Jake Riesen

I have read a lot of proposals on here and this may be the most simple for the schools to set up. As a fan it would be harder to follow with stuff not being on the same dates, but it would still be awsome for all the teams involved. I think the sweet sixteen round would really get the tourney a lot of exposure. As I have said before I am not opposed to any type of tourney as long as we do it right. This tourney may also be less of a strain to get good refs involved since the rounds are spread over a whole 2 week. Kudos to everyone on here throwing up their ideas and I can not wait to see what the ihswca will propose. It will be fun and I just hope they don't go with something that is to off the wall. Simple is key to running a good tourney so I hope they keep that in mind.

Im not opposed to anything but if this proposal is going to roll we should start a list of particpating schools to generate interest early. If the coaches association could come out with 100 or so schools that will be willing to compete I think the numbers may rise. Teams need to want to be a part of this tourney because it will become dead on arrival if the interest is not there. If this will be the main proposal I have some ideas to help promote it. I think it would be cool to see a set number of classes and have a list of the classes that changes as teams are added or taken away from the tourney(so class based on entering teams not classes from other sports. You mentioned this in an earlier post, but it would be cool to see the tournament grow daily with a set number of classes. It would also allow people to see what teams were in to put some pressure from parents to get thier teams involved). The coaches association needs to get something done sooner rather then later and promote the tournament asap. Im not concerned with the format of the tourney as much as I am concerned with not having any idea to propose to the ihsaa. SO my suggestion would be get something on paper and go with it. We can talk on here and give ideas but it means jack crap if people don't all get on board.

Thank you for not getting angry on here Greco Coach. We have two different ideas on this and it is nice to actually show the two sides. I do agree that the tournament will be smaller and more managable at first. My problem is not with the top big schools wanting to take part in the tournament its that it will be a lot harder to get the smaller schools to look at the tourney as a true state championship tournament(because of the teams in the field). Maybe your right maybe it will grow into something great, but my thoughts are if the initial product does not feel like a state championship then it will be very slow to grow. That may hinder the ihsaa on whether to keep the tournament or not. I think if you were going to use this type of format one thing to look into would be allowing teams that drop their own tournaments for that week to still hold an event in their facilities. Ex. if Belmont moves the duals they hold part of the tournament in their facilities. Also membership from the start I still say should not be forced. Prove to the wrestling community that the coaches association can hold a meaningful event. Have set days for certain events during the tournament. Make it easier for the public and the press to cover the tournament. The coaches association is trying to redo the most prestigous team tournament make sure it looks and feels as though its a state title. If we can not do that it is just mearly a good competitive dual tournament that all teams can find several of throughout the season.

FYI #4 is the one I think is most important in starting a new tournament of this magnitude. If the coaches association wants team state to be something great it has to force the tournament in to gain exposure on the state as a whole. The tourney can be tweaked year after year to run better, but if we start with nothing to try to gain something like this I think the idea will fail. Give the product to the wrestling community before you ask for membership. We failed the last time because a lot of teams did not feel they could compete for anything meaningful. Class it get all the teams involved and do not turn this into a glorified Belmont Duals. If you love team state and the sport of wrestling do not turn this into the same type of situation as the last tournament. Just my opinion.

I must say I like the idea for the format; I do have a lot of little concerns. I would rather start with an all in tourney for 2 or 3 years and then add sign up fees and here is why. 1. The initial setup would be harder to setup then an all in because of having to wait on teams signing up, having to district from non-ideal locations (ex. 20 1 a schools from up north sign up and only12 from the south), and constantly changing teams. 2. I have heard the coaches who get to compete at team state talk about what all it has done for their teams and how it makes them strive to be better. We need a classed all in tourney for a few years to show the benefits of the team tourney to coaches and teams that think they cannot compete. 3. I agree with not being one and done to an extent. My proposal is on the all in tourney board post. I would wrestle back every round for placement in an all in tourney. Placement would allow for all teams to get matches in and see how they fair against the whole field. 4. If we make it an all in tourney to start that clears a week of matches out from every single team?s schedules. It?s a one or two time thing and it can be done. What this would do is make it harder for other tournaments to start up after the fact and take away from the significance of the team tournament. It monopolizes a week of wrestling to an extent. 5. The teams that do not want to gain membership to the coaches association after the two year all in tournament will either be teams that do not like the format or teams that will never be able to compete. The coaches association will gain more members and have more of a say after the fact because more teams will be contributing to the discussion. These are just some of my thoughts on the matter feel free to pick me apart, but its just one mans opinion.

Im sorry y2 for calling you out, but come on i have been watching you on here for a few months and you are negative or sarcastic about everything. I'm tired of you on here trying to say what we can't do. Your the type of person who will cry until you get what you want and its not going to work here. It may be your site but this is a public forum and I am tired of your rhetoric. I understand you want an individual class tournament, but your in the minority on that issue and trying to ruin team state just because you can not have the other is not fair to your wrestlers or the sport. If you truly wanted to fix wrestling in indiana you would start trying to solve the thing instead of shooting down every single persons ideas.

Not to much has been posted not sure if its the time of year or the idea so lets hear your thoughts. Are you in favor or opposed to this type of tourey? If opposed what don't you like about the setup and what are some other problems the iswa could run into by forming this type of tournement? Also would the IHSAA let this type of tournament be ran? Right now this looks to be the only rational idea on the board so lets work on it and help get a proposal out there. Y2 and Karl you two claim your out for the good of the sport why don't you prove it. Instead of bashing the other not so bright idea for a tournement why don't you help try and get a real tourney started. You guys would rather argue then get something done and thats why your starting to be laughable on this board and in the wrestling community.

I don't speak for everyone, but one problem I have with using an invite tournement is that there is nothing leading up to it and it wouldn't grow a huge following like a tournement format would. If we don't get the best 8 teams down to the state finals thats ok with me as long as they all had a chance to move on. Plus great dual meets early in a tournament rise attendance. A Tuesday Mish vs. Penn match would be standing room only.

It is a big undertaking, but if you get it set up for one year it will run be relativly simple to run the next few years because you have venues and refs coming back year after year. Also midweek would allow for a better school following and tv coverage because we are not competing with basketball as much. Its basically setting up a regional on a wendsday and thursday night. It will be rough but it can be done. I am not saying this is the best method ever but its an idea and something to work off to get an all in torney and have a week where wrestling is king.

I have been reading some of the proposals on the board and just wanted to weigh in on what I think should be done. I think a 4 class system is the best way to create an all in tournament and have it finished in a week. My tourney would start and end the week before conference. 4 classes would mean 77 teams per class that gives us 13 extra teams to get to a 64 team tourney. On Monday I would have the 13 extra teams from class 1a and 2a wrestle for a spot in the 64 team tourney. On Tuesday I would have the 13 extra teams in 3a and 4a square off. The teams will be randomly selected at the beginning of the year and the opponent would be the school that is in the closest proximity to cut down on travel cost as well as have great rivalries for more packed gymnasiums. Mishawaka vs. Penn on a Tuesday night for a spot in the state tourney is well worth the price of admission. On Wednesday I would have 8 team regionals for 1a and 2a and Thursday would be 3a and 4a. The location for the regionals could be at a central location set every year to cut down on travel cost again. Lastly that Saturday 2 or 4 locations for the 8 way state finals. 2 locations may be able to boost revenue, but 4 should be ideal because I think a wrestle back for the top 6 teams would be cool. I mean you?re driving all the way to Indy make a whole day out of it. The biggest concern I have with the tourney is it would take a big commitment for the referees. Monday and Tuesday would need 26 and Wednesday and Thursday would need 64 at least. Venues may still be a concern, but most every school has 2 gyms if they cannot fit the full 4 mats. It would defiantly take some hard work to get this all done, but at least we would have a set schedule every year and a new way to help promote the sport.