Will wrestling season ever be shortened?

[headshuck]

I swear every year it feels longer. Have there been any recent developments to try to tighten it up?

[jdalu75]

The coaches would all like it to be a spring-only sport; the NCAA vows that it's under consideration.  That's what I heard from the EIWA coaches three years ago, that's where we are today.  So I figure Cael opposes it.

 

[Richferg]

I think it is about right. Basketball goes for another 4 weeks. Hockey ends around the 4th of July. (Kidding, but only a little) Wrestling is maybe the only sport where the NCAA championships are completed in 1 weekend. 

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

Are there fans lobbying for a shorter season?

[SocraTease]

24 hours until the end begins .... of this season. 

[ClawRidesAgain]

No, the season must be as long and insufferable as possible to demonstrate how tough wrestlers are.  Starving through the holidays while everyone else is gorging themselves, losing out on the joy of Thanksgiving and Christmas because "breaks" are really just time for more practices.  Injuries don't heal during "breaks" anyway.

...and all this while trying to make the grade.

This misery should continue.  It is what made us what we are.

It is not about "having fun" as some have professed.  This is wrestling, after all.

Edited Wednesday at 05:27 PM by ClawRidesAgain

[CHROMEBIRD]

  On 3/19/2025 at 4:02 PM, Richferg said:

I think it is about right. Basketball goes for another 4 weeks. Hockey ends around the 4th of July. (Kidding, but only a little) Wrestling is maybe the only sport where the NCAA championships are completed in 1 weekend. 

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Big difference between playing basketball and wrestling. Ages ago I was trolled  by someone who said wrestling is a soft sport because matches are short and we have breaks between the regular season and the conference tournament & Nationals, whereas basketball plays right through with no rest and the games are longer. Yeah, in one sport you have guys who take timeouts when they get overwhelmed; in the other you have guys not eating for several days and trying not to get dropped on their head and controlled.  (I know I'm preaching to the choir)

[CHROMEBIRD]

Anyway, the risk of moving the date of NCAAs is that ESPN, who airs wrestling because they don't have broadcast rights to March Madness for the foreseeable future, will be less incentivized to pick it up... although that may be changing with the growing popularity of WBB (which ESPN has the rights to). Shortening the season and moving the start date up would be great for the wrestlers, but we'd still have the problem of DDM and building viewership and revenue for the sport. And ducking in a condensed season would probably make tournament seeding even messier. I don't know.

[Spencerlee]

Hope not

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

It seems wrestling fans should want more wrestling, not less.

[Tom formerly Tofurky]

The discussion at the NWCA tournament has been had to move the season to a January start with a culmination of the season in April.

[Fletcher]

  On 3/19/2025 at 3:58 PM, jdalu75 said:

The coaches would all like it to be a spring-only sport; the NCAA vows that it's under consideration.  That's what I heard from the EIWA coaches three years ago, that's where we are today.  So I figure Cael opposes it.

 

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This is the right answer. I don't know any wrestlers that want their season to cut across 2 academic semesters of school. Moving to spring-only also moves NCAAs away from basketball championships, which takes eyeballs away from wrestling. Really a no-brainer.

[Pablo]

  On 3/19/2025 at 6:06 PM, CHROMEBIRD said:

Big difference between playing basketball and wrestling. Ages ago I was trolled  by someone who said wrestling is a soft sport because matches are short and we have breaks between the regular season and the conference tournament & Nationals, whereas basketball plays right through with no rest and the games are longer. Yeah, in one sport you have guys who take timeouts when they get overwhelmed; in the other you have guys not eating for several days and trying not to get dropped on their head and controlled.  (I know I'm preaching to the choir)

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How many other sports have Blood Time?

 

[CHROMEBIRD]

  On 3/19/2025 at 7:40 PM, Pablo said:

How many other sports have Blood Time?

 

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All of them?

[JeanGuy]

With as little as they wrestle now you could probably shorten the season. If you are trying to get to 15 matches or so you only need 5 weekends and a single tournament.

[Gene Mills Fan]

  On 3/19/2025 at 8:15 PM, CHROMEBIRD said:

All of them?

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How many have a Blood Round!!!

[Pablo]

  On 3/19/2025 at 8:15 PM, CHROMEBIRD said:

All of them?

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Nah, they do blood cleanup and stuff, but none of them will say, "You got 5 minutes to stop the bleeding or you're done"

Cumulatively.

 

[CHROMEBIRD]

  On 3/19/2025 at 9:13 PM, Pablo said:

Nah, they do blood cleanup and stuff, but none of them will say, "You got 5 minutes to stop the bleeding or you're done"

Cumulatively.

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Oh, I see what you mean. I was referring to sports having a blood rule where the action is paused and the athlete is pulled until the blood is cleaned and the bleeding is stopped. Also, stop making me defend basketball!

[Fletcher]

  On 3/19/2025 at 8:15 PM, CHROMEBIRD said:

All of them?

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Any other sports where you get your oil checked though?

[lu_alum]

  On 3/19/2025 at 9:13 PM, Pablo said:

Nah, they do blood cleanup and stuff, but none of them will say, "You got 5 minutes to stop the bleeding or you're done"
Cumulatively.
 

That’s a post for the HS board.


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