (Although I am Indian, I was asked repeatedly if I was here to blow something up. Security actually asked me to leave when I made it clear to the hick next to me he was one comment away from a trip to the hospital.)
I can list off five locker rooms right now I know no minority wrestler would feel comfortable in based solely on the public comments of his prospective teammates. Do coaches even care? And if not, how can the sport grow when the highest levels of wrestling aren't exactly welcoming?
-- Anil C.
Foley: The United States is going through a challenging time, a nation caught between opposing forces seemingly incapable of agreement on the manner in which we should treat each other. As your question illustrates, the discussions about race and class division is at the forefront of our national discourse. For better or worse, wrestling will also need to address its own deficiencies.
I'm married to the daughter of Chinese immigrants, but otherwise have little personal insight into the struggle of those in minority communities. I'm a white, middle class American male living and working in New York City. I don't have to worry about being profiled by police or falling into troubling times if I lose my job. My position is one of observer, not experiential.
For minorities in America there is an emerging "otherness" in the political discourse that has transformed their lives into an ongoing discussion of equality and recognition. For lovers of the American dream it's terrifying to consider that the fabric of the country is being torn apart on racial lines, and some of those affected by this turmoil are wrestlers.
Listen to Jordan Burroughs on Richard Immell's Bonus Points podcast.
Wrestling culture is predominantly white, middle class and rural. To your point, there does seem to be members of the community who lack sensitivity to the struggles of minorities, and there is far too much racism on the surface (as you experienced). There is never one match igniting a national controversy, but politicians and the media culture framing and enflaming disputes on everything from flags to crime to immigration are certain to share blame.
We can all learn from the current discussions around race and equality, but to do so will require an open mind, and more importantly, coming in with the expectation for compassion. Compassion for those that have less, who face difficult circumstances, who have different life experiences. How much of what is bantered about on CNN and Fox News would be eliminated if the commentators gave credibility to the experience and insights of those who aren't white and middle class? Compassion is apolitical, free and helps build communities and help individuals. It can also help the wrestling community to continue its growth.
We should each aim to protect everything that is American, not just the portions that make us feel nostalgic or safe. America is based on ideals of fairness and freedom. Equality is recognizing that actions protected by the constitution aren't to be discarded for political expediency, or unease.
I hope that wrestling can see that its role should be to protect those who are less fortunate, not be a symbol of ideals better left in the 20th century.
Q: What's up with all the decommits at Northwestern? This past week Ryan Karoly announced that he was decommitting, and this was after other top recruits like Michael Beard and Anthony Cassioppi decommitted. Is something going on with Northwestern? Or are the decommits releated to Northwestern's academic standards?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Ryan Karoly was unable to maintain grades necessary to get into Northwestern. These offers, especially verbal, are always contingent on meeting certain criteria -- almost like a closing in real estate. There is a time after purchase for everyone to make sure this was the correct decision. Overall, academic issues are not uncommon, especially at school with rigorous academics and admission standards. Karoly will find a new home soon.
The verbal period can sometimes open recruits up to more intense focus from competing schools. I once heard a coach describe it in terms of picking up girls when he was younger. He said he'd always focus on girls with boyfriends because it reduced his competition from "every other dude in the bar to just her boyfriend." It's a somewhat crass analogy, but that thinking is what guides some coaches, especially those who are desperate to fill holes in their recruiting needs.
Northwestern is doing just fine with recruiting and even more so with hiring top level coaches to develop their young athletes. Things are looking up for the gang in Evanston.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Link: When athletes share infections
Nicole Chung penned an essay about speaking to her parents about race in the time of Trump. It's a powerful insight into the fear that many Americans have that their fellow countrymen see white as American and non-whites -- especially Latinos and Asian-Americans -- as others.
Q: 2006 NCAAs at 174 pounds:
1. Ben Askren (two-time champ four-time finalist)
2. Jake Herbert (two-time champ, four-time All-American)
3. Mark Perry (two-time champ, four-time All-American)
Perry and Herbert were both three-time finalists, along with third-place finishes.
Can you think of a better 1, 2, 3 finish?
-- Smeadium
Foley: Better? Hmm. Probably not as stacked, but I'd offer up 149 pounds in 2008 for some comparison.
1. Brent Metcalf (two-time champ, three-time All-American)
2. Bubba Jenkins (one-time champ, two-time All-American)
3. Jordan Burroughs (two-time champ, four-time All-American)
Q: Do you think PSU or Ohio State shuts Iowa out this year?
-- @Bpaynecpa727
Foley: You're obviously trying to get me banned from the Freestyle World Cup in Iowa City. It won't work.
No. Neither of these teams will shut out the Hawkeyes. I don't see much hope of Iowa beating Ohio State or Penn State, but a Brands-led team will never roll over. Iowa should find wins between top-level talent like Brandon Sorensen, Michael Kemerer, Alex Marinelli, and potentially a non-redshirted Spencer Lee. Also, Iowa will always have a Jesse Whitmer on their squad, a guy who with an ass pat and go get 'em could upset any wrestler not named Kyle Snyder.
Q: Based on the early entry list for U23 World Team Trials, what matchup are you most looking forward to seeing?
-- Mike C.
Foley: I'm most interested in seeing NATO! He is a little stiff at times, but I want to see how he handles the international crowd. Also, Imar could do a lot of work for Team USA once he makes it to the world stage. Getting there will be fun to watch.
I'm also interested in watching some of the Greco-Roman weight classes where I don't know as many of the athletes. Same with the women. It's actually the reason I love the U23 concept -- that we as fans get more access to the next tier of talents who would otherwise do most of their toiling in regional tournaments and in their respective wrestling rooms.
Q: Do you ever see freestyle replacing folkstyle at the high school and college level?
-- @Jagger712
Foley: Never say never, but I'd find it a heavy lift to convince American wrestling fans, coaches and wrestlers to switch from folkstyle to freestyle. One of the many issues a transition would face is the reluctance of the American wrestling community to have rules written by a governing body based in Switzerland. To be beholden to that rule set with no input is simply a non-starter.
The other major issue would be figuring out when to start that process. Imagine if the years stated was 2020 and a wrestler on the team you support won the 2019 NCAA championship in folkstyle. Seems that nobody would want to see that change.
Besides, the USA is world champions. Don't change a thing!
Q: I continue to enjoy your columns. However, I am disturbed by the increasing number of angry and irrational dunces spouting hatred and taking cheap shots at you each week. I oppose censorship but wonder if it would it be possible for InterMat to block inappropriate comments. There have been many since November 2016.
-- Russ T.
Foley: Thanks for the kind words. I mostly ignore the hatred of the comments section. I like the dialogue, but you're right that it gets hijacked by a few commenters.
In that same vein I recently decided to tune out much of Twitter. There was a time when straightening out rules changes, or giving an opinion on some event seemed to do good, but nowadays those instances are becoming rarer. I still read what's being said, but my motivation to fight for truths online has been trampled by another motivation -- the motivation to not deal with trolls.
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