Best Division 1 School To Drop Wrestling

[RichB 189]

39 minutes ago, jdalu75 said:

UCLA had a pretty good program too.

 

UCLA was one I think had 2 one-time champs 

[GockeS 402]

If we are talking best team lets use team scores

top ten Team wise since 1957

62  SIU carbondale 6th

63 Cuse 4th     colorado state 9th

64 Colorado   4th tie  SIU Carbondale 4th

65 Cuse 7th

66 Portland st 9th    East Strouds 7th (but i think they have d2 program)

67 Port  5th

68 Port 6th

69 UCLA 8th   Temple 10th

70 Washington 7th

71 Washington 8th  Port 10th

73 BYU 4th    Wash 7th

74 Wash 6th  Slippery Rock 10th

77 Kentucky 10th

78 BYU 6th   

80 Kentucky 10th

81 Cuse 7th Auburn 9th

82 Indiana State 7th  San JOse st 9th

83 LSU 8th

84 LSU 8th

85 Tennessee 8th

91 Cal St Bakersfield 9th  ( i guess bakersfield still has d2 as well)

94 Clemson 7th

96 Bakers 3rd

97 Bakers 8th

99  Bakers 8th Boise St 10th

01 Boise 10th

 

Cal Poly still has D1 program but they were good,  they had 7 top ten finishes between 68 and 83

 

top ten finishes

Washington  4

Portland  4

Cuse  3

Kentucky 2

LSU  2

SIU Carbondale  2

BYU 2

Boise 2

 

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by GockeS

[bnwtwg 418]

At the time being of being dropped (NCAA tournament was less than a month prior to the decision) Eastern Illinois University had 2 academic all-americans, 2 NQ, and was the training site of a number of UFC and aspiring MMA fighters (Matt Hughes was the champ and still popped in, Beebe, Robertson, Russo, Thomas, Kanabjan, etc.) which was great publicity. Given the context that it only had 2.1 schollies to go around that is very impressive. Not quite the same air as the rest of the schools in this thread, but it was having current success and still axed. And no I'm not bitter in the slightest.

[RichB 189]

ESU still has d2 team

Bakersfield and Cal Poly are still D1

 

[Old Corps 163]

16 hours ago, RichB said:

 

Lehigh under Pat has had more dual meet success than before, in the last 50 years.

I didn’t know this.

Have the dual meet schedules/competition under Pat’s tenure remained.on par with those of previous eras?

[GockeS 402]

1 hour ago, RichB said:

ESU still has d2 team

Bakersfield and Cal Poly are still D1

 

yeah... thats why i took them out

[MDogg 273]

On 3/17/2020 at 2:59 PM, BPM said:

Syracuse

What conferences did Syracuse and Notre Dame wrestle in? I’m guessing Syracuse in EIWA and ND in ACC?

[teach 163]

I think Indiana State was pretty good?

[MadMardigain 1,239]

MAC conference lost half its teams.  Sad considering their schools are mostly in the prime wrestling areas.   The rest of the Conference wrestling programs likely saved themselves by working to incorporate outside schools who also didn’t have a strong wrestling conference.    

Edited March 19, 2020 by MadMardigain

[MDogg 273]

LSU had multiple AA’s on its roster when it dropped wrestling. Kevin Jackson was already a multiple time AA at LSU and transferred to ISU where he was runner up in 1987. Jon Ginther transferred to ASU and was a 3x AA. There may have been more but those are the only 2 I can remember. 

Someone once told me that if you added up all the points the guys on LSU’s roster scored for their new schools at the next NCAA tournament they would’ve finished with a trophy. Don’t know if that’s true though (doubt it) and don’t know how to verify.

LSU dropped the program after the 85 season. In 1984 they had 3 AA’s including 2 3rd place finishers. Team finished 8th. Also worth mentioning they had big recruiting headwinds in the program’s last years. A wave of SEC schools had already dropped wrestling and everyone (including recruits) knew it was likely just a matter of time before LSU followed suit...which they did.

[RichB 189]

19 hours ago, Old Corps said:

I didn’t know this.

Have the dual meet schedules/competition under Pat’s tenure remained.on par with those of previous eras?

At least as strong competition. Iowa is no longer, every year on the schedule, But PSU is now Iowa. No, or almost no, D2-D3 teams

[Cradle1 237]

On 3/17/2020 at 9:35 PM, Broomstick said:

Cleveland State has a program still (barely it seems some years).  Slippery Rock does not.

Cleveland state is actually on the upswing under josh Moore.

[fadzaev2 317]

An MAC school that had a great tradition and was instrumental, along with Joe Scalzo Sr. and Dick Torio in bringing the World Cup to Toledo for 17 years was the University of Toledo, with it most famous wrestler being Greg Wojciechowski NCAA Champion, 3x finalist beating Dr. Dave Joyner PSU in 1971, and losing to Jess Lewis Oregon State in 1970, and to Chris Taylor in 1972.

[GockeS 402]

1 hour ago, teach said:

I think Indiana State was pretty good?

they had one top ten finish

[Cptafw164 96]

Kentucky

[gimpeltf 1,464]

2 hours ago, MDogg said:

What conferences did Syracuse and Notre Dame wrestle in? I’m guessing Syracuse in EIWA and ND in ACC?

Yes to Syracuse.

 

[Old Corps 163]

2 hours ago, RichB said:

At least as strong competition. Iowa is no longer, every year on the schedule, But PSU is now Iowa. No, or almost no, D2-D3 teams

Thanks for the info. 
 

For the record, I’m 1-0 wrestling in the old Grace Hall.

(Full disclosure: I beat a 2nd or 3rd string guy, but it’s still a W! LOL!)

[smsu150 6]

2 hours ago, MDogg said:

What conferences did Syracuse and Notre Dame wrestle in? I’m guessing Syracuse in EIWA and ND in ACC?

Notre Dame was a part of the West Region when they dropped.  At the time the West Region included the following teams: Northern Iowa, Northern Illinois, Notre Dame (dropped 92"), Drake (dropped 93"), Missouri State (dropped 94'),  Illinois State (dropped 95'), Eastern Illinois (dropped 2003), Valprasio (dropped in 96'), Chicago State (dropped 98'), Marquette (dropped 2001)

Indiana State was also a member of the West Region at one time.  As were the SEC schools that sponsored wrestling. 

The 1990's were a tough time for wrestling programs nationwide.  

Notre Dame's program wasn't even funded by the university.  It was privately funded as was Marquette's program. 

Notre Dame wasn't a power, but they typically did have a team stacked with high school AA's.  JJ McGrew transferred from ND to Oklahoma State and won a national title.  I think a few others transferred and earned AA status. 

Tennessee dropped the year they crowned their first national champion.  I believe 1985.  

As far as the "best" at the time (based on NCAA finishes and overall competitiveness) it would have to be LSU or possibly Colorado.  

[RichB 189]

46 minutes ago, smsu150 said:

NAs far as the "best" at the time (based on NCAA finishes and overall competitiveness) it would have to be LSU or possibly Colorado.  

Syracuse was still a strong program when announced that the program would be cut in 4-5. Gleaseman refused to wear team warmups on the EIWA on NCAA podium.

I think 3 different SEC teams returned home from winning Mat Town to be told the program was being cancelled (FL Ga Ten?)

Of course the strongest program, sort of, ever to be told of cancellation was U Neb Omaha, while celebrating their 3rd straight D2 title 

[smsu150 6]

58 minutes ago, RichB said:

Syracuse was still a strong program when announced that the program would be cut in 4-5. Gleaseman refused to wear team warmups on the EIWA on NCAA podium.

I think 3 different SEC teams returned home from winning Mat Town to be told the program was being cancelled (FL Ga Ten?)

Of course the strongest program, sort of, ever to be told of cancellation was U Neb Omaha, while celebrating their 3rd straight D2 title 

Good point.  Syracuse was dropped, brought back, and dropped again.  I guess I'm referring to the time the program was done for good at which point it had diminished greatly.  (BTW - I believe current MU Coach - Brian Smith was the last head coach at Syracuse) 

[Sstern 106]

On 3/17/2020 at 4:13 PM, insidecradle said:

Syracuse— Gene Mills , Mark Kerr. Homer NY pick

And Tom Ryan for two years.

[JasonBryant 1,651]

Statistically, it's Syracuse. 

Off all the extinct Division I wrestling programs, Syracuse has the most individual championships (7) and the most individual medals (35). They're fourth on the list of most participants/qualifiers (166) and they're behind Oregon (223), Boise State (207) and BYU (201).