Letters to the Sports Editor: Boise State wrestling’s cancellation

Boise State wrestling

I was very disappointed at the cancellation of the BSU wrestling program. This will end the dreams of many elite athletes who dreamed about competing for BSU and staying in Idaho to compete in a sport they love.

It appears that the outlandish decision to cancel the BSU wrestling program was made behind the closed doors of (Boise State) President (Bob) Kustra with the only input being from Athletic Director (Curt) Apsey and perhaps in collusion with the deep pockets of (Boise) Hawks baseball representatives. Where was the public and student input regarding this failed decision? The first time anyone hears about this is when it’s announced, without any further comment by the athletic director or president. It appears that even the head coach was caught off guard.

Let me make a suggestion, President Kustra. Do the honorable thing and restore the wrestling program with a 10 percent budget increase and then fire the athletic director and submit your resignation.

Like many other young wrestlers growing up in Idaho, I was inspired by the Boise State wrestling team and eagerly participated at many Bronco wrestling camps. BSU wrestlers and coaches were my role models for sportsmanship, discipline and relentlessly pursuing my goals.

I am extremely disappointed by the short-sighted decision to cut a program that has been around since 1959 because it declined for a few years under mismanagement. The program was top-10 ranked in 2010-11 and had an NCAA finalist that season. Since 1999, it has produced two NCAA champions, two Olympians (Charles Burton and George Ivanov) and six Pac-12 team championships. The new coach was given just one year to turn things around — an impossible task.

This move is especially ill-considered given how uniquely popular wrestling is in Idaho. Idaho is one of only five states that has more high school wrestling programs than high school baseball programs, according to the most recent data from the National Federation of State High School Associations. But in a state with over 2,200 high school wrestlers, there will no longer be a single four-year college wrestling program.

This story was originally published April 23, 2017 at 12:13 AM with the headline "Letters to the Sports Editor: Boise State wrestling’s cancellation."