It is the oldest sport in the world. It has stood the test of time, seen all the ancient Olympics as well as all 27 modern Games and created just as many memorable success stories as the other great sports. It is, without a doubt, one of the purest forms of human physicality in the world of athletics.
So why does Elon University not have a wrestling team?
Clearly, it is a worthy sport. There?are 222 wrestling teams in the NCAA, encompassing all divisions, and there?are more than 10,000 high school boys’ teams in the United States. Enrollment in these programs is high across the country. One would think that, with about 5,600 undergraduate students, Elon could find around 30 students to fill the roster of a school-sponsored team.
It’s not a matter of funding. Wrestling is among the least expensive collegiate athletic programs to fund, with the total cost of operation for an NAIA team’s season (without coaches’ salaries) averaging $33,000. Although the cost may be higher for an NCAA school, it does not even begin to compare with the millions of dollars spent on sports like football every year.
Collegiate wrestling can bring in money for the university. According to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), collegiate wrestling?is usually among the top five programs in revenue production for the NCAA Championships. Low cost coupled with high revenue sounds like any college’s dream.
Alongside the obvious financial profits, there are numerous other reasons to start a wrestling program at Elon. For starters, the school would benefit in hav- ing more athletic programs overall.
With only seven male and nine female varsity teams, Elon leaves something to be desired in its options. Although there are 24 club teams that provide more opportunities for students to become involved in athletics, there is still room for a new sport.
While starting a club wrestling program would greatly improve the athletic opportunities for casual wrestlers at Elon, a varsity team would allow students to improve their skills with a professional coach. However, it would help the university as well.
The presence of a school-funded team would mean that Elon could offer more athletic scholarships to prospective students, which would make the university more affordable and attractive to more students, thereby raising enrollment and providing incentive for those students to begin their education here.
Plus, wrestling is not a sport for only men. Women’s wrestling programs have risen in popularity tremendously in recent years. According to the NWCA, women’s participation in high school wrestling programs has increased from around 800 in 1994 to more than 6,000 today.
Although there is not yet an NCAA program for women’s teams, 24 universities in the NAIA division sponsor teams, and the number continues to rise every year.
In the end, the creation of a wrestling team is one that deal with the financial benefits for the university. If we succeed, the rewards will be considerable for everyone.