1. The Case for Wrestling at Eastern Oregon University Prepared by the National Wrestling Coaches Association

2. Purpose & Agenda I. Historical Perspective
II. Indigenous To Your Geographic Area
II. Ability to Increase Your Enrollment & Diversity
III. Opportunity For Nationally Competitive Program
IV. Low Cost Per Student Athlete
V. High School Participation Trends
VI. Under-served at the College Level
VII. Academic Achievement of Scholastic/Collegiate Wrestlers
VIII. Modest Cost for Establishing a Program
IX. Wrestling’s Outstanding Americans

3. Historical Background of Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the top NCAA sports with respect to attracting
1st generation college bound students. Wrestling also ranks among the top 6
with respect to minority participation
Since 2004, 47% of our U.S. Olympic wrestling team were minorities.
Intercollegiate wrestling has been in existence over 100 years.
Wrestling was included in the ancient Olympic Games, and was one of the select sports included in the first modern Games in Athens, Greece in 1896.
Wrestling is one of the few sports that provides opportunities for the blind and physically handicapped, as well as men and women of all sizes, weights, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
13 United States Presidents wrestled.
2011 NCAA Champion Anthony Robles/Arizona St.

4. Indigenous to the Geographic Area
Scholastic boys wrestling ranks sixth in popularity with over 270,000 high school participants nation wide.
There are approximately 46,017 high school wrestlers in Oregon and the bordering states and only 12 “four year” men’s college wrestling teams.
There are 11,014 high school male wrestlers in Washington and Nevada without any four year college wrestling teams.
There are approximately 220 high school wrestling teams in Oregon and only 6 intercollegiate men’s wrestling teams.
In Oregon and bordering states, there are 3,263 high school girls that wrestle and only three college wrestling teams.
High school girls wrestling is one of the fastest growing girls sports.

5. Ability to Increase Enrollment
Eastern Oregon will attract a diverse population.
NCAA statistics indicate that DII and DIII wrestling teams have the highest percentage of 1st Generation College Bound Students. We suspect the same would be true for the NAIA.
We sold our program on the fact that we are serving a niche in the state of Kansas as the ONLY NAIA institution with a wrestling program. There are Kansas high school wrestlers searching for a place to continue their sport of choice while simultaneously receiving a quality education. Our new program is a "win-win" for the state of Kansas and for Baker University (we have 35 wrestlers on the roster in the first year).
Dan Harris, Athletics Director, retired – Baker University

6. Supports Diversity
Historically a “Blue-Collar” Sport, Wrestling Attracts Students From all Socio-Economic Backgrounds
Composition of 2012 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Team Reflected Wrestling’s Diversity
Sport Provides Opportunity to Physically Smaller Athletes Due to Weight Classification Competition
One of the Few Sports to Provide Mainstream Opportunity to the Blind, Deaf and Physically Handicapped Student-Athlete
Women’s wrestling is now an Olympic sport and
over 8,000 young women are wrestling in high
schools across America (21 college teams)

7. Ability to be Competitive on A National Level
40 of the 41 of NAIA institutions (that sponsor men’s wrestling) qualified at least one wrestler to the national championship in 2013.
Sixty percent of NAIA institutions (that sponsor wrestling) had an All American in 2013.
With only 280 four year college wrestling teams (41 of which are NAIA) to accommodate over 270,000 high school wrestlers, national competitiveness is virtually guaranteed simply by sponsoring a program and hiring a qualified coach.
With over 8,400 high school girls that wrestle and only 23 college teams, Eastern Oregon should have a nationally competitive team as well.

8. Men’s Regional Wrestling Teams
NAIA Teams
Southern Oregon (OR)
Warner Pacific University (OR)
Montana Northern (MT)
Great Falls (MT)
Simpson (CA)
Menlo (CA)
Embry-Riddle (AZ)
NCAA DI, DII, DIII Teams Oregon St Pacific University San Francisco St. Boise State Stanford Cal Poly Cal Baptist Simon Fraser Cal St. Bakersfield

10. Cost Effective Sport
The cost of NAIA wrestling programs are among the lowest of all collegiate sports. A sample budget based on other “similar” NAIA wrestling programs:
a. Operating Budget (travel, equipment, recruiting, etc.) - $60,000/team
b. Coaches Salary (recommend combining with another on campus
duty such as admissions, financial aid, etc. - $35,000 - $45,000
c. Add a graduate assistant for women’s team - $10,000
Initial start up costs:
a. Two wrestling mats (last 12 – 15 years) - $16,000
b. Practice Facility – ideally should be 42’ x 84’
c. Uniforms & practice gear - $7,500/team

11. Current Cost of Not Having Wrestling
Historically, intercollegiate sports teams have served a vital role in developing the next generation of scholastic coaches and mentors. In the absence additional intercollegiate wrestling teams in Oregon, the following is likely to happen:
Many of Oregon’s best “future wrestling coaches and mentors” will be forced to leave the state to compete while pursuing teaching/coaching certificates at “out of state” colleges. Many will not return to Oregon upon graduation.
Currently, male undergraduate enrollment is declining at most colleges across the nation. What better way to reverse this trend than to provide activities, like wrestling, that are growing in popularity in the state.
Many aspiring young student-wrestlers in Oregon deserve to be mentored by quality, mentor-coaches with intercollegiate competition experience.

12. National Trends to Support Wrestling
The National High School participation rate for wrestling has grown by 40,000 in the last decade.
Since 1994, the number of women participating in high school wrestling has grown from 804 to over 8,400.
Since 1994, the number of high schools that sponsor wrestling has grown from 8559 to over 10,000.
Since 1994, the number of high school participants in wrestling for boys and girls has grown from 222,429 to 276,000.
As reported by National Federation of State High School Associations, scholastic wrestling state championships are among the top five sports in terms of revenue production. This mirrors revenue production of the NCAA Championships.

13. Wrestling’s Vital Signs
Over 100 New or Re-Instated Wrestling Programs Since 2001
NCAA Division I – 5 new teams
NCAA Division II – 15 new teams
NCAA Division III – 10 new teams
NAIA – 38 new teams
JUCO – 14 new teams
WOMEN – 24 new teams
**Some college programs (particularly here in the northwest) have been dropped during this time.

14. High School vs College Participation (Men)

15. High School vs College Participation (Women)

16. Wrestlers Perform on and off the Mat
The average G.P.A. of the nation’s top elite high school wrestlers competing in the High School National Championships is 3.0.
Elite academic institutions are succeeding in Division I wrestling:
- The Ivy league has three teams ranked in the top 25.
- Stanford, Harvard, and Cornell each had an NCAA Champion
over the past five years.
- Elite wrestlers succeed in the classroom as nine of the 20 NCAA
Division I finalists were recognized on the NWCA All
Academic Team.
NCAA reports indicate that incoming freshman wrestlers have high school academic profiles that are above average as compared to other males sports.

17. How the NWCA Can Help !

18. About Us NWCA is a 501C-3 non-profit organization established in 1928
National headquarters in Manheim, PA
Eight full time staff members and 34 Board of Directors
Membership includes over 10,000 coaches, wrestlers, officials, fans, affiliated organizations, college/high school institutions
Educational programs that serve 240,000 wrestlers annually.

19. Affiliated Members National Collegiate Athletic Association
National High School Federation
National Junior College Association
California Junior College Association
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
USA Wrestling
Amateur Athletic Union
National Wrestling Hall of Fame

20. The NWCA Can Provide the Following:
         
In an effort to re-establish college wrestling in geographic areas where it is underserved, the NWCA will petition the U.S. Wrestling Foundation on Eastern Oregon’s behalf to secure a $10,000 wrestling mat and $5,000 toward start up costs (this is not a guarantee of funding but priority funding is provided to new programs in underserved geographic regions (the Northwest is a priority).
Generate grass roots support for Eastern Oregon University (every head high school wrestling coach in OR, WA, NV, ID, and CA are members of the NWCA).
Assist with establishing high profile fundraising events in the northwest region.
We can assist with advertising the coaching position and offer assistance otherwise, as appropriate.

21. Wrestling’s Outstanding Americans
Joseph Allen- Astronaut Carl Albert- Speaker of the House
Hiraoki “Rocky” Aoki-President/CEO, Benihana of Tokyo Restaurants Roone Arledge-President, ABC-TV News & Sports
James Biggar -Chairman & CEO, Nestle USA, Inc. Norman E. Borlaug-Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Frank Carlucci III-Ambassador, Secretary of Defense John Chafee-U.S. Senator from Rhode Island
Michael Collins-Command Pilot, Apollo 11 Mission Pat Day-Jockey
Dan Dierdorf-Sports Broadcaster Kirk Douglas -Actor-Author, Diplomat
Dr. Kenneth J. Faust-Medicine Stephen Friedman-CEO, Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Robert W. Hannan-President & CEO, Eckerd Corporation Dennis Hastert-Speaker of the House
Admiral James L. Holloway, III-Military John W. Irving-Author of Novels and Films
Henry Kravis-Partner, Kohlberg, Kravis, Roberts & Co. General Charles Krulak-Commandant of the USMC
James A. Leach-U.S. Congressman from Iowa Peter W. Likins-President, Lehigh University
Abraham Lincoln-16th President of the USA Ronald Magruder-President/CEO, Cracker Barrel
David S. Pottruck- Former President/CEO, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. Theodore Roosevelt-26th President of the USA
Philip Rauch-Business Donald H. Rumsfeld-US Secretary of Defense
Edward B. Rust-President/CEO, State Farm Insurance Arthur C. Rutzen-President, The Pacific Bank
Norman Schwarzkopf-Commander in Chief, Desert Storm Tom Sullivan-Author, Singer, Actor, Sportsman
Howard Taft-27th President of the USA Billy Baldwin- Actor
Joe Galli-CEO of Rubbermaid Greg Lanteris-Astronaut
John McCain- US Senator Dan Cathy- President Chik-fil-A

22. Your Wrestling Support Staff
THE NATIONAL WRESTLING COACHES ASSOCIATION
Mike Moyer – Executive Director
P.O. Box 254
Manheim, PA 17544