Why “show up”?
If I have learned one thing since my arrival at Stanford, it is that this program has been through a lot and remains resilient. The Keep Stanford Wrestling (KSW) movement was a powerful one. One that showed the strength of the Stanford Wrestling community in so many ways.
“Saving” the program was a monumental win for the program and the effort of those who organized the group was, quite literally, unbelievable (not many people thought the program could actually be saved). The movement was so powerful that it was the catalyst for 10 other sports being saved.
So, the program has been saved, now what?
We are in a very unique position to have the momentum of the KSW effort as a tailwind for future success. What happens in the next few years will greatly determine what type of program Stanford wrestling will be for many years to come.
Will we be a team that is consistently competing for trophies at the NCAA championship? A team that is periodically ranked in the top 20, but never competes for a trophy? Will we be happy to just have a wrestling program? The next few years are critical.
I can tell you I’m all in for consistently competing for trophies at the NCAA championship, and moved my family across the country to try to make it happen. Our staff and wrestlers are willing to do the work necessary, but we can’t do it alone.
Currently, the wrestling teams that are winning at the highest level have a lot of involvement from people outside the coaches and the team. In the NCAA landscape, with NIL, RTC, and revenue share, the most obvious support these individuals provide is financial backing, but these programs also have people that consistently show up to their dual meets and events.
Last weekend we had an amazing dual where we beat ASU. Many people commented that it was the largest crowd they had witnessed for a wrestling match at Maples in a long time. It was easily twice as many people as we had for our first dual last year. I snapped a picture of the crowd so I could tally the attendance at a later time and counted 615 (see attached picture). The events crew later reported around 815, so we will go with that (I guess I counted them for nothing).
(The yellow dots were me counting the heads…hard to keep track of)
In the 2024 season the average attendance of duals for the teams that placed in the top 10 at the NCAA’s was 4890. Iowa and PSU skew this data a bit, so if those teams are removed the average is about 3000.
In determining where we want this program to go, getting to 3000 fans on average at our duals as soon as possible will help put us in this upper echelon of DI programs…only 2200 to go.
Almost all of the sports at Stanford run at a financial deficit and I believe that wrestling could be a revenue generating sport for the department. Considering the current landscape of NCAA athletic departments Olympic sports are at risk now more than ever, and we could be a model of what is possible for these sports. Thanks to the generosity of so many Stanford Wrestling supporters, endowments related to wrestling cover many of our expenses, and if we become a ticketed sport that draws large crowds, I believe we can generate revenue.
Plus, there is influence in the masses. In today’s day and age, time is one of the most valuable resources, so nothing sends a stronger message than people showing up. Our administration needs a reason to ticket. Our recruits need more reasons to choose Stanford. The ASU match was a good start. UVA provides another opportunity. I hope to see you there! Your presence has a greater impact than you know.
Spread the word. Bring a friend. Make them a fan. These athletes are worth rooting for!
If you are not local and can’t make it to the dual please watch it on ESPN+
