UALR announced in Cleveland at the NCAA wrestling meet that it will add wrestling for 2019.

http://lrtrojans.com/news/2018/3/17/athl...ogram.aspx

That’s quite a launching pad to impress the wrestling world. Immediately, conference affiliation was an unanswered question. The Big 12, which has several non FBS affiliates, may be interested in a school in its backyard. Utah Valley or Wyoming could join the PAC12 wrestling conference leaving the B12. The SoCon or MAC could invite UALR as an affiliate too.

As UALR has a fb feasibility study ongoing, if it went FBS, UALR will need 16 sports to go FBS. Right now it has 14. Wrestling would make 15 sports. Maybe something is up with FBS, as Presidents normally know the answer they want to feasibility studies. But would have thought softball would be added for Title IX.

(03-19-2018 03:18 AM)NoDak Wrote:  UALR announced in Cleveland at the NCAA wrestling meet that it will add wrestling for 2019.

http://lrtrojans.com/news/2018/3/17/athl...ogram.aspx

That’s quite a launching pad to impress the wrestling world. Immediately, conference affiliation was an unanswered question. The Big 12, which has several non FBS affiliates, may be interested in a school in its backyard. Utah Valley or Wyoming could join the PAC12 wrestling conference leaving the B12. The SoCon or MAC could invite UALR as an affiliate too.

As UALR has a fb feasibility study ongoing, if it went FBS, UALR will need 16 sports to go FBS. Right now it has 14. Wrestling would make 15 sports. Maybe something is up with FBS, as Presidents normally know the answer they want to feasibility studies. But would have thought softball would be added for Title IX.

This was probably done to short circuit football. I’m sure another women’s sport will follow. Kind of surprising UALR didn’t add soccer, as that is a Sun Belt sport.

(03-19-2018 05:54 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 03:18 AM)NoDak Wrote:  UALR announced in Cleveland at the NCAA wrestling meet that it will add wrestling for 2019.

http://lrtrojans.com/news/2018/3/17/athl...ogram.aspx

That’s quite a launching pad to impress the wrestling world. Immediately, conference affiliation was an unanswered question. The Big 12, which has several non FBS affiliates, may be interested in a school in its backyard. Utah Valley or Wyoming could join the PAC12 wrestling conference leaving the B12. The SoCon or MAC could invite UALR as an affiliate too.

As UALR has a fb feasibility study ongoing, if it went FBS, UALR will need 16 sports to go FBS. Right now it has 14. Wrestling would make 15 sports. Maybe something is up with FBS, as Presidents normally know the answer they want to feasibility studies. But would have thought softball would be added for Title IX.

This was probably done to short circuit football. I’m sure another women’s sport will follow. Kind of surprising UALR didn’t add soccer, as that is a Sun Belt sport.

Glad to hear. The article says this move comes from an Angel Donation from a local booster to fund the program and does not effect the football feasibility study, but you are probably correct that UALR now needs to add a women's sport (or at least 10 new scholarships) to keep the balance. Maybe they get a SoCon affiliation, since that conference is loosing Southern Illinois to the MAC. NCAA wrestling needs to continue to expand so it doesn't become a Title IX casualty.

(03-19-2018 08:33 AM)mikeinsec127 Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 05:54 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  

(03-19-2018 03:18 AM)NoDak Wrote:  UALR announced in Cleveland at the NCAA wrestling meet that it will add wrestling for 2019.

http://lrtrojans.com/news/2018/3/17/athl...ogram.aspx

That’s quite a launching pad to impress the wrestling world. Immediately, conference affiliation was an unanswered question. The Big 12, which has several non FBS affiliates, may be interested in a school in its backyard. Utah Valley or Wyoming could join the PAC12 wrestling conference leaving the B12. The SoCon or MAC could invite UALR as an affiliate too.

As UALR has a fb feasibility study ongoing, if it went FBS, UALR will need 16 sports to go FBS. Right now it has 14. Wrestling would make 15 sports. Maybe something is up with FBS, as Presidents normally know the answer they want to feasibility studies. But would have thought softball would be added for Title IX.

This was probably done to short circuit football. I’m sure another women’s sport will follow. Kind of surprising UALR didn’t add soccer, as that is a Sun Belt sport.

Glad to hear. The article says this move comes from an Angel Donation from a local booster to fund the program and does not effect the football feasibility study, but you are probably correct that UALR now needs to add a women's sport (or at least 10 new scholarships) to keep the balance. Maybe they get a SoCon affiliation, since that conference is loosing Southern Illinois to the MAC. NCAA wrestling needs to continue to expand so it doesn't become a Title IX casualty.

UALR would need to get to 17 or 18 sports from the current 15 (counting wrestling) to get a straight face on Title IX.

Note that the company doing the football feasibility study has already issued a report for War Memorial stating that $17 million in improvements are required for the stadium.

Directly no connection to football. Greg Hatcher has paid start up costs for high schools in Arkansas to add wrestling and was able to convince enough to add the sport for the Arkansas Activities Association to offer a state championship.

He has approached each of the Division I schools in Arkansas to offer wrestling. UALR is the first to accept.

What conference takes them? Probably the SoCo, if I had to guess.

I hope the SoCon gets them added

Just one more rivalry to grow by App curbing them in the SoCon. Might help the students get up fornthr Bball team since wrestling is bigger at App than Basketball.

Great news...in the 80’s 200 D-1 wrestling schools. Title 9 and it’s down to less than 80. Good for them!

I hear there is an opening in the MAC

Does the Pac 12 only have five schools in wrestling? It seems like it would make sense for the Pac 12 to take an affiliate from the Big 12 and then have the Big 12 add Little Rock.

(03-21-2018 12:47 AM)chargeradio Wrote:  Does the Pac 12 only have five schools in wrestling? It seems like it would make sense for the Pac 12 to take an affiliate from the Big 12 and then have the Big 12 add Little Rock.

That could get ugly for Big 12 wrestling since for a little bit there there were discussions about leaving for MAC wrestling. If enough left again they may just decide to do that instead.