USC - UCLA

[baccafarmer]

With the Big Ten football schedule conundrum resolved, I wonder if the AD’s will take time to consider adding wrestling at UCLA and USC. They both have club teams and I saw a bit of chatter last summer about fielding varsity teams. I called a USC donor who is a former business associate. He told me that football and basketball considerations have dominated athletic department discussions. Lots of worry about the academic impact and travel Costs associated with so called “minor sports”. Is anyone on this forum hearing anything at all about the two LA schools adding wrestling?

 

[El-Jefe]

What I've heard is that both schools need to see the financial impact of B10 travel before even considering new sports. Unless a Terry Pegula comes along with a $100M check.

Neither athletics program is as profitable as we think. Compared to B10 teams, USC revenue is average, UCLA is barely above Rutgers.

Joining B10 is expected to bump their revenue by $20M. UCLA Athletics lost $28M last year, and the Rose Bowl badly needs maintenance and upgrades.

 

[mcpat]

I think the geography will be less impactful than many think. If you check PSU’s non-revenue sports schedules, you’re going to see fewer Big Ten competitions (outside of the Big Ten conference meet / tournament) than you’d probably think.

 

[Conewago]

El-Jefe is on the right track. It can't be emphasized enough that the Big Ten is doing the UC system a massive favor by taking on UCLA.

In fact, word is that Cal-Berkeley was opposed to the move until - and I find this totally hilarious - the Board of Regents convinced them and the others that UCLA joining the Big Ten is the only option to effectively subsidize the system.

These are not fiscally big time programs right now, esp. UCLA.

As for history, UCLA is one of several cut programs that did actually once have a national champ. Some guy back in the early 80s. USC was never worth a hill of beans in wrestling.

 

[Conewago]

El-Jefe is on the right track. It can't be emphasized enough that the Big Ten is doing the UC system a massive favor by taking on UCLA.

In fact, word is that Cal-Berkeley was opposed to the move until - and I find this totally hilarious - the Board of Regents convinced them and the others that UCLA joining the Big Ten is the only option to effectively subsidize the system.

These are not fiscally big time programs right now, esp. UCLA.

As for history, UCLA is one of several cut programs that did actually once have a national champ. Some guy back in the early 80s. USC was never worth a hill of beans in wrestling.

Fred Bohna, heavyweight, 1979.

The official reason wrestling got cut at UCLA a few years later was, the AD publicly said, because the campus "didn't have room" for both a great football team and a wrestling team.

You can't make this kind of nonsense up!

 

[amattaro]

Mark Schultz was at UCLA his freshman year.

 

[El-Jefe]

Fred Bohna, heavyweight, 1979.

The official reason wrestling got cut at UCLA a few years later was, the AD publicly said, because the campus "didn't have room" for both a great football team and a wrestling team.

You can't make this kind of nonsense up!

Trev Alberts one-upped that guy, and cut both.