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Seizing The Moment!(A Unique Opportunity in Time)

Prepared by: The Clemson Wrestling Alumni Steering CommitteeAlan C. Leet - The College Sports Council With Support from:National Wrestling Coaches Association, The US Olympic

Committee, NUWAY, and USA Wrestling

The Case for Clemson The Case for Clemson WrestlingWrestling

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Thank YouThank You

For Hosting Our Wrestling Reunion Going Into Our 4th Year

For Recognizing Noel Loban and Sam Henson in the Athletic Hall of Fame

For Taking Time to Meet Today

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The History of Clemson Wrestling

Term of Program: 1977-1995

2 Olympic Medalists

1 World Championship

3 Individual NCAA Championships

8 All-Americans

1 ACC Team and 28 Individual ACC Championships

Numerous Military Officers and Successful Business Leaders

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What are the National and RegionalTrends in the Sport of Wrestling?

The Popularity of Wrestling in South Carolina and the Southeast is Growing

Despite the Sport’s Popularity Intercollegiate Wrestling Opportunities are Very Limited in the Southeast

High School Wrestlers are an Under-Recruited Talent Pool Nationally

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Popularity of Wrestling in South Carolina and the Southeast

Scholastic wrestling ranks sixth of all boys sports in terms of participation at the high school level with over 272,000 participants nationwide.

There are approximately 4,800 high school wrestlers in the state of South Carolina.

Between FL, GA, and SC, there are approximately 22,000 scholastic wrestlers and only one NCAA Division I wrestling team.

Wrestling is a growing youth age group sport, with over 50 club teams in South Carolina, and athlete participants ranging in age from Elementary School to High School.

Wrestling’s popularity crosses geographic and socio-economic boundaries—illustrated by strong South Carolina High School programs in both public and private schools located in the “Upstate” and “Lower State”.

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Despite the Sport’s Popularity Intercollegiate Wrestling Opportunities

are Very Limited in the Southeast

South Carolina has only one NCAA Division I Wrestling Program (the Citadel), and only four other Intercollegiate Wrestling Programs (Anderson, Newberry, Limestone and Spartanburg Methodist).

There are no NCAA Intercollegiate Programs in Georgia, Alabama and Florida.

In contrast, Intercollegiate Wrestling is very well represented to our North, with many Intercollegiate Programs in North Carolina (11), Virginia (8), Maryland (4) and Tennessee (3).

As a Result, Most of the State’s and Region’s Elite Wrestlers Are Forced to Give Up the Sport, Compete at the Club Level or Attend an Out-Of-State College or University at significant additional expense.

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High School Wrestlers are anUnder-Recruited Talent Pool Nationally

Sport

High School Participants

College Opportunities

Percent HS to NCAA

1. Football 1,009,279 64,879 6.4

2. Basketball 540,207 16,911 3.1

3. Track and Field (outdoor) 572,123 24,418 4.3

4. Baseball 472,644 29,816 6.3

5. Soccer 391,839 21,601 5.5

6. Wrestling 272,890 6,522 2.4

7. Cross Country 239,608 13,015 5.4

8. Tennis 162,755 7,960 4.9

9. Golf 157,756 8,299 5.3

10. Swimming/Diving 131,376

8,868 6.7

TOTALS 3,620,648 179,581 5.1

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Clemson Uniquely Positionedto Add Wrestling

Wrestling Offers Clemson the Ability to Win Championships and Build a Nationally Competitive Program

There are Modest Costs and Facility Needs

It Helps Clemson Achieve its Mission Statement and Goals

ACC is on the Rise, and so it is a Natural Extension of Conference Programs

Clemson has a Strong Wrestling Alumni Group

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Clemson Positioned to Win Championships Build a Nationally

Competitive Program Numbers Advantages: Only 79 Division I Wrestling Programs – Versus 302 Division I Cross

Country Teams, 291 Golf Teams, 258 Tennis Teams and 197 Soccer Teams

Elite Wrestlers are the Most Under-Recruited Student-Athlete! Elite Academic Institutions Are Succeeding in Division I Wrestling:

Cornell, Lehigh, Penn, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin are Perennial Top 20 Programs

Stanford, Harvard and Lehigh have had National Champions in recent years

Elite Wrestlers Succeed in the Classroom—Nine of the 20 NCAA Finalists in 2011 Are Also Academic All-Americans

Clemson Would “Own” the Southeast and Be an Attractive Program/Location to Student Athletes From the NE and Midwest

American University, Cornell and VT provide case studies for how quickly an NCAA DI Wrestling Program can reach the Championship Level

Clemson Wrestling has done it before—achieving National and Olympic success in Wrestling without the support infrastructure that now exists

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Modest Cost and Facility Needs

Cost of Division I Wrestling Program Among Lowest of Collegiate Sports Principal Cost is Coaching Staff - - Head Coach and One or Two Assistants Operating Costs for ACC Wrestling Programs: Less Than All Other Men’s Athletic

Programs at Clemson – See attached analysis Team Size: Typically 25 to 30; Ten Athletes Travel With ACC, Southern Conference and Other Teams in Region, Bus Travel is

Feasible Modest Facilities Requirements; Existing Clemson Facilities would Accommodate

Wrestling Full Scholarship Support (9.9 per NCAA Rule) Not Essential

Most Programs Not fully Funded; Option to increase scholarship support over time Ivys and Duke Are Competitive Without Scholarships Unlike Some Sports (e.g., Soccer), Not Necessary to Recruit Foreign Student-

Athletes to Be Competitive Camps and Clinics a Meaningful Source of Income to Support Program and Coaches

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CLEMSON OPERATING EXPENSE DATA(1)

2009/10 REPORTING YEAR FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION WEBSITE

(1) Does not include coaches’ salaries and scholarships.

(2) Represents an average of the data reported by the six ACC schools with wrestling programs.

VarsityTeams

Men’s TeamsParticipants

OperatingExpenses per

Participant By Team

Women’sTeams

Participants

OperatingExpenses per

Participant By Team

TotalOperatingExpenses

Baseball 32 $15,038 $481,215 $481,215

Basketball 15 $58.851 $882,770 14 $35,593 $498,306 $1,381,076

Football 115 $38,845 $4,467,215 $4,467,215

Golf 11 $6,494 $71,435 $71,435

Rowing - - - 80 $2,149 $171,930 $171,930

Soccer 25 $4,169 $104,228 27 $3,752 $101,292 $205,520

Swimming and Diving

24 $3,197 $76,726 37 $2,659 $98,368 $175,094

Tennis 9 $10,851 $97,661 8 $16,866 $134,925 $232,586

Track and Field, X-Country

46 $3,704 $170,389 64 $3,100 $198,383 $368,772

Volleyball 15 $13,948 $209,227 $209,227

Total Operating Expenses

277 $22,930 $6,351,639 245 $5,765 $1,412,431 $7,764,070

Wrestling(ACC Avg.)(2)

35 $2,644 $92,554

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Helps Achieve Clemson’sMission Statement and Goals

“The mission of the Athletic Department is to sponsor broad-based athletics programs that provide educational, athletic and equitable opportunities for all students and staff….”

Adding Wrestling moves Clemson’s athletic program offerings—in terms of the number of sports sponsored—closer to the “broad based” approach employed by Clemson’s peer schools in the ACC (noting that BC, UNC, Maryland, Duke and NC State offer 27, 24, 22, 22, and 18 sports programs, respectively)

Adding wrestling addresses a very inequitable landscape in South Carolina for dedicated wrestlers wishing to compete at the collegiate level; the opportunity at the collegiate level does not fairly match the interest at the high school level when it comes to wrestling

Adding wrestling offers Clemson the ability to demonstrate excellence in achievement through Conference, National and Olympic Championships (as was the case in Clemson Wrestling’s earlier lifespan)

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Atlantic Coast Conference WrestlingA Growing Force to be Reckoned With!

Six Member Schools Participate in Wrestling—Duke, Maryland, NC State, Virginia, Va. Tech and UNC

Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech Have Been Top 25 Programs in recent years (e.g., VT placed second at the 2011 National Duals Beating Okla. State and Wisconsin in the process)

Nationally Prominent Coaching Talent Recently Recruited by Va. Tech, Maryland, UNC and Virginia

Duke—Without Scholarships—is sending Wrestlers to the NCAA Championships (and had a National Runner Up in 2010)

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Clemson Wrestling Alumni – An Organized and Committed Support

Group There are 250 Former Varsity Wrestlers not Including Former Club

Wrestlers

The Group is Mature, Organized and Motivated—Able to Mentor and Support Student Athletes

Taking on the Scroll of Honor Fundraising Effort, the Group is the First to Complete its Campaign for the USMC Monument

The Wrestling Alumni Group is Currently Setting up an Official Website

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What Can Wrestling Offer Clemson?

Championships!

HUGE National Exposure and Access to Funding

Attract the Highly Motivated Student-Athletes that can Succeed in the Classroom

A Proving Ground for Military and Corporate Leaders

Diversity

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Consultative Sources

Steve Erber – Asst. AD

Rob Cole – Head Coach

Dave Martin – Sr. Assoc. AD

John Smith – Head Coach

Tim Curley – Athletic Dir.

Jan Bortner – Assoc Head Coach

Derek van der Merwe – Sr. Assoc. AD

Tom Borrelli – Head Coach

John Barrett – Assoc. AD

Brendan Buckley – Head Coach

Chris Boyer – Sr. Assoc. AD

Kerry McCoy – Head Coach

Jon Jaudon – Assoc. AD

Tony Roby – Asst. Coach

Debbie Yow – Asst. AD

Carter Jordan – Head Coach

Valerie Richardson – Asst. AD

Steve Garland – Head Coach

Beth Miller – Asst. AD

C.D. Mock – Head Coach

Jon Jackson – Athletic Dir.

Clar Anderson –

Head Coach

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Consultative Sources

Mike Moyer – Executive Director

Jordan Griffith – Senior Director

Scott Blackmun – CEO

Rich Bender – Executive Director

Dave Dean - Founder

John Mitchell – SC Director

Cliff Fretwell – GA Director

COLLEGE SPORTS COUNCIL

Leo Kocher – President and

University of Chicago Professor & Wrestling Coach

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Discussion/Comments?Discussion/Comments?Next Steps?Next Steps?