I tend to derive ideas for things to write from very random inspirations. I read an article I like, I see something going on in other sports, or I just have a random thought and roll with it. In this bit of a “lull” of wrestling for a publication like ours that focuses mainly on high school wrestling in Oklahoma, this can be a good time to write about some of those random things.
And what got me going down this rabbit hole is OU’s football game at Temple this weekend. The Sooners travel to Philadelphia to play Temple in a matchup they are heavily favored in against an American Athletic Conference team without the tradition and resources that OU has. As I write this, the game hasn’t started, but OU is expected to win solidly. But for fans, it’s really not as much about the game itself. It’s about the trip. It’s about the history of Philadelphia, tourist spots, dining, bars, and on and on. And though, naturally, they are all there to watch the game, all the other factors create a good fan experience.
With that, here are five things I believe every college wrestling schedule should have for its fans.
A Destination
This is what I alluded to with the Temple/Philadelphia/OU football game. A few years ago, my wife and I were in Boston. I had been to some work training near DC for a few months. After I finished up, we wanted to take a trip. And since we were within driving distance of Boston, that’s what we did. That weekend, a Florida State-Boston College football game was held in Boston. And as we did the historic tours, we went to Fenway Park, etc. There were a lot of Florida State fans who made a vacation out of it.
You can apply the same concept to wrestling. Schedule American University and get a trip to DC out of it. Schedule Penn and get a trip to Philadelphia. Northwestern and Chicago, and on and on. In Oklahoma, we don’t see a lot of those cities by default, so parents, fans, etc. get to watch their teams wrestle and also get to see some sites. Need at least one or two of these on the schedule each year.
Rivals
This almost goes without saying, but the core of college athletics is big traditional rivalries. Bedlam, Iowa-Oklahoma State, etc. You have to have those matchups, and you need to enhance those rivalries wherever you can. I personally think OU/Missouri has a great opportunity to develop something that fans can get behind. It’s an old Big 8 matchup. They’re the only SEC teams with wrestling. There are a lot of storylines you could build there.
But you need duals at home that create a good college wrestling environment, and rivals are what help do that.
An in-season tournament
Conference and NCAA tournaments are always built into the schedule, but I like the idea of getting one solid in-season tournament on the schedule. The National Dual Invitational looks like it should be that for a lot of schools. Midlands, Southern Scuffle, Reno. Unfortunately, some of these have lost some of their luster as some schools don’t send starters. But when they send their stars. These are fun. I understand a lot of wrestlers have a “pitch count” these days, and it’s a tough grind to hit one of these mid-season every year, but for fans, these are fun to follow.
A road trip
This is a little different than what I was describing with “Destinations”. Destinations are legitimate vacations with a little wrestling in the mix. You need one drivable trip that doesn’t cost a lot, and fans can make a weekend out of. For Oklahoma schools, it’s Missouri or Little Rock. Something you can put together that doesn’t cost a lot, but allows you to experience a road dual and a different college town than what you’re used to.
Marquee Non-Conference matchup
The SEC recently mandated this in football, but it also applies in wrestling. Get one Big Ten matchup, one top ACC team, something that gets wrestling fans talking and excited. OSU’s last year was Virginia Tech and NC State. This season, it’s Nebraska. OU’s opening with a really tough one at Penn State and has Indiana, Rutgers, and Duke. All Power Four schools. You don’t necessarily have to go and wrestle Penn State every year, but getting regular home and home matchups with a few of these big brands really helps your fan following.
There are several other variables that come into play with scheduling. You have to develop it to help your team stay healthy, to allow them to improve throughout the season, and more. But from a fan standpoint, mixing these types of things into the schedule can really intrigue fans and give them a reason to get out and go watch wrestling.
