Coastal

The institution didn't fail as much as aging demographics and a shrinking rural population has an adverse affect on all of the PSAC schools.

All the PSAC schools have decreasing enrollment except for Slippery Rock for some reason but some are in much better shape than others.

There is a study that the higher percentage of Neanderthal DNA one had, the more susceptible to Covid-19 one was.

Yep, Oklahoma State is a shell of it's former self when it comes to wrestling. That's where we are today. Most states have a University of "State" and a "State" State or A&M that is often times a land grant university. Then there are private schools that were usually started by or for a huge donor like Vanderbilt, Duke or Stanford then city univesities like Pittsburgh, Miami...Chicago is interesting as they were once a sports power and are still are part of the BIG academically. Lastly are the religious schools, SMU, Baylor, Notre Dame... All of them have one thing in common, a funding source outside of tuition. Some schools started on third base, they didn't hit a triple.

We could raffle off my sister. She'd provide a lot of warmth in a upper Midwest winter or tons (literally) of shade in the summer.

You needed to make that decision more than 75 years ago if you want in the BIG or SEC and those plus Notre Dame are the only ones making money in college athletics. 75 years ago Clarion was Clarion Teachers College. When did you want them to make the decision to become an athletic power? Ten years ago when they had 5K students? Today when they have less than 2k?

It's mostly the PSAC schools north of I-80 that are really struggling. I don't think Indiana is having any issues for example.

It's not as easy as just asking for a check for most programs but fundraising is immensely easier at schools with larger fanbases but even the Iowa and Penn States of the world still fundraise. The recruiting trail is where the real difference is. The big schools are watching the finals of Ironman the smaller schools are watching the 7/8 match and asking if they are interested in wrestling in college. I know one coach that puts thousands of miles on his car hitting small tournaments every Saturday.

Thank you. I think were going to see the gap widening every year between the top teams/spenders and the non-spenders. There will be more all Americans at schools like Utah Valley where someone transfers home. I think a lot of people thought Barraclough was an all American caliber wrestler who was stuck behind national champion caliber wrestlers but he wasn't a guarantee so he wasn't getting huge NIL payments. Wick transferring home was another example but with a better resume.

Has there ever been a larger gap between the last trophy team and the field?

You do realize that Clarion isn't even Clarion any longer but PennWest Clarion. The only decisions made in the last couple of decades have been trying to stay open. A college that puts out teachers and nurses isn't likely to get a benefactor to keep the sports programs running on all cylinders.

Lot of rumors Pinto is transferring.

Opportunities used to exist for all. Clarion used to have the opportunity for an occasional national champ, then an occasional all-american, now an occasional NQ. Cael Sanderson and Co could coach there and without any resources and an inferior academic school they are not going to become a national power.

If you think a school like Ohio State and Cleveland State or Kent State have the same opportunities, I don't know what to tell you. Schools make money on football, the NCAA makes money on the basketball tournament. Everything else loses money. A huge alumni base makes it much more likely that there is a billionaire alum will to spend on a niche sport.

Not really. St Francis had their first FBS win this past season. They made the basketball tournament this year. If a school that is having the most success in their sports history drops out of the rat race, other will drop or at least drop sports.

Imagine is Mess was even better on his feet but awful on top and bottom? Ono might go through a season with nothing but bonus. There are levels to these things and Ono is on another planet

But it's known that Gable was cheating so all of his records should be looked at with a suspicious eye.

You'll see much few Cael wrestlers become college coaches because there is an option of significant MMA money today.

I forgot to add that I wouldn't make it a stop of action stall like the top grab. Count to 5 issue stalling, start counting again. Basically holding the ankle for 10 seconds is a point. 15 seconds two points 20 four points 25 a DQ.

If you want to increase taking shots and scoring, make grabbing the ankle by the defensive wrestler(the non-initial shot taker) the same as a top wrestler grabbing the ankle. 5 seconds is a stall. A wrestler could still sprawl, chest wrap, crotch lock but the grab the ankle and hope for a stalemate days would be done.

The Sparks/Hidlay duo was on Matcast.

Sparks/Hidlay have a way of explaining things that a casual fan could understand without talking down to hard core fans. Plus they seemed to genuinely like each other. One could imagine them going to dinner between rounds. I think it's funny that anyone who thinks Burroughs is a terrible announcer is automatically a Penn State fan when it's actually anyone with a higher than room tempurature IQ. Tom Brady is arguably the greatest football player in history. He's an awful announcer.

Andrews and McGrath were hired for one reason and it's not their amazing intellect.

"Big boy sports" get interviewers with expertise in their sport. Wrestling gets a twatwaffle that doesn't even have a passing understanding of the basic rules.

Hidlay has been a breath of fresh air. The worst part of the entire weekend will be Saturday night when there's no longer matcast and we go to an insufferable narcissist like Burroughs talking to hear himself talk and making things about himself. Hidlay's strong performance is going to make that difference even more pronounced.