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CALL TO ACTION: Save Oregon Wrestling

Mike Moyer
Jul 10, 2007
Memo:
To: National Wrestling Community
Fr: Mike Moyer, Executive Director – National Wrestling Coaches Association
Re: “Call to Action” – Save University of Oregon Wrestling
Date: July 10, 2007

As many of you have probably already heard, the University of Oregon wrestling program is in imminent danger of being dropped to make room for baseball and one or more additional women’s sports. There have been numerous newspaper articles written about this possibility although the university administration has remained mostly silent on the issue.

We would like to make an urgent request to the entire northwest U.S. wrestling community to voice your concern, via e-mail or faxed letter to the following University of Oregon officials (please do not wait to act on this request):

Dr. Dave Frohnmayer
President,
University of Oregon
110 Johnson Hall
Eugene, OR 97403-1226
Phone: 541-346-3036
Fax: 541-346-3017
pres@uoregon.edu

Mr. Pat Kilkenny
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics
University of Oregon
2727 Leo Harris Pkw
Eugene, OR 97401-8835
Phone: 541-346-5432
Fax: 541-346-5031
kilkenny@uoregon.edu

In your letter/e-mail, please be sure to convey the following speaking points:

  • Intercollegiate Wrestling fully supports the mission of University of Oregon athletics, Pac-10, and the NCAA. Specifically, one of the main objectives stated on the www.goducks.com website is:

    “To provide educational opportunities for those interested in athletics-related careers, such as coaching, teaching or administration.”

    This is particularly important to note because historically, the University of Oregon wrestling program has played a major role in replenishing the depleted pool of high school and middle school teachers/wrestling coaches in the Northwest. In fact, in the Northwest U.S., there are approximately 33,000 high school wrestlers and only nine NCAA intercollegiate wrestling teams (about 270 college roster spots).
  • Eliminating the University of Oregon wrestling team could force the entire Pac-10 Wrestling Conference to dissolve based on having too few Pac-10 schools sponsoring wrestling.
  • University of Oregon is virtually guaranteed a nationally competitive wrestling team simply by sponsoring the sport. On average, approximately 80-85% of all D-I schools with a wrestling program will advance at least one wrestler to the NCAA’s each year. This is primarily because we have approximately 250,000 high school wrestlers and only 220 NCAA member institutions with wrestling teams.
  • The elite academic reputation of University of Oregon is very similar to the IVY League schools. Even without scholarships, several IVY League wrestling programs (i.e. Cornell, Penn, etc) are among our most nationally competitive wrestling programs.
  • Intercollegiate wrestling is relatively inexpensive to sponsor based on the NCAA’s cost per student-athlete estimates.
  • University of Oregon has a rich wrestling tradition as evidenced by having two NCAA Champions, 31 NCAA All Americans, and six Olympic team members. Further, University has one distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
  • If it is in the best interest of University of Oregon to have baseball, it doesn’t have to be at the expense of wrestling. Let’s work together to have both.


As you convey your thoughts, please be respectful of the university administration. We want to always take the high road. Make sure the key decision makers know that the regional and national wrestling community stand ready to help the administration develop a plan that ensures the future of their varsity wrestling program.

While the grass roots wrestling community conveys the above-mentioned speaking points, the NWCA will be working with prominent University of Oregon alumni, business leaders, and politicians to promote similar messages. In addition, the NWCA is working to host its signature event, the NWCA All Star Classic, in Eugene or a nearby location on November 19, 2007. This will provide us with an opportunity rally the entire wrestling community to take any further steps that might be necessary.
  • Oregon Wrestling
  • Call to Action