Wrestling Conference Meeting in Fargo

[SDSUFAN]

Here is some news about a formation of a wrestling conference. Once again the Fargo Forum is out front of the Sioux Falls Argus leader on this story.  I guess the Argus was too busy following USF.

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/ind...765§ion=Sports

 Close to a conference
By Jeff Kolpack, The Forum
Published Wednesday, July 27, 2005

Representatives from at least six Division I wrestling schools will meet in Fargo on Thursday in what could be a final step in forming a conference.

North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Utah Valley State, Northern Colorado and Wyoming will gather at the Fargodome. Eastern Illinois’ attendance is uncertain.

Fresno State (Calif.) and Air Force Academy have indicated their commitment to the yet-to-be-named affiliation but will not be present on Thursday.

“We want to get it up and running in some form by next year,” Northern Colorado head coach Jack Maughan said.

Maughan said the schools have three issues on the table: conference affiliation, a target starting date and NCAA Division I tournament automatic qualifiers.

The West Region currently has 23 automatic qualifiers. The proposed new league has already been approached by the five wrestling schools in the Big 12 Conference about a possible merger.

The Big 12, with 36 automatic qualifiers divided between Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, would like more.

“If we pair up with them, we would get like 80 to 85 and that would be an advantage for everybody,” Maughan said. “The bad thing is you’re wrestling five of the best schools in the country. The good thing is you’re wrestling five of the best schools in the country.”

The point: being affiliated with five elite college programs is beneficial for recruiting. The Fargodome is a prospect frenzy this week with the USA Wrestling Junior national championships.

The Thursday meeting will be the fourth between prospective league members. They last met at the Division I Championships in March.

All nine schools are wrestling independents. Maughan said six schools are committed for next season and the other three would join when former Division II schools NDSU, UNC and SDSU become eligible for the Division I tournament in 2006-07. Utah Valley, which is making the jump from junior college to Division I, has a longer reclassification period.

The schools have yet to settle on a league name, another topic that could be finalized this week. Some names being mentioned are the Western Wrestling League, the Great West Conference and the Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Conference.

“That’s tremendous since they’ll be a qualifier after this year,” said NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor. “It would be huge.”

Wrestling and volleyball will be Division I tournament eligible in 2006-07 via an NCAA exemption. All other NDSU sports will be eligible in 2008-09.

The Bison will still be an independent in all other sports except football, which is a member of the Great West Football Conference.

None of the possible league affiliations for NDSU – most notably the Mid-Continent Conference or the Big Sky Conference – sponsor wrestling.

“They would have to find something anyway,” Taylor said.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Kolpack at (701) 241-5546

[JBNJBQ]

Re: Wrestling Conference Meeting in Fargo

http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...46/1002/SPORTS


SDSU looking at new league
Conference would be for wrestling

From Staff & Wire Reports

Published: 07/28/05


FARGO - Representatives from at least six Division I wrestling schools are working on a new conference.

South Dakota State, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Utah Valley State, Northern Colorado and Wyoming are expected to send representatives to the Fargodome today. Fresno State (Calif.) and Air Force Academy also have indicated a commitment.

"Our goal has been to be in place and be organized so that we can go into the 2005-06 season," SDSU athletic director Fred Oien said. "There might be some scheduling done for this year."

Northern Colorado head wrestling coach Jack Maughan said the schools will discuss conference affiliation, a target starting date and NCAA Division I tournament automatic qualifiers.

The proposed new league - which does not yet have a name - has been approached by the five wrestling schools in the Big 12 Conference about a possible merger.

The Big 12 has 36 automatic qualifiers among Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, would like more.

"If we pair up with them, we would get like 80 to 85 and that would be an advantage for everybody," Maughan said. "The bad thing is, you're wrestling five of the best schools in the country. The good thing is you're wrestling five of the best schools in the country."

The Thursday meeting will be the fourth between prospective league members. They last met at the Division I Championships in March.

"The advantage is that you get recognition in the regional area with some of the best wrestling teams," Oien said. "Fans are reading about that. You build familiarity with some of the teams you are against. It leads to selection in the postseason, which will be available in the 2006-07 season. It will become one of the better affiliated conferences in the country."

All nine schools are wrestling independents. Maughan said six schools are committed for next season and the other three would join when former Division II schools NDSU, UNC and SDSU become eligible for the Division I tournament in 2006-07. Utah Valley, which is making the jump from junior college to Division I, has a longer reclassification period.

Some names being mentioned are the Western Wrestling League, the Great West Conference and the Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Conference.

"That's tremendous, since they'll be a qualifier after this year," said NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor. "It would be huge."

Wrestling and volleyball will be Division I tournament eligible in 2006-07 because of an NCAA exemption. All other NDSU sports will be eligible in 2008-09.

SDSU will still be independent in all other sports except football, which is a member of the Great West Football Conference.

"You never know when the actual signing date will be," Oien said. "But this (deal) is getting very close."

[89rabbit]

Re: Wrestling Conference Meeting in Fargo

Here are highlights from a Forum story on the outcome of the meetings.

http://www.in-forum.com/articles/ind...968§ion=Sports

College conference all but official

By Jeff Kolpack, The Forum
Published Friday, July 29, 2005

The conference room in the upper level of the Fargodome had more than one meaning Thursday night. Representatives from seven Division I wrestling schools agreed they would like a league up and running this season.

The next step appears to be in the hands of the athletic administrators from North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Utah Valley State, Northern Iowa, Wyoming, Fresno State, Eastern Illinois and Air Force Academy.  .  .  .

"They've done their homework," NDSU athletic director Gene Taylor said. "They're ready to move forward."

Major decisions - such as the conference name - may be finalized in the next two months, Taylor said.

"Right now, we'll have a dual meet champion of some sort," Northern Colorado head coach Jack Maughan said.  .  .  .

Northern Iowa, Wyoming, Fresno and Air Force are Division I independents whose main gateway to the Division I Wrestling Championships is the West Region, which has 22 individual automatic qualifiers. NDSU, SDSU, UNC and Utah Valley are in the midst of a reclassification to Division I.

If all nine get together, it's uncertain how many NCAA qualifiers the new affiliation would be granted, which was a subject of discussion Thursday. The five wrestling members of the Big 12 Conference, which has 36 qualifiers, have approached the new league about a possible super-regional concept.

NDSU, SDSU and UNC will be tournament eligible in 2006-07. Utah Valley, which is making the Division I leap from junior college, still has four more years of reclassification.

"It's still awhile," said Utah Valley head coach Cody Sanderson. "But for me, any situation like this is good."

Taylor likened the wrestling discussions to the Great West Football Conference, which took only about a year to get going.

"Every time you meet, you get more done," he said.



It would be great for the program if the guys are going for a conference championship this coming season and it looks like it will happen. 8)


Go State!  ;D

[89rabbit]

Re: Wrestling Conference Meeting in Fargo

More news, this time from the Denver post:

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_2894653

Sports briefs
Denver Post Staff and Wire Reports

AFA interested in wrestling league

Col. Billy Walker, associate athletic director at the Air Force Academy, confirmed Wednesday that the school's intercollegiate wrestling program is interested in joining a proposed new Division I league that would include Northern Colorado and Wyoming. Air Force currently competes as an independent because the Mountain West Conference doesn't have wrestling.

"We're interested because of the advantage in scheduling and competition that are results of belonging to a league," Walker said. "It would give our wrestlers an opportunity of being recognized as a league champion before advancing to the NCAA championships."

Walker will become the NCAA wrestling chairman next month for a two-year term.

The proposed league includes North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Northern Iowa, Utah Valley State, Fresno State, Air Force, UNC and Wyoming. . . .


Go State! ;D

[Dakota]

Re: Wrestling Conference Meeting in Fargo

Here is another story from the Argus Leader


[hr]
SDSU serious about wrestling league
From Staff & Wire Reports
http://www.argusleader.com/apps/pbcs...507310342/1002
Published: 07/31/05

FARGO, N.D. - South Dakota State officials met with other schools about forming an as-yet unnamed Division I wrestling conference this past week in Fargo and agreed they'd like to have a league for the upcoming season.

"It's important to have something for teams to strive for," said Jason Liles, SDSU wrestling coach, adding that the new conference will help with scheduling.

The league could include South Dakota State, North Dakota State, Northern Colorado, Utah Valley State, Northern Iowa, Wyoming, Fresno State, Eastern Illinois and Air Force. Officials from Air Force and Eastern Illinois did not attend the meetings in Fargo.

Northern Colorado coach Jack Maughan said the first year might not include all nine schools because of scheduling commitments and other matters.

"Right now, we'll have a dual meet champion of some sort," he said.

All nine schools will be involved in accolades like all-conference teams and all-academic teams, Maughan said.

Major decisions, such as the conference name, could be finalized in the next two months, said Gene Taylor, North Dakota State's athletic director.

"They've done their homework," Taylor said of the schools. "They're ready to move forward."

The proposed new league has also been approached by the five wrestling schools in the Big 12 Conference about a possible merger.

The Big 12 has 36 automatic qualifiers among Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, but would like more. A merger could result in as many as 80 qualifiers, Maughan said.

SDSU, NDSU and Northern Colorado will not eligible for the national tournament until 2006-07.

As for a name, the group decided on the last two words. "It will be something, something Wrestling Conference," Maughan said.

The Jackrabbits are getting ready to begin their second season as a Division I institution. Right now, SDSU only has a Division I conference affiliation for football.