Idaho

Yep.... huge liability for schools. Getting mixed up in all of this will be "part-time" vs "full-time" employee status. If schools want no part of this liability it will certainly go the route of amateur leagues... which I have stated for a long time will not have the same support as a school sponsored program. NIL will no longer be a thing....it will simply be signing a contract for X$ and those providing NIL now will support an amateur league as much as they support arena football.

What is COVID?

Agree.... In a thread earlier this year prior to the season, which I will eventually dig up, there was a conversation about him going from 5th to R16 at 197 and declining... not showing that he would handle the weight jump if he can't handle 197... etc. I was on the other end, as there were a few who believed he would be tough at HWT.

This was a big discussion prior to the season about Younger Dave Batista. There were a couple of us on the side that he would do great moving up to HWT... there were many who said he wouldn't be in the top 16. He's had a great season so far. I can see him anywhere from 3-8. I see him beating Elam but not WH.... or whatever symbols you want to use <> .. .. #$*&$

That would be a logical landing place....and as mentioned what everyone else does. My concern would be that it would be like a dropped program starting all over with no money and raising your own funds. We would be down to the RTC's that have big money and donors. Perhaps all the other divisions would probably benefit.

Yep... as soon as the system is disconnected from the school, it will become like that minor league baseball team that you have in your town that has Balloon Clown night to try to get families to attend. There is a huge difference between a community of people who support a school VS. community support for an amateur minor league team. The financial bottom line will be very ugly. But perhaps that's what needs to happen???? There is a lot to that conversation, but I will leave it there for now. Agree 100% ... attendance is down and what used to be the students competing for spots in a program is now colleges competing for the students. We have friends who have their kids in the local JC doing apprenticeships in their various trade schools. Cheap tuition, 1 class a week for 3 hours, the rest is on the job training full-time while being paid. Good route to go. Lot's of companies are also now doing their own training and apprenticeships. My son in law got accepted into an apprenticeship program with a local air company. He learned to work on Jets, got his certificates and got paid a decent full time wage while doing it. He will be making 6 figures in a couple years. Not bad for a mid-twenties kid to be trained for free, no school loans and making a good wage.

All NCAA sports need their schools.... NIL comes from connections to the schools.... big time donors, business owners, etc. WIthout a connection to the school and sponsored by the school, sports become a separate league or minor league system such as the XFL. I don't think school donors are interested in supporting a minor league team versus their alma mater. Splitting off from the NCAA could be good for schools as well, but it could also have dangerous consequences. If football wants to split off and do their own thing let them do it. Let's see if that money stays there.

Just have them wrestle in the all-star meet so it doesn't count on paper but counts in everyone's minds.

If you are from Pennsylvania he would be a four -timers.

I agree.... a tri-dual between Iowa, PSU and ? would be huge in every aspect. Now you are not ducking one guy for seeding, you would have to duck two. Killing two rocks with one bird.

Impressive … 15 years ago. Wonder what he’s up to? Probably good money as a street performer in New York

I think Burroughs won it that year. I believe he finished around 3rd or 4th. Very well deserving and dominated in the finals.

So did Anthony Robles... he won a D1 title in dominating fashion... what's the difference here? Just goes to show it's hard to get a leg up on the competition. I will see myself out now.

The good old "Does the All-Star Count? " discussion. The real criteria should be if they can crush an apple in their hand. Let's separate the men from the boys.

Because Flo says so.... but Wrestlestat has him #4. That's in the conversation.

Stairway to Heaven

Pulling a Stevenson and a Askeen are you.

Yep - I agree.... and I am sure at some point they will be taking care of him on the NIL front as well.

" In fact, Mesenbrink was adamant that NIL wasn’t a part of his decision saying, “My recruiting process was not influenced by NIL. Less than 1%, .1%, nothing about NIL played a part in me picking Penn State.” Mitchell went on to say, “To hear the things that people are saying about NIL…it’s shocking.” He feels those a part of the NIL conversation are taking the rumors they hear online and believing them as fact rather than getting their information straight from athletes. The coaches he talked to only offered him scholarships and kept all of their conversations to school and wrestling-related topics. "

Cal Poly and an NAIA school.... https://cbulancers.com/news/2022/11/5/mitchell-mesenbrink-go-undefeated-on-opening-day-for-cbu-

Hmmm... Didn't know you could wrestle a dual for a team but not actually be there.

He was all conference academics all four years of high school.

Are 1990's JUCO programs at the same level as current D1 programs academically? Seems much easier to be a D1 wrestler from an academic standpoint.

https://cbulancers.com/news/2021/11/16/wrestling-signs-two-new-highly-accomplished-recruits-for-2022-23.aspx https://www.flowrestling.org/video/10319660-why-mitchell-mesenbrink-is-entering-the-portal

Just off the top of my head for this season there are several starters that came from the JUCO ranks... McDermott, Crosby, Strickenberger, Morton (D2), Ricks, Spangler. More distant Joe Colon, Deron Winn, Covington, Jones, Lesnar come to mind.