Stanford dropping wrestling (and other sports)

[backdrft76]

Due to COVID. Ouch...


Release from Stanford website:
https://news.stanford.edu/2020/07/08/athletics-faq/

Shane Griffith, Real Woods, will need to look for new homes by 2021-22.

 

[El-Jefe]

Stanford cuts wrestling, plus 10 other varsity sports. Awful news. And it's not like Stanford is poor.

 

[PSU_Pride_93]

Stanford is the Next to Go

Stanford discontinues men’s wrestling as many varsity sports get cut. Sucks that these athletes may not even get to suit up one last time whether it be wrestling or another sport

 

[WEAREPSU_LI]

Jesus. Griffith is obviously the biggest name to lose out, right? Do you leave the education you get from Stanford to wrestle elsewhere?

 

[RD41]

So disappointing....

 

[nerfstate]

Ooof.

 

[bigs22]

Jesus. Griffith is obviously the biggest name to lose out, right? Do you leave the education you get from Stanford to wrestle elsewhere?

Real Woods and Nate Traxler were top 10 as well. And Jaden Abas is a pretty good recruit who was in redshirt. They have/had some studs.

 

[Str8DBLz]

I was just writing something similar

Real Woods and Nate Traxler were top 10 as well. And Jaden Abas is a pretty good recruit who was in redshirt. They have/had some studs.

 

[Str8DBLz]

Robbie Howard and Griffith are buddy's... Just saying.

 

[El-Jefe]

A couple other thoughts:

1. Part of Stanford's justification is that fewer than 22% of schools sponsor wrestling. This is the slippery slope in action.

2. Poor Kerry McCoy was just hired to run the RTC.

3. Shane Griffith, Real Woods, Jaden Abas, Kyle Rowan. All will have 2+ yrs remaining after this year.

 

[PSU_Pride_93]

Robbie Howard and Griffith are buddy's... Just saying.

Unless joe lee or Shane can get down to 157, i can’t see it, if joe performs how he is expected.
Wouldn’t mind seeing real woods redshirt and bulk up to 149

 

[jschrantz]

A couple other thoughts:

1. Part of Stanford's justification is that fewer than 22% of schools sponsor wrestling. This is the slippery slope in action.

2. Poor Kerry McCoy just moved there to run the RTC.

3. Shane Griffith, Real Woods, Jaden Abas, Kyle Rowan. All will have 2+ yrs remaining after this year.

they can’t afford 9 scholarships anymore and I guess no endowment to pull through this year, gtfo

 

[El-Jefe]

they can’t afford 9 scholarships anymore and I guess no endowment to pull through this year, gtfo

It's Stanford.

The idea that Stanford can't afford it is laughable. They just don't want to.

 

[Str8DBLz]

Sometimes you gotta do what's best for the team

Unless joe lee or Shane can get down to 157, i can’t see it, if joe performs how he is expected.
Wouldn’t mind seeing real woods redshirt and bulk up to 149

 

[Str8DBLz]

If I was any of the 3 I would be in the portal NOW and not wait for another year.

 

[Str8DBLz]

Abas 149 has HUGE potential and backed by a good bloodline

Griffith was undefeated leading into NCAA'S last year

Real Woods... We all know who be is.

 

[vhsalum]

It's Stanford.

The idea that Stanford can't afford it is laughable. They just don't want to.

unreal. They have a $27 billion dollar endowment.

 

[7brwnpsu]

If I could get into Stanford, I'd graduate from Stanford.

 

[Cali_Nittany]

 

[PSU Mike]

Milton Hershey’s endowment is in the $12-13bn range ...

 

[PSUer1989]

Wow! Stanford has one of the biggest athletic departments in the country. I would not have guessed them to be one of the schools that drop sports.

 

[matter7172]

Milton Hershey’s endowment is in the $12-13bn range ...

I've been told the biggest problem for the Milton Hershey School is spending the money the endowment earns each year, which is a requirement of the trust funding the school.

 

[PSU Mike]

I've been told the biggest problem for the Milton Hershey School is spending the money the endowment earns each year, which is a requirement of the trust funding the school.

I’d have a similar problem ...

 

[Brian LB-U]

This is an ominous sign for college athletics in general and sadly, I think we’re going to see a lot more of it in the near future. Even before COVID-19 it was bound to happen sooner or later with so many athletic departments running in the red.

Bloomberg had a nice series of articles on the costs of having an NCAA football team a couple of years ago, and that’s considered a “revenue sport”....
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/feat...e-built-on-crippling-debt?utm_source=url_link

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[manatree]

It's Stanford.

The idea that Stanford can't afford it is laughable. They just don't want to.

unreal. They have a $27 billion dollar endowment.

Endowments are often tied to very specific areas at the request of the donor. Stanford can’t just dip into the returns cookie jar for whatever they want. Just like Penn State can’t dip into the wrestling cookie jar to pay for other things. You would need to see the details of their endowments in order to determine if any of it could be used towards the 11 sports that are being cut.

 

[Tom McAndrew]

 

[nittinsc]

Here's a long article on challenges for Olympic sports that looks at a number of scenarios.

https://www.espn.com/college-sports...pic-sports-fighting-survival-collegiate-level

 

[Psalm 1 guy]

I hesitate to even bring this up, but Stanford listed, "Impact on the diversity of our student-athlete population", as one of their list of ten main criteria used in deciding which sports to cut. I felt bad about even doing so, but I decided to look at the team roster photos for the sports being cut. The race of the athletes was overwhelmingly white, although the wrestling team seemed to be better represented by persons of color than the other teams. I am not trying to make any greater political or racial point with this post other than to say that continuing to try to increase diversity in wrestling at all levels might be of help as schools continue to tighten their athletic budgets and potentially have to make hard decisions on which sports they may have to cut. Not only do I think it is good for wrestling in general to try to increase the participation of minorities, but it may have the self-serving effect of being a buffer against future cuts to programs. Support for organizations like Beat the Streets and other outreach efforts could go a long way in helping this cause.

 

[regularfan]

View embedded media

My initial reaction to this was it seems odd that they are keeping the sport around for this year (although good for a stop gap). Is it possible this is a warning shot to the donors to step up (regardless of sport)? Have no insight into the program but just a theory.

The negative side of me thinks that with the alluded to endowment there most be something else in play.

 

[NothingMeaningful]

Stanford cuts wrestling, plus 10 other varsity sports. Awful news. And it's not like Stanford is poor.

View embedded media

A $27,000,000,000 endowment doesn't go far these days.

 

[Dogwelder]

... The race of the athletes was overwhelmingly white, although the wrestling team seemed to be better represented by persons of color than the other teams ...

... I could be black, I could be white
... I could be wrong, I could be right
... They put a hot wire to my head
... 'Cause of the things I did and said
... Your time has come, your second skin
... Cost so high, the gain so low
... May the road rise with you

 

[matter7172]

... I could be black, I could be white
... I could be wrong, I could be right
... They put a hot wire to my head
... 'Cause of the things I did and said
... Your time has come, your second skin
... Cost so high, the gain so low
... May the road rise with you

Always appreciate a John Lydon/PIL reference.

 

[El-Jefe]

My initial reaction to this was it seems odd that they are keeping the sport around for this year (although good for a stop gap). Is it possible this is a warning shot to the donors to step up (regardless of sport)? Have no insight into the program but just a theory.

The negative side of me thinks that with the alluded to endowment there most be something else in play.

Read the FAQs -- they're linked in the tweet I posted above.

One FAQ says the decision is final and won't be reconsidered. Another FAQ addresses the fact that Stanford did not even attempt a fundraising drive before cutting sports.

Incredibly cruel to not even give the teams a chance to fight for their existence.

The "something else in play" is alluded to in the FAQs -- Stanford Athletics is running a substantial deficit. And like at other schools, the AD and University President fire other people for their own inability to balance a budget.

 

[El-Jefe]

Endowments are often tied to very specific areas at the request of the donor. Stanford can’t just dip into the returns cookie jar for whatever they want. Just like Penn State can’t dip into the wrestling cookie jar to pay for other things. You would need to see the details of their endowments in order to determine if any of it could be used towards the 11 sports that are being cut.

I hear you -- but anyone think Stanford won't find new uses for the wrestling-specific endowment money?

 

[El-Jefe]

Jesus. Griffith is obviously the biggest name to lose out, right? Do you leave the education you get from Stanford to wrestle elsewhere?

McKenna did. And then got into Wharton after graduating from Ohio State. Grad school is where the real lifelong career benefit is, and the RTCs and coaching positions can help place into the best grad programs.

Some of these guys might not face an either/or decision. Griffith and Woods are RS SO -- 3rd year academically. With summers, not unheard of to graduate in 3 yrs (or 3-1/2 yrs and transfer elsewhere in Jan 2022).

 

[Dogwelder]

... You would need to see the details of their endowments ...

LemonPie especially is always trying to see people’s endowments.

 

[jschrantz]

Our sport is in huge danger, when the dust settles we could be left with 20-30 programs as entire conferences left unable to fill a reasonable schedule . My god