Wrestling Committee Report

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Committee report released two “Informational items” from a recent meeting.

The first item is the most important, and probably the only significant one. The committee will conduct a study on moving the date of the Division I Wrestling Championships. The move will be proposed for the 2013 Championships, pushing it back after the NCAA Men’s Final Four in basketball. It should make it the weekend of the first full week in April, coinciding with the NCAA “Frozen Four” – the national ice hockey championship.

In formal speak and other mumbo jumbo, the committee stated that it would create a group to survey the membership about the move, but that’s not all wrestling fans. They want your input as well. The committee is looking to receive permission to survey the general public at the 2010 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships on the issues pertaining to the date change.

There won’t be any immediate answers to whether they’ll move the date, saying the earliest recommendation would be submitted for the June 2010 meeting.

Not sure how coaches and wrestlers would feel about a couple extra weeks. I’d assume fans would love it and it would give the NCAA Championships a chance to be spotlighted. Moving it from the shadow of the basketball tournament could help build a bigger audience. By bigger audience, I mean the casual fans who would tune in from home. We all know the avid wrestling fans will attend the tournament or be glued to a set at home. I think it would be a good move.

How do you feel? NCAA Championships in April sound good? One reason I’d like it, it would give me some extra time to recover and sober up from St. Patrick’s Day. :)

The second item was on Misconduct. The committe said it issued TWO misconducts from the Championships in March. Obviously, everyone is well aware of the public reprimand of Brent Metcalf. The other, however, was a surprise. Primarily due to the fact I never did watch the ESPNU telecast. The committee said a head coach received a “private reprimand” for comments about officiating during the live broadcast.

Anyone watch or know who this might have been? Some who tuned in and out said they didn’t know, but saw Barry Davis on TV a lot. I know one of Davis’ wrestlers (Howe at 165) suffered a tough one-point loss to Edinboro’s Cinderella champion Jarrod King (the #12 seed). If anyone knows who and what was said, I’d appreciate the information. Just curious…