Jason & Kyle spent quite a bit of time discussing it on Wrestling 411 last year. I never really gave it much though until they took some time to weigh the pros and cons. Now I'm in the "absolute no brainer" camp that this sport will not expand until we start making duals important.

Casual fans will attend a dual and root for their team. Casual fans, unless they care about one particular wrestler, don't care about individual tournaments.

Even us diehard fans don't care about duals - so we don't attend them. I'm just as guilty as anyone else - I'm 30 minutes from Northwestern and an hour from my alma mater NIU and I go to *maybe* 2 duals a year. Yet I'd never miss Midlands, NCAAs or Big Tens if it's in the area. The attendance at both teams duals is pitiful, borderline embarassing. When Iowa came to Evanston last year it was packed, there was energy and my friend (who knows NOTHING about wrestling) had a great time. She wants to go to another one this year, that's what we need more of in wrestling...

Wrestling needs an emphasis on dual meets to grow the sport, period...

Absolutely agree - in fact, I had this same argument last year about this time. Might have been on the other site. Either way, the consensus was that "that's the way it is". It's good to see TR exposing it for the farce that it is. It is unacceptable. Too bad you don't get to see so many of the 'favorite' wrestlers at the duals as the year ends... just like the NFL, they get extra rest at the end of the season. It's understandable, but it doesn't contribute to promoting the sport when able-bodied wrestlers are held out to 'save' them or their rankings.

Originally Posted by Stardust

Much like how many states in high school have the separate dual team championships.

How many sates do that? I now that Oregon and Washington do not.

That is a MUCH better way to determine at team champion. The last couple of years Republic HS has won the B title (the smallest classification) and they have had 6-8 kids out total, They don't win many dual meets because they give up too many forfeits but of the kids they do have out 3-5 win a state title another 1-2 place.

Indiana switched to an individual and team a decade ago-and it is great -no more team with 3 champs an 2 thirds winning the team award-now the teams have a blind draw -the top 8 then they wrestle each other -it is GREAT-last year the coaches son was down 7 points and rallied back to win the team title for Perry Meridian (if not title a semi final match)-I am so old I has kids wrestle against Tonte and now his son is a stud -Tonte is the coach at PM