A sorry decline from a program that often produced a team that finished in the top 10-15 in the country.
Is this NIL, coaching deficiencies,
other ??
Is this NIL, coaching deficiencies,
other ??
Grapplers
- Thread starter NorthNJCatsfan
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The team finished 6th in the country in 2022 but it’s been a quick and far fall since then. I know we have had some of our best wrestlers transfer out in recent years, so is that mostly because of NIL or other reasons? And we haven’t been able to bring in top recruits or transfers to replace those guys.
I doubt it has much to do with NIL. What schools are investing a boatload into Wrestling? Maybe the Top half dozen?
The value if the NU degree should be gigantic in non-revenue sports. Look at LaCrosse and Field Hockey. Those programs get top players and win. How much are the ladies making in NIL?
I have zero knowledge on the abilities of the Coaching staff. However, I do know the B1G is the premier wrestling conference and NU is the premier academic institution in that conference. With no professional future, ( that staged stuff don’t count), I would expect the staff to recruit at a much higher level and produce some All-Americans at some point. If they can’t recruit better, it doesn’t matter in their technical coaching abilities.
There actually is a new professional wrestling tour (RAF-Real American Freestyle) airing on Fox Nation. If this is successful, there may be professional opportunities for a select few even in the lower weight classes
Shut out by Nebraska. I realize they are very good, but getting blanked means something isn’t working. Time for change.
It has been a dreadful fall. We lost one of the Davison brothers to Michigan over $100K of NIL money.
This is one of the programs that will really struggle in the new era. Not that anyone is dethroning Penn State anytime soon…
We got destroyed by NIU. There are no excuses for that.
I was at the U of I match yesterday. Cats won 1 of 8 matches. None were really close. They don't physically look like a Big Ten caliber team. They have fallen so far so quickly. I like Coach Matt and he has had success but something is very wrong. I don't know if NIL plays that big a roll. I understand many top schools probably pay more but NU is at the bottom of the Big 10 now, save for Maryland and maybe MSU. Same with both BB teams now. Can't blame it on facilities.
I know nothing about Coach Matt. He was engaged with team in marches and saw him at a football tailgate with the Wrasslers, but something has to give.
NU can’t get smoked by SIU-Edwardsville and NIU even with zero NIL. Non-revenue sports is where NU should excel. The value of the scholarship should get you at least a competitive team. I doubt there is a ton of NIL money outside the top 10 programs for wrestling. I doubt they run it back.
I'd prefer women's bowling. One of our local high school girls got a full ride to Nebraska for that sport, and the Corn huskers are a national powerhouse in bowling Very little equipment cost and not many scholarships required.
Replacing our Wrestling program with Lacrosse or Women’s Bowling is a laughable proposition.
We will get kicked out of the Big Ten before that happens.
Well, it didn't happen to Nebraska, and they have the best women's bowling team in the country. Plus, it's a lot less expensive than men's lacrosse. Vanderbilt has one as well, and last I knew they were still in the SEC.
I’m all for a women’s bowling team but not to replace the wrestling program.
NU should have enough cash to add a women’s bowling program to increase the scholarship funds in wrestling, baseball, or maybe even start a men’s lacrosse program.
Getting rid of our wrestling program after we were in the Top 10 a few years ago is insane to me and friends like Jake Herbert, Matt Delguyd, Dustin Fox, and many more incredible NU wrestlers.
I would agree, and I never said anything about eliminating wrestling. I'm just concerned about the cost of adding men's lacrosse. If we have the financial wherewithal to do it, I'd be all for it. Unlike that nasty bully, CSC, I want no sports eliminated.
Returning to the original post in the thread, what happened to wrestling and is it fixable? The wrestling program has typically been a solid to good program but has significantly declined the past three seasons and is now firmly at the bottom of the Big 10. I assume that NIL is not a huge factor in wrestling as maybe only 10-15 programs have a robust NIL budget.
Both of our too seeds have already lost at the BTT. Our 133 pounder was #7 and lost in the first round.
Our 141 pounder was #8 and just pinned by OSU’s #1 seed after a minute.
The program has fallen far.
Our 141 pounder was #8 and just pinned by OSU’s #1 seed after a minute.
The program has fallen far.
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NU finishes a disappointing 13th out of 14 at the B1G Championships. Only MSU was worse. Tough times for the wrasslers.
Update: 133 wrestled to his seed and placed 7th beating a returning All-American and big 10 champ to advance to NCAAs. That weight is very deep. There are a couple of others who may get consideration for an At-Large Bid. NIU and Illinois were injury impacted. 141 Also wrestled to his seed and is a true freshman, he had a solid year. The At-Large bids come out tomorrow so we will know more then. ***Further Update: 141 secures an at large bid to NCAAs
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Didn't we have a number of our top wrestlers transfer out? And I thought NIL was a big part of that
I thought several transferred to places like mich for a couple $100k nil packages
Well, the programs we lost our top guys to are in the group that has that money. I thought at least one transferred to Mich
Maybe Joe Spivak could land some of future guys for nu professional wrestling jobs when they graduate from nu?? So that way they might not transfer?? Not sure if it’s the classic 40 year decision that everyone at nu likes to pander to but why not??
Sorry, NIL is an excuse. Non-revenue sports should be in NU’s wheelhouse, with the lack of professional outlets, the education factor should allow you to recruit a respectable team. Not PSU, OSU, Iowa, but enough to beat the daylights out of non B1G teams. NU got steamrolled by SIU Edwardsville and NIU. Think about that. NU’s non conference wins were over squeakers over Princeton and Lock Haven. I don’t even know where Lock Haven is.
it’s a mess right now! Has to be more than NIL.
We had recruited a respectable team And developed them. Problem is that several of them chose to go elsewhere when the green was flashed. Cannot remember if they were also guys that already had degrees but that would making them even harder to replace
That was two years ago. I don’t believe we have any former NU wrestlers tearing up the NCAA. It’s a mess.
We lost a number of guys that we had recruited and developed, That wrecks a lot of things including continuity, We went from a reasonable team to bottom of BIG overnight
I’m sorry, I truly don’t understand the point of us fielding a wrestling team. I’d much rather see the scholarships go towards baseball or better yet start a Men’s LAX squad.
Not very realistic csc. Unless nu stops hosting midlands tournament elite every winter break? Maybe they have done this already? I used to go in 90s with buddy wrestler. Does it still take place?? It would be weird if we hosted yet didn’t even have a team
Very much agree with this. Yes, the 61st Midlands was held in late December. Northwestern Wrestling had 3 make it to the podium. It’s a good tournament.
Stanford thought it was a good idea to end Men’s Wrestling……….until they didn’t.