Idaho

Still different to weight in all season at 197 versus getting down for a tournament to 202.8. Almost 6 pounds more for the entire season.

Interesting article on Dake today about turning down a massive offer to coach. He will be the next big name head coach next Spring. Appears this is the final ride. As a side note - Read that it was Ok State before Smith decided to come back for one more year. However, I need to find where that was said. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/05/24/us-olympian-turned-down-massive-job-to-pursue-gold-medal-dream.html

Not many teams making a significant amount of money to be able to pay out to athletes....most teams making very little, none or in the negative.

It is.... it's been long over.

Hmmmm....interesting. How does that play out that the portal is closed and it's beyond the 30 day coaching change?

Almost every athletic program does NOT bring in enough money to even cover the operating costs let alone have money to give athletes. But, let's pretend they do......Of all the sports teams, both men's and women's teams, how does the school decide which athletes get money and how much? As @ionel pointed out, there will be equity issues. Is football, basketball and any other big program at a school willing to share all their profits to pay out everyone? Is it straight across the board money? Lot's of problems.

Most athletic programs operate at a loss. The NIL will still be the main thing that lures wrestlers. The schools themselves don't have extra money to be giving out 100k to athletes. The schools that do have huge football programs that make their money, and even then, I think we are going to see inner battles to sharing that pot to cover operating costs of other programs. Alabama rakes in money, but they don't even have wrestling. LSU, Texas, Georgia, etc. all make a lot of money to cover the short fall of programs and then some, but they don't have wrestling. This is going to end up being more about football and basketball, which of course is what is driving this whole mess. On another note, the wrestling programs that do have money in their actual program budget are the same teams that have big donors for NIL. The rich get richer with this in one sense, but in another it's just the same programs, with the same big donors. Overall, I agree, and I have always said that this is bad for wrestling in the long run.

Have you heard much on Walters? He didn't wrestle a match in his redshirt. I am guessing injury. I agree - probably going to be heavyweight by committee between mostly Jenkins, Walters, Sak to see who goes to the BIG

They also have Hayden Walters at 197.

Of course. Some schools already use student fees and tuition to make up the shortfall....so there's that.

Hes a heavyweight. He’s also a Monster Garagr kid with Valencia so that is a huge flip! Would not be surprised to see Manville leave as well. He’s a DT guy.

one among many.

Schools now allowed to pay players directly.... good luck with that since most athletic departments lose money. https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/40206364/ncaa-power-conferences-agree-allow-schools-pay-players

Big 12 is almost there.

Every conference should have a team from each time zone and region. Add Club teams Just a few of my ideas coming out in my next book.

Haha.... I just posted this... Messenbrink, Facundo?

Probably better suited for the OSU lineup thread and not the portal, but since we are here, you have 3 finalists for PSU wrestling in the back half, who most likely won't be wrestling there. You have more guys for OK State who wrestle on the back half, who will score more on the backside because of sheer numbers. But when you have that many points scored by PSU on the front side, does it matter?

Agreed... probably need a 5 pound bag of sugar free gummy bears to top it off.

You mean 3 before each weigh in?

So now Larkin is a 149lber...haha....just messing with you. McLane misses his senior year after transferring in.... Valencia done at ASU with two years left but can't transfer....man that would be brutal to those guys after the portal date....but Wee man has done that before to several guys.

Sure if you want to go by placements..... I wouldn't say he looked better the other two years though. His 6th place. year he lost to Lee and Seabass by 1 point each at the NCAA. Tough weight.

2023 was definitely his best year....but his 2nd best year is a toss up.

Earlier you said there would be a huge hole at two of 174, 184, and 197 if Larkin went 149.... why do you need Bearclaw? Teemer, McLane and Ruiz are more thafine at 157-165- 174.

He would be very small for 197, but he might be the best option. We have seen other guys jump weights like that. He won't beat Ruiz out at 174 and as noted, a transfer coming in at 184.

100% .... I am in the minority that sees Carroll as a hwt and Merrill as a 197.