Takedown Report

What California Baptist Is Doing To Save Its Wrestling Program

Nearly a month after California Baptist announced plans to cut wrestling, supporters of the program are stepping up in an effort to save the sport.
The life trajectories of Derek Moore, his coaching staff and team of California Baptist University wrestlers dramatically shifted Jan. 2.  Everything flipped when California Baptist announced it would cut the wrestling, men’s golf, and men’s swim and dive programs after the 2025-26 season. “This has been by far the hardest few days of coaching I have ever had in my life,” Moore, the CBU wrestling coach, said the week after the decision. “Just definitely heartbroken for my athletes and their families and the sport of wrestling in a whole as we continue to fight in an ever-changing landscape. My donors and supporters that have been behind us and this program, it has just been really tough.”
The school restructured its athletic programs, “in response to the evolving intercollegiate landscape,” as it prepares to compete as a full member in the Big West Conference beginning in July 2026, according to its website. CBU wrestling is a Big 12 affiliate. “We have closely monitored the shifting landscape of intercollegiate athletics that has affected institutions across the nation,” CBU vice president for athletics Micah Parker said in a news release. “While we had hoped to continue offering our full slate of athletic programs in this new environment, it has become clear that changes are required to realize the university’s goal of achieving greater competitive excellence that the new Division I era demands.”
As the school transitions to the Big West, Parker deemed the decision as “necessary to discontinue some athletic programs in order to offer remaining student-athletes and teams the best chance to succeed.” “Considerable thought and prayer went into the decision,” Parker said. “We take seriously the responsibility of supporting our student-athletes, and we are committed to walking beside those impacted as they navigate next steps for their academic and athletic careers.”
The school cited “community impact, Title IX, the House settlement, and available resources and facilities,” as reasons behind the decision, according to its website. The school will honor the athletes’ financial aid package if they remain at CBU or help those in the transfer process, according to its website. “I think as a wrestling program in today’s landscape, every coach knows that there is a challenge on the horizon with NIL and with the need for money for revenue-generating sports,” Moore said. “However, for our program being the only one in the Big 12 and some of the conversations that we were having about the future, it wasn’t something that we saw coming.”
Moore was informed of the news in an annual budget meeting on Jan. 2 with Parker and CBU’s sports supervisors, he said.  The head men’s golf coach and head men’s swimming and diving coaches also attended.  “When I walked in, all three of the head coaches were there, and they let us knew,” Moore said. … more at … https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/15299763-what-california-baptist-is-doing-to-save-its-wrestling-program

January 31, 2026 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized | ncaa, sports