Takedown Report

Uncertain Times

TDR Editor’s Notes ; Some stories here are about other college sports such as golf, volleyball, and football. Yet they apply to wrestling as we not only lost the championships this season but we wonder about next year. Some schools are looking to have almost only on-line classes and others are looking at drastic budget cuts for next year with the economic turmoil rolling across the country. We hope to have more good news to pass along.
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# 1 ) Conferences Petition NCAA For Help With Budget Cuts; Separate Petition Started to Save Sports
With some businesses and organizations in dire financial situations during the coronavirus pandemic, commissioners from several smaller Division I conferences have given a separate petition to the NCAA, asking for leniency if they need to cut a spot.
Meanwhile, a petition has been started to the NCAA to keep athletic programs alive.
Some sports have been cut from NCAA programs during this time, and more could lead to NCAA and Title IX violations. The University of Cincinnati cut its men’s soccer program this week, while Old Dominion cut its wrestling program a few weeks ago. No swimming programs have been altered yet. …. rest of the story at https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/conferences-petition-ncaa-for-help-with-budget-cuts-separate-petition-started-to-save-sports/?mc_cid=0abef116e3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

2 ) Intercollegiate Coach Association Coalition posts open letter and online petition opposing reduction of Div. I sports
BY INTERCOLLEGIATE COACH ASSOCIATION COALITION | APRIL 22, Sign the ICAC petition opposing college sports cuts
Colleagues, On behalf of the Intercollegiate Coach Association Coalition (ICAC), we hereby register our opposition to the request by the Group of Five Commissioners to allow conferences and schools to cut the number of sports sponsored to be considered for Division I status. The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic places a lasting burden on both higher education and intercollegiate athletics alike, but slashing opportunities for students is not the solution. Last year, NCAA Division I institutions provided educational opportunities for 141,483 students in Olympic sports. These are not just exceptional athletes, but outstanding students with graduation rates and donation rates higher than their non-athletic peers. These student-athletes generated $3.6 billion in tuition and fees to their universities, an amount nearly equal what it costs to provide these opportunities. Sport fosters community and a life-long love for our colleges and universities, impacting alumni involvement, endowment and giving. We need these contributions now more than ever. Our first and most important commitment must be to our students, and duty requires us to explore every possible avenue for maintaining our investment in them. …. rest of the story at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/April/22/ICAC-open-letter-and-petition?mc_cid=547ad9bd30&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

3 ) The pigskin perspective on the drop of wrestling with former ODU football coach Bobby Wilder
Bobby Wilder build Old Dominion’s football program from the ground up. Hired in 2007 and the first touchdown was scored in August of 2009. Wilder led ODU to two FCS playoff berths and a victory in the Bahamas Bowl over Eastern Michigan in 2016. Wilder was let go from his position as the head football coach last year after a disastrous 1-11 season. On Episode 602 of the Short Time Wrestling Podcast, Wilder gives his perspective and thoughts about the situation at Old Dominion and what the thought was when the school dropped its wrestling program on April 2. Wilder’s son Drew was a two-time high school state place winner at Jamestown High School in Williamsburg, Virginia and Drew and ODU head coach Steve Martin’s son Max were in the state finals the same year in 2019. Wilder’s perspective and position gives a different look at things from the eyes of a football coach who was relied upon to raise funds and it’s not a perspective often heard in depth in wrestling circles. …. rest of the story and podcast at .. http://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/short-time/the-pigskin-perspective-on-the-drop-of-wrestling-with-former-odu-football-coach-bobby-wilder/?mc_cid=52d81661de&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

4 ) NCAA to MAC, other mid-major conferences: You can’t fall below minimum number of sports
None of the state’s major athletic programs are considering cutting sports teams, at least not yet. Now, the NCAA has put up a roadblock for those considering such a move. The NCAA on Friday night decided that it won’t allow a waiver for colleges and universities to temporarily fall below the minimum number of athletic programs to be considered Division I. Five Football Bowl Subdivision conferences, including the Mid-American Conference, had sent a letter to the NCAA earlier this month, requesting a waiver to fall below the 16 sports mandated to be Division I.
Eastern Michigan has no plans to cut any sports. 
“Higher education is facing unique challenges, and the Division I leadership believes it’s appropriate to examine areas in which rules can be relaxed or amended to provide flexibility for schools and conferences,” said M. Grace Calhoun, chair of the NCAA’s Division I Council and athletics director at Pennsylvania. “We will prioritize student-athlete well-being and opportunities balanced with reducing costs associated with administering college sports. “But a blanket waiver of sport sponsorship requirements is not in keeping with our values and will not be considered.” All colleges and universities are facing a significant financial crunch, …. rest of story at https://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/college/2020/04/25/ncaa-mac-other-mid-major-conferences-you-cant-fall-below-minimum-number-sports/3026734001/?mc_cid=78e39ca524&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

5 ) NCAA mulling temporary relief waiver, which could mean cutting D-I golf programs
Is college golf on the chopping block? In a recent letter sent to NCAA president Mark Emmert, commissioners from the Group of 5 and 22 other non-Power 5 Division I conferences asked for emergency legislative relief to reduce or waive several Division I membership requirements, including the minimum number of sports a school must sponsor. If approved, non-revenue sports such as men’s and women’s golf figure to be affected most. “In order to provide NCAA Division I institutions flexibility in addressing the challenges for the foreseeable future, we request temporary relief from several regulatory requirements for a period of up to four years,” the letter read. “A blanket waiver for relief will provide institutions the ability to make prudent and necessary decisions for the financial well-being of the institution.” The letter comes as schools across the board deal with loss of revenue and budget cuts. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of March Madness and the remainder of the NCAA’s spring calendar, and this fall’s college football season could also be affected. Currently, the NCAA requires Division I schools to field at least 16 varsity sports. …. rest of story at https://www.golfchannel.com/news/ncaa-mulling-temporary-relief-waiver-which-could-mean-cutting-d-i-golf-programs?mc_cid=17ded1ad3b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

6 ) AVCA’s DeBoer on dropping sports: “This is not the time. We can recover from everything but extinction.”
American Volleyball Coaches Association executive director Kathy DeBoer is not sitting around waiting for sports, including volleyball, to get eliminated from NCAA Division I, especially not after five conferences have petitioned the NCAA to cut back on the number of sports they’re forced to sponsor. No, the former Kentucky coach and leader of the country’s largest volleyball coaches organization is on the forefront of considering what could happen to our sport because of the coronavirus, the shutdown and the economic impact on NCAA programs. We caught up Wednesday morning and talked about NCAA Division I women’s volleyball, the situation with men’s volleyball, and more. DeBoer is also a key member of the Intercollegiate Coach Association Coalition and she and her counterparts sent this letter to Division I conference commissioners. Included in that letter: “The economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic …. rest of the story at … https://volleyballmag.com/kathy-deboer-042220/?mc_cid=547ad9bd30&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 ) Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck, other coaches, taking pay cuts
The coronavirus pandemic has hit sports in a massive way, canceling and postponing events across the country. It’s also started to impact the lives of notable sports figures, such as coaches. Minnesota’s P.J. Fleck became the latest to be impacted by the pandemic on Friday afternoon. Fleck has confirmed that he will be taking a pay cut to help out the school during the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. The Star-Tribune reported that Fleck would be taking a week’s salary of $88,462 from his $4.6 million salary, and also went on to confirm that head men’s and women’s basketball head coaches Richard Pitino and Lindsay Whalen would also be taking pay cuts. Pitino makes $2.4 million annually, according to the paper, putting him about $46,154 per week. And Whalen is making $496,500, putting her at $9,548 per week. “At the University of Minnesota, we’re very blessed to have people who care,” Fleck said in a story with the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “Donors that care, boosters who care …. rest of story at https://247sports.com/Article/Minnesota-Golden-Gophers-PJ-Fleck-Richard-Pitino-pay-cut-coronavirus-pandemic-146432770/?mc_cid=78e39ca524&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

8 ) Fearing cuts, non-revenue college sports look for ways to ‘weather this storm’
By Emily Giambalvo April 27, 2020
As the novel coronavirus pandemic upended sports across the United States, the governing bodies charged with making sweeping and drastic decisions often followed the lead of one another. Once a league or event opted for a major adjustment — progressing from limiting fans to outright cancellation — others quickly followed suit, with their decisions now seeming simpler and expected. So in recent weeks, when Old Dominion canceled its wrestling program and Cincinnati cut men’s soccer, fear of similar decisions reverberated among Division I coaches in non-revenue sports. “It’s one of those things where you’re like, ‘Man, is that a harbinger of the next six months, of what’s going on here?’ ” Georgetown men’s soccer coach Brian Wiese said. “To some extent, it might be. I’m hoping it’s not.” Athletic directors and universities face significant financial uncertainty because of cancellations and the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus. They worry about donations and enrollment declining. Athletic departments received a much smaller distribution from the NCAA after the cancellation of the men’s basketball tournament, a primary revenue generator. Questions about how and when the college football season can safely be played exacerbate that concern. …. rest of the story at https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/04/27/fearing-cuts-non-revenue-college-sports-look-ways-to-weather-this-storm/?mc_cid=b693ccac6a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

9 ) – 2020 CANCELLATION STATEMENT
JROB Intensive Camps has canceled all 2020 summer wrestling camps due to concerns over COVID-19. We will resume all camps in 2021. Though this was a highly emotional decision for us, we strongly believe this course of action is in the best interest of our campers, their families, and our staff. The health and safety of our campers is paramount and takes precedence over all else. That has been true since our company’s founding in 1978 and it will never change. Though government officials in many locales have not yet explicitly banned large-scale gatherings through the summer, we are proactively canceling camps because we do not believe we, nor any other camp, can create a safe environment for wrestlers in the midst of the pandemic. We have been exploring alternative on-site options since the outbreak began in the United States, but none came close to viability due to the inherent close-contact nature of the sport of wrestling. Therefore, the only option that unconditionally ensures the health and safety of our campers is the cancellation of all on-site camps. …. rest of the story at https://jrobinsoncamps.com/cancellation?mc_cid=b693ccac6a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

10 ) Rutgers athletic director, 3 highest-paid coaches taking pay cuts
Rutgers University, which anticipates a $200 million shortfall in revenue through June 30 and additional significant losses the rest of the year because of the coronavirus pandemic, announced that its athletic director and three highest-paid coaches are taking pay cuts over the next four months. Football coach Greg Schiano, men’s basketball coach Steve Pikiell and women’s basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer will take 10-percent cuts over the next four months. Athletic director Pat Hobbs will take a 5-percent reduction in pay. The salary reductions are part of sweeping cost-saving measures at New Jersey’s state university.
“We are located in the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, creating challenges around both the length or our expected recovery and our ability to attract new students,” Rutgers president Robert Barchi wrote in a letter to faculty on Friday, which was obtained by NJ Advance Media. “Perhaps no other state government has been hit as hard financially as New Jersey, which has necessitated the freezing of many appropriations, including a significant portion of funding for Rutgers.” Barchi called the pandemic “the greatest academic and operational challenge” in Rutgers’ history. …. rest of story at https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/29094412/rutgers-athletic-director-3-highest-paid-coaches-taking-pay-cuts

May 15, 2020 Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | Leave a comment