Shout out to Gopher Wrestling!

[BHgrappler]

BHgrappler, that comparison is true, although the gopher wrestling team can't be compared to the football team (at least recently). Your comparison stands as long as you thrown in the gophers being USC or texas in comparison to football. The wrestling program has been good to very good for many years ans has won a national championship within the past five years.

Agreed. I didn't mean to infer or compare the Gopher Football team to the Gopher Wrestling team, but instead as you suggested a USC, Texas, etc... another elite level program.

 

[DiehardGopher]

The way I understand it is they are trying to make the duals championship takes the place of the NCAA Team champion. In the current setup, it is conceivable that a team could lose every dual during the season and then go on to win the national championship since the current format is entirely catered to performance at the end of the year and completely discards prior success during the season save for seeding during Big 10 tournament and NCAA. Also, Minnesota beat Iowa and Oklahoma St. in the same day 3 hours apart. Beating two top 4 teams with only a three hour break is pretty phenomenal, regardless if you count this as a National Championship. Hopefully this tournament set the tone for things to come.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Right now, I think it's probably accurate to say that there are 2 Nat'l Champions. The NCAA's in March are still the more prestigious "championship". However, the move is going to be towards the duals. The team nature of a collegiate wrestling needs to be decided by the National Duals. It is just illogical otherwise. The full team of the Minnesota Gopher wrestlers won the Nat'l Dual. The NCAA's are not decided in the same fashion. Minnesota would not wrestle Iowa heads up to see who has the better overrall team.

I'm not just saying this because i'm a Gopher rube, but the most logical way for it to work (in my opinion) is to have a dual decide the team champion and then keep the NCAAs for the individual champions.

 

[Nokomis]

The only problem I see is will a team "rest" the top wrestlers to save them for the individual tournament? They could shift weight-classes or bench them entirely so that it's not the strongest team on the mat. That's all fine to do, part of the strategy of a dual meet, just depends on where the emphasis is -- individual or team championship. Also, how do you qualify? National regional brackets for both individual and team? That's a lot of wrestling for the top programs. Individuals or teams that don't qualify for one or the other tournament would be more fresh than those that qualify for both.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

The only problem I see is will a team "rest" the top wrestlers to save them for the individual tournament? They could shift weight-classes or bench them entirely so that it's not the strongest team on the mat. That's all fine to do, part of the strategy of a dual meet, just depends on where the emphasis is -- individual or team championship. Also, how do you qualify? National regional brackets for both individual and team? That's a lot of wrestling for the top programs. Individuals or teams that don't qualify for one or the other tournament would be more fresh than those that qualify for both.

I wouldn't be too concerned over that. If the duals were the national championship for the team, I couldn't imagine a team resting their best wrestlers. You don't see that at the MSHL tournament situation. It's just two seperate entities.

To make it work, I think they'd have to add 1 more round and go to 16 teams. In wrestling, a team outside of the top 16 is really not going to have much of a chance to win it.

Then after it's over, you run the Big 10 and the Nationals exactly like they do now but take out the team aspect. In a sport like wrestling, which is usually decided by "team vs. team", it seems weird to settle the "team championship" any other way.

 

[Gold Vision]

I wouldn't be too concerned over that. If the duals were the national championship for the team, I couldn't imagine a team resting their best wrestlers. You don't see that at the MSHL tournament situation. It's just two seperate entities.

To make it work, I think they'd have to add 1 more round and go to 16 teams. In wrestling, a team outside of the top 16 is really not going to have much of a chance to win it.

Then after it's over, you run the Big 10 and the Nationals exactly like they do now but take out the team aspect. In a sport like wrestling, which is usually decided by "team vs. team", it seems weird to settle the "team championship" any other way.

Penn State didn't even enter the tournament to rest wrestlers, prevent injury, and protect seeding. When the number 1 team in the country does it, there is cause for concern.

 

[GoAUpher]

Penn State didn't even enter the tournament to rest wrestlers, prevent injury, and protect seeding. When the number 1 team in the country does it, there is cause for concern.

That's also prob b/c this isn't an actual NCAA championship yet. If it were, I doubt you'd see them do so.

 

[Iceland12]

Penn State didn't even enter the tournament to rest wrestlers, prevent injury, and protect seeding. When the number 1 team in the country does it, there is cause for concern.

Oh but Penn State DID play last weekend. As stated earlier in this thread Cael took Penn State out to face the mighty Utah Valley State team coached by his brother.

You're right though, it is cause for concern. Why apparently Cael and Penn State fans questioned IOWA when they didn't show-up last year.

http://www.blackshoediaries.com/201...ing-wreport-penn-state-travels-to-utah-valley

 

[SDGopherFan]

Penn st certainly did wrestle

not sure why they chose not to participate, maybe there match was already scheduled and they didn't want to disappoint his brother. First year of the tourny will be interesting to watch how participation changes over the next few years.

 

[BHgrappler]

It's also important to note that U coach, J Robinson, has been one of (if not thee) leading proponent of the national team duals. Hats off to J for his continued vision in building the sport of wrestling -- we are very fortunate to have one of the greatest coaches in NCAA Wrestling history!

 

[Nokomis]

I wouldn't be too concerned over that. If the duals were the national championship for the team, I couldn't imagine a team resting their best wrestlers. You don't see that at the MSHL tournament situation. It's just two seperate entities.

To make it work, I think they'd have to add 1 more round and go to 16 teams. In wrestling, a team outside of the top 16 is really not going to have much of a chance to win it.

Then after it's over, you run the Big 10 and the Nationals exactly like they do now but take out the team aspect. In a sport like wrestling, which is usually decided by "team vs. team", it seems weird to settle the "team championship" any other way.

Here's how I see you could emphasize the importance of the team championship as well as reward the top individuals: hold the individual tournament first. Then hold the national duals as the culmination of the season.