$5 Million Gift Endows Franklin & Marshall College

[Pinnum 840]

http://godiplomats.com/sports/m-wrestl/2014-15/releases/2014091522c8wu

[cornercoach 448]

that is flippin awesome.

[quanon 161]

Does anyone have a sense of how far a $5 million endowment would go for a program like F&M?  Would that endow all of the program's operating costs?  Any scholarships?

[SetonHallPirate 990]

No scholarships. Franklin & Marshall's wrestling program is barred from offering scholarships by the NCAA, because they are a Division III institution and are not grandfathered in like, most notably, the Johns Hopkins lacrosse team.

[scribe 1,838]

Does anyone have a sense of how far a $5 million endowment would go for a program like F&M? Would that endow all of the program's operating costs? Any scholarships?

The gift establishing the "David H. Lehman Endowed Wrestling Program Fund" will fully endow wrestling program operations, including funding for existing personnel, equipment, competitions, and ongoing recruitment of student-athletes. The College hosts one of only 11 Division I wrestling programs at liberal arts colleges -- including military academies -- nationwide, and last year sent an "All-American" wrestler to the NCAA Championships.

[scribe 1,838]

Or about $300k. Very nice boost to ascend to a higher competitive level.

[Pinnum 840]

As SHP said, F&M is the only Division-I wrestling program that is barred by the NCAA from offering scholarships. (Some programs choose to not offer scholarships though the NCAA would allow them, if they chose.)

This is a complete endowment of the sport. This means (1) the school could completely stop giving any financial consideration to the sport and the sport will have the exact same level of funding (assuming the fund performs over time). Or (2), if the school keeps the same level funding commitment, the wrestling program's total funding available was just doubled.

Due to no scholarships, the only funding they require (other than facilities and medical staff from the school) would be coaching salaries and travel expenses. Travel is not expensive in PA with so many team to easily compete against. As a result, I wouldn't be surprised to see another hire to the staff next year. 

Edited September 16, 2014 by Pinnum

[quanon 161]

Thanks for the info.

[LAWRENCE 1]

Awesome donation!  He must have done very well at ExxonMobil and with his new companies.

 

Great way to give back.

[Buckxell 145]

No scholarships, but any chance of giving "talent grants" or some type of equivalent to the ivies??

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,050]

5 millios buys a lot of mat tape. 

[redblades 322]

Buckxell - I'm pretty sure financial aid at F&M is strictly need-based - which DOES make it "Ivy equivalent".  No such thing as "Talent grants" for the Ivys, at least not that I'm aware of.

[buck 65]

My son learned how to party like a pro at F&M.  

[Buckxell 145]

That'd be cool to implement some need based aid there... Like "we 'need' a 125 or 157lber"

[Tofurky 622]

I'm sorry for my ignorance, but what is the reason why the NCAA bars F&M from offering athletic scholarships for wrestling? I suspect I missed the answer above, even though I read the thread twice (and maybe more). Thanks.

[Pinnum 840]

I'm sorry for my ignorance, but what is the reason why the NCAA bars F&M from offering athletic scholarships for wrestling? I suspect I missed the answer above, even though I read the thread twice (and maybe more). Thanks.

Long story short: Division-III schools have to follow all Division-III policies for all their sports, even if they elect to have a sport compete in Division-I. As a result, Franklin & Marshall must follow all Division-III policies while wrestling a Division-I schedule.

 

However, people often get confused because there are currently six waivers being used that were granted to schools with perennial national powers since they had a long standing tradition of giving scholarships prior to 1982. http://www.uscho.com/2004/01/12/scholarships-will-continue-for-diii-play-up-schools/

 

It is interesting to note that Union College Ice Hockey is in the conference with most the teams with waivers. And, despite not supporting waivers, has been just as competitive. In fact, this year, Union won the Division-I national championship, beating Minnesota, without a single athlete on scholarship.

Edited September 22, 2014 by Pinnum

[Tofurky 622]

Pinnum, thanks a lot for explaining this. I wasn't aware of any of that... obviously.

[ccrider55 18]

Not sure I'd term it a waiver in the sense that you can't apply for one. When D3 formed schools entering it could grandfather a sport as continuing under D1 rules (athletic scholarships). If they ever drop that sport to D3 (say, for temporary financial savings) it can't be restored without the school as a whole moving up.

[Pinnum 840]

That's fair, ccrider55.

 

Poor word choice on my part. Probably more accurate to say they are exempt from certain rules, much like the Service Academies are exempt from some rules. (Mobile)

[Pinnum 840]

Just wanted to add, D3 schools could move up to D1 after the formation of D3 but they would have to do it as a non-scholarship program. There was a moratorium put in place recently but it formally expired. Request for reclassification are not recommended to be approved but are heard and decided on a case by case basis. Note: RIT recently was approved for reclassification in Ice-Hockey.

 

I only mention this because I have thought for a while that reclassification of more of the top D2 teams to D1 would help wrestling. It would instantly allow for more matches in California to count toward qualification for nationals, could bring D1 wrestling to states like Kansas, Arkansas, or Georiga, and would make wrestling a premier sport at more schools. It could all be done without needing to increase funding.

 

Though, I admit it would impact national honors at these schools. But I look at the positives and how it makes it more viable for the programs that remain in D2 to be able to get some national exposure as D2 schools on their more limited budgets. (Mobile)

[quanon 161]

I only mention this because I have thought for a while that reclassification of more of the top D2 teams to D1 would help wrestling. It would instantly allow for more matches in California to count toward qualification for nationals, could bring D1 wrestling to states like Kansas, Arkansas, or Georiga, and would make wrestling a premier sport at more schools. It could all be done without needing to increase funding.

 

Though, I admit it would impact national honors at these schools. But I look at the positives and how it makes it more viable for the programs that remain in D2 to be able to get some national exposure as D2 schools on their more limited budgets. (Mobile)

If the D2 schools reclassified as D1, how many scholarships would they be allowed to have?

[Pinnum 840]

They are already about the same; the division-II limit is 9 scholarships and division-I is 9.9. If a D2 becomes a D1, they are permitted to follow the D1 rules.

[ccrider55 18]

I agree, if it was that simple. There are a number of other issues beyond scholarship limits that differentiate D1 from D2. If it was only that D2 might not exist in non rev sports.

[Pinnum 840]

A lot of D2 schools already have all their athletes meeting the D1 academic standards but obviously all athletes would have to if they were D1.

[ccrider55 18]

A lot of D2 schools already have all their athletes meeting the D1 academic standards but obviously all athletes would have to if they were D1.

I doubt many "already have ALL their athletes meeting the D1 academic standards". Even if they were it would be the school that would need to meet the D1 academic, compliance, support, etc standards. Merely having only high academic achieving student athletes does not make JC's D1 eligible.

Edited September 23, 2014 by ccrider55