Today's Des Moines Register carries a list and short resume synopses of the finalists for the UNI athletic director's job. I'm concerned. Only one comes from a university that has wrestling and none seems to have much, if any, wrestling background. Also in today's Register is a column on the oft-rumored elimination of baseball there. I worry that there might be clouds forming over Cedar Falls.
During the last NCAA visit, UNI was issued a warning to get back into compliance with Title IX. During that same visit, men's swimming and diving and men's tennis was cut.
In reality, baseball is the next likely feasible cut. After that, I think we all know what could be next...
Either way, it ought to make most Iowa fans happy anyway. The heat that I take from my fellow Iowans for being a UNI fan is almost despicable. By their actions, they shouldn't care anyway.
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UNI Panthers...23 Consecutive West Regional Titles!!
UNI Panthers...Back On The All-American Podium Again!!
My ignore list: Cyclone85; skipster; tight-waist; Ignatius J. Reilly.
Well, Northern Illinois has had in impressive resurgence in all sports (except wrestling, not sure how Grant was given an extension), fundraising, facilities improvement, etc, so the NIU guy would be a good option.
I don't understand the assertion that in order to be in compliance with title IX you have to cut mens sports. Why not add more womens sports. Isnt college supposed to provide people with opportunities, not take them away? Universities are constantly raising tuition prices and recieving money from boosters and coorporations to use for athletics. I find it hard to believe that UNI does not have the money to support more womens teams without cutting mens teams. The object of college athletics is not to make money. If that was the case only football and basketball would be offered. The AD's often find it to be their only job to make money for the Athletic Department. This is why these programs get cut and title iX is used as an excuse.
I'm not 100% certain, but I think UNI can only cut one more men's team. If they cut any more they can't remain in the NCAA's Division I. Not sure if the minimums are 7 men's and 7 womens, or if the can dip to 6 men's and 8 women's teams. If that later is the case the alumni and friends need to get involved with the program BEFORE it is threatened, not when it is targeted.
Regardless, addition by subtraction doesn't help either gender and, in fact, ultimately limits women's opportunities too.
Sorry Herky, title ix is usually the reason, not an excuse. If schools didn't have to meet the gender quota there wouldn't be cuts.
Your point has some merit. My wife, who is forever suspicious of what she hears about Title IX and wrestling, made this point to me a few years ago, and it cannot be denied: You aren't seeing wrestling programs getting cut from big wrestling schools.
Let's face it, the programs that get cut are programs that aren't generating revenue and have little fan base, so money and/or national recognition has to be playing a role there somewhere.
__________________
UNI Panthers...23 Consecutive West Regional Titles!!
UNI Panthers...Back On The All-American Podium Again!!
My ignore list: Cyclone85; skipster; tight-waist; Ignatius J. Reilly.
I don't understand the assertion that in order to be in compliance with title IX you have to cut mens sports. Why not add more womens sports. Isnt college supposed to provide people with opportunities, not take them away? Universities are constantly raising tuition prices and recieving money from boosters and coorporations to use for athletics. I find it hard to believe that UNI does not have the money to support more womens teams without cutting mens teams. The object of college athletics is not to make money. If that was the case only football and basketball would be offered. The AD's often find it to be their only job to make money for the Athletic Department. This is why these programs get cut and title iX is used as an excuse.
Terp - Herkey is right. Cutting sports is not the only way to meet gender quotas - you can ADD opportunities, which is what Title IX is supposed to do. Maryland did it pretty well, by making competitive cheerleading a sport. Cutting sports is in completely contradictory of the spirit of a law that was passed to increase sports opportunities.
All ADs face unique challenges when stepping into a new position. UNI currently has 9 women's sports and 7 men's. They are Division I in all sports except football, where they are a perennial Top 20 team in the FCS (the old Division IAA). The UNIDome seats about 16,000 for football and the McLeod Center holds about 7,000 for basketball, wrestling, volleyball, etc; so even packed houses are not big revenue generators.
The wrestling room and wrestling staff offices are in bad shape and a group of alums has been leading a fund raising effort to remedy that situation. Fan support has fallen off, even though the McLeod Center is a great venue in which to watch wrestling. UNI's "Night of Champions", which was the halftime feature at the Iowa State dual this year, drew less than 2,000 fans - even though they were honoring many past Panther NCAA champs (including a couple of 3-timers) and UNI's only Olympic gold medalist in any sport, Bill Smith.
Each of the AD candidates is set to face a round of open-forum questioning. I hope wrestling is a major focus.
The spirit of title ix, and meeting the guidance set forth by the OCR are two different things. None of the choices are purely one thing or another, but I've seen WAY too many examples over the past 20 years to naively believe it isn't focused on title ix. Pick up Jessica Gavora's book "Tilting the Playing Field" for a primier on what has happened.
You'll notice in gg's response the financial limitations faced by many schools. It isn't as easy as saying just add teams. There are scholarship costs, travel budgets, athletic training and academic support, coaching salaries and benefits. UNI is an example of not having the TV revenues of a large conference and finitie seating capacity. It's fannies in the seats and booster donations that end up paying the bill.
Maryland did it right, but that wasn't what we faced 15 years ago. We fought for our lives because we were on the verge of elimination. It was only after football had some success, and those fannies bought seats, that we were able to add any womens teams (who had to raise nothing themselves) that allowed wrestling and other men's teams the opportunity to raise our OWN money for more scholarships.
Last edited by WrestlingTerp; 04-30-2008 at 02:28 PM..
Northern Iowa AD finalists 
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