State tournaments dates may move if new arena can land NCAA events
If adopted, wrestling and basketball events would be week earlier.
By TOM WITOSKY
REGISTER STAFF WRITER Copyright 2005, Des Moines Register and Tribune Company
Iowa’s high school athletic associations are considering adjusting the dates of their three major postseason tournaments to allow NCAA events to be held in Des Moines.
Troy Dannen, executive secretary of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union, and Rick Wulkow, executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, each said they’re exploring moving state wrestling, as well as state boys’ and girls’ basketball, up a week beginning in 2008.
If adopted, the change would be permanent.
“We believe that it is important that we do what we can to help the Des Moines community to attract events to the Iowa Events Center, “Dannen said.
Officials said the possible changes will have broad impact in other parts of the high school seasons.
“This isn’t just about moving three tournaments up a week, “Wulkow said. “Our annual calendars for all events in all activities begin with the dates for the three tournaments. This is going to take a lot of work and patience among our members.”
Wulkow said both associations – along with associations for high school groups overseeing music, debate and speech activities – operate on integrated five-year calendars.
As a result, the associations would need at least two years to plan necessary adjustments, Wulkow said.
The state wrestling tournament, which begins Wednesday, draws crowds of 80,000 for the four-day tournament and traditionally is held during the last week of February.
The six-day state girls’ basketball tournament begins nine days later, in the first full week in March. The state boys’ basketball tournament launches the week after girls’ basketball.
Both groups recently signed 10-year contracts to stage tournaments at the yet-to-open Wells Fargo Arena in downtown Des Moines – one year in Veterans Memorial Auditorium, and nine more in the arena.
The 15,500-seat arena is scheduled to be completed this summer.
Current dates for the boys’ basketball tournament conflict with a key week for NCAA sports such as the Division I wrestling tournament and first- and second-round games in the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
“Both Troy Dannen and Rick Wulkow have been extremely cooperative in talking with us in making this possible, “said Greg Edwards, president of the Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This is not an easy thing for them to do because it affects their entire calendar.”
Edwards said NCAA wrestling representatives made a site visit to Des Moines last week.
“We know by the history of the wrestling tournament that there could be millions of dollars spent here if we can land it, “Edwards said. “It is a great opportunity.”
Iowa State University recently submitted bids for the Division I wrestling tournament, as well as for the first two rounds of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament in 2008.
Wrestling sites are being determined for 2008, ’09, ’10 and ’11. Iowa State’s bid lists the 2008 championship as its preference, but would accept the event any one of the years.
NCAA women’s basketball officials are in the process of selecting finalists for early-round games in 2007 and ’08. Finalists will be notified by the end of the month, with the announcement of sites in June.
Iowa State bid documents show the university has offered to host first- and second-round women’s basketball games during the third week of March 2008 if Des Moines fails to land the NCAA wrestling tournament that year.
Calli Sanders, Iowa State senior associate athletic director, said officials have guaranteed the NCAA $1.1 million for the wrestling tournament.
“We are optimistic that we will get strong consideration for both events, “Sanders said.
Sanders said Iowa State was approached by Wells Fargo Arena officials to submit a bid to host the wrestling tournament.
New criteria for the women’s basketball tournament required Iowa State to propose Des Moines as a site instead of Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Sanders said.
“We were told there weren’t sufficient hotel rooms in Ames to host the first and second round, “Sanders said. “We are lucky to have a new arena in a large enough community close by.”
Edwards said if Des Moines can host successful events, it would enhance chances to land men’s first- and second-round tournament games and other NCAA events. A new round of men’s bids for the 2009, ’10 and ’11 tournaments will begin later this year.
“If we can get an event now, it should give us a foothold to get other events such as the men’s tournament, “said Edwards, who added that Drake Stadium’s renovation could land NCAA track events.
Dannen said there would be another potential advantage of moving the high school tournaments.
“We would be glad to give the annual (girls’) tournament snowstorm to the NCAA, “Dannen said.
Hartzell: NCAA snubbing campuses
Northern Iowa athletic director Rick Hartzell would be happy if the NCAA awards Des Moines a Division I wrestling tournament,.
Hartzell does have a concern, though, after the NCAA rejected a bid for the event by his university.
“I have no quarrel whatsoever with the NCAA wanting to put the tournament in St. Louis, Des Moines or other bigger cities most of the time, “Hartzell said. “But I do have a big problem keeping wrestling off of college campuses in general. That is where the grass roots of wrestling are.”
Hartzell said he recently was informed the NCAA had rejected Northern Iowa’s bid to host wrestling in 2008, ’09, ’10 or ’11.
Northern Iowa was the site of the 1997 wrestling tournament, attracting more than 90,000 fans at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. The turnout set the record for wrestling attendance at the championships and has been exceeded only two times – 2000 in St. Louis and 2003 in Kansas City.
The Panthers’ bid included a $1.4 million guarantee to the NCAA, Hartzell said. Iowa State’s recent bid for a Des Moines tournament included a $1.1 million guarantee.
“They ought to be willing to put that tournament on a college campus once every three or four years, “Hartzell said. “I think that they are making a big mistake by trying to limit it to bigger arenas.”
Bob Bowlsby, University of Iowa athletic director and former chairman of the NCAA wrestling committee, agreed.
“I don’t agree with the policy now that the tournament be held solely off campus, “Bowlsby said. “I think that is a mistake.”
Hartzell said Northern Iowa received little attention, despite the record-setting tournament it hosted.
“I am just astounded that they wouldn’t even make a site visit, “Hartzell said. “We showed them what was possible in 1997, and now they won’t even give us the courtesy to include us. I just don’t get it.”
– Tom Witosky
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