[Keener'92]

Wrestling? MDZip in 3...2...1...

[johnnyzip84]

@Keener

MDZip must be sleeping.

@wadzip

Excellent summary. It confirms why I've long wanted UA to stay with UT and UB regardless of conference affiliation.

[Blue & Gold]

@ wadzip,
Excellent post!

[trimmy10]

One more thing, I'll add. And though it's hardly revenue producing, imagine what the University of Akron could do in men's wrestling if it ever started a program? There is no doubt in my mind that it couldn't be a national elite program (Can't, which does have a program, is nationally ranked). UA has Wadsworth, Walsh Jesuit and Massillon Perry (three of the top 50 or so high school programs in the nation) in its back yard. That's not even counting Barberton, which has been keeping its top kids away from Wadsworth the last couple of years. Barberton, BTW, gave Perry (a national top 25 team) its closest run at sectionals in quite a while.

Overall, on the men's side, UA, if it gets its football program in place (and maybe a move up could lead to wrestling ... though title 9 implications would be in place), could easily have marquee programs in four sports ... soccer, wrestling, basketball and track ... That's not even counting football.

Some well-researched and highly thought out posts by wadszip in this thread. Kudos.

As for wrestling, your point about some of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the area is noted. However, Can't having a nationally-ranked program is detrimental. As an analogy, consider academics...what are UA's nationally-ranked programs?...Polymer science/engineering and I/O psychology. Does Can't have those programs?...Nope. UA is competitive nationally because there is not a struggle to be the best in this region of the state. Also, does Can't have men's soccer?...Nope. There's a reason for that too.

If UA adds a men's athletics program, it needs to be tennis. Look at what the woman have done / are doing. A men's program could be equally as successful. On-campus facilities are warranted, and a men's program would use the same facilities with no additional capital costs. Also, UA used to have a men's program, but I believe it was eliminated sometime in the late '90's. (Correct me if I'm wrong on that.) Tennis and wrestling are also the same size in terms of roster and coaches. I understand if you're partial to wrestling, but it just won't happen.

The likelihood of any programs being added before we are in a more lucrative conference and the football program being in better shape on the field (and subsequently on the balance sheet) are slim to none. Then, there's the Title IX issue.

With regard to the conference move, I think it's definitely UA and UT. I also think it's a toss up if only one is taken. UT has the better past, UA has the brighter future potential and larger media market. Either way, it would be a good move both for the adding conference and the institution that moves and a big loss for the MAC.

[ksu sucks]

Wadszip, awesome post.

Another factor that I think your post suggested, but didn't mention specifically, is the willingness of the administration to spend money on athletics. In that category, Akron beats just about everyone in the MAC. Also, that may be another reason BG and K-ent will be left out of any expansion. I'm not entirely sure about BG's president, but Lester Lefton seems very reluctant when it comes to athletics. It seems like he has delusions of grandeur when it comes to academics. He spent some time as VP at Tulane and thinks he can turn a state school in Ohio into some kind of Northeastern academic elite. OTOH, Proenza seems to understand how athletics can elevate a university.

But enough Can't bashing. Great post!

[Zipmeister]

Ahhsum post Wadszip.
Didn't you mean to say restart the wrestling program? Maybe after a 40 year break, we could do better this time.

[Zipmeister]

Sports to start to get Akron into the top 20.
Equestrian, Jai Lai, and figure skating.

[MDZip]

@Keener

MDZip must be sleeping.

@wadzip

Excellent summary. It confirms why I've long wanted UA to stay with UT and UB regardless of conference affiliation.

I'm here, just been busy. Akron's wrestling program was far from great when it was eliminated in 1981 but it certainly was improving, and with all of the local talent, I have no doubt it could have become competitive on a national scene as well. All sports at Universities now pretty much boil down to Title IX issues (and as much good as that has done for women's athletics, it surely has eliminated a lot of opportunities for men, which was not the intent but was the effect). The really unfortuante part is all the "Olympic sports" have been sacrificed in the name of football, because football rosters are so big they force a multitude of womens sports to compensate and then there is very little left over for the men. Too bad there isn't some sort of football exemption. I think if you look around the MAC, that is in force in the entire conference. I just saw the men won an indoor track title (over only four other schools), the women have all 12, same goes in soccer and in tennis and all mens sports except football, basketball and baseball. That's kind of a sad result.