Indianapolis, IN
By Greg Johnson
The NCAA News
The Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet at its June 24-25 meeting approved a new qualifier allocation formula for wrestling that will go into effect for the 2009 championship.
Cabinet members, who convened in Oak Brook, Illinois, praised the Division I Wrestling Committee for developing a plan that aligns the sport more closely with selection criteria used for other Division I championships.
Specifically, the plan eliminates the use of historical data, eliminates the practice of selecting wild-card participants and allocates enough conference and regional qualifying positions while maintaining the importance of conference and qualifying tournaments. It also balances the goals of selecting the most highly qualified individuals and achieving regional representation.
The only part of the plan that was not approved was the recommendation to increase the number of qualifiers from 330 to 360. Expansion of the field would cost $57,000.
Based on a recommendation from the cabinet’s bracket/format subcommittee, the cabinet did not take a position on the wrestling committee’s recommendation to increase the sport’s championships field by 30 participants.
The cabinet appreciated the committee’s position on the increase but decided to consider the recommendation after further discussion on whether it aligns with the cabinet’s guiding principles for bracket expansion and related funding options for the increase.
“We understand that the expansion of the bracket for additional participants is desirable and that it might be important to the future and health of the sport,” said cabinet Chair Carolyn Schlie Femovich, executive director of the Patriot League. “But we need to respect the cabinet’s policies and procedures with respect to the bracket expansion and funding issues.”
As for allocations to the 2009 Division I Wrestling Championships, champions in each of the 10 weight classes at conference and NCAA regional qualifying tournaments will receive automatic qualification into the national meet. That represents 110 of the 330 allocations. The remaining 220 spots will be determined through a primary criteria formula in which wrestlers will be measured on (1) winning percentage; (2) a rating percentage index conducted by the National Wrestling Coaches Association; and (3) a coaches poll (five coaches from each conference and regional qualifying tournament will be assigned to nationally rank wrestlers in two different weight classes).
If wrestlers in a particular conference or regional qualifier reach standards in at least two of those three criteria, that qualifying tournament will earn a qualifier position in their respective weight class at their qualifying event. For example, if six wrestlers from the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association competing at 125 pounds meet the standards, then the top six finishers at that weight in the conference tournament would qualify for the national championships.
When all the selections are made, each of the 10 weight classes at the NCAA championships will have 33 wrestlers in the bracket.
These criteria will be used in each of the conference tournaments and NCAA regional qualifying competitions, so wrestlers will know where they have to finish in their qualifying event to reach the NCAA championships. Cabinet members believe that should elevate the importance of those tournaments.
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