How did the meeting go tonight???

I saw this on themat.com. You can suggest stories to ESPN "Outside the Lines". Simply put UNO drops wrestling after 3rd consecutive national title.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/otl/news/story?id=1550773

Thank you for your support. We are still here in Omaha. I just couldn't bring myself to leave. We are fighting to influence the Regents.

The meeting with athletes was one-way only, no questions allowed and lasted about 20 minutes. The coaches had almost a 2 hour meeting with the Chancellor and the AD. It got pretty real. One football coach said he was hired in the last 3 weeks and was made promises that UNO already knew would not be fulfilled. The wrestlers and parents/boosters stood watch in the hall until the coaches meeting broke up. Coach Denney then gave us a recap of their meeting and we strategized our plan to try to save our program. The Regents Meeting by rule is an open meeting and must be announced in advance so the public can attend. I will post a list of the Regents and their emails soon.

Thanks for this. I copied it into our Facebook page and many people have already acted on your link.

If you are interested in learning more specifics you can read articles and see the video of the press conference yesterday with the UNO AD and Chancellor who is an ex-college wrestler and avid fan. Go to:

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110314/NEWS01/703149908#shock-anger-at-uno-plan

I got back from Omaha early this morning after watching the Div. II tournament in Kearney. It has been a very up & down ride. I have watched over the years as wrestling programs get cut across the country, I have never had strong ties to one. I do feel that if a program as rock solid as UNO has been gets cut there is no wrestling program that is safe. I do ask that you take an active role in the protection of wrestling and write the Board of Regents in support of UNO wrestling

The administration is require to have minutes of all their "private" meetings at a public institution. These guys are not above public institutional requirements. They are suppose to also inform the public when they are having these discussions that affect the students. This is not a personnel matter it effected programs. It would be no different if they were trying to add a school of business or a nursing school it affected programs that were sponsored by the school. They are required to have minutes of their meetings and someone needs to get a hold of all their "private" meetings. Management or not they still have a responsibility to be open and honest with the public.

Nebraska talk forums address
We are posting all ideas and suggestions here, please help UNO

http://huskermat.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/3197030133

When Mr. Ablerts arrived at UNO he thought the wrestling program was a club team. Obviously he has an ax to grind. What he doesn't understand is that his legacy will not be one of taking UNO to Division I it will that he destroyed one of the most storied wrestling programs in Division II. No program deserves this, even UNO.

To hell with Trev Alberts, don't waste your time. Use your time wisely folks, the regents and the chancellor.

I urge each of you to take the time to at least send an email to these folks. Just make it a short email about why they should consider keeping this program. I just wrote a few sentences but included in there that I had told my wife, "this is a program where young men come out better than they went in".

Regents: tclare@nebraska.edu; hhawks@nebraska.edu; chassebrook@nebraska.edu; bwhitehouse@nebraska.edu; jmcclurg@nebraska.edu; kschroeder@nebraska.edu; bphares@nebraska.edu; rferlic@nebraska.edu; unkregent@unk.edu; unlregent@unl.edu; unmcregent@unmc.edu; unoregent@mail.unomaha.edu; johnchristensen@unomaha.edu

Chancellor: Call and email here-
Office Telephone: 402.554.2311
Fax: 402.554.3555
E-Mail: johnchristensen@unomaha.edu

Again, thank you for your support.

Some of the other sport athletes at UNO removed items and trashed their locker room.

That is not the wrestlers!

During the athlete meeting yesterday the football team walked out early.

The wrestlers stayed and at the end they all walked to the front, took a knee, put a hand on their teammate's shoulder and prayed right in front of the Chancellor. The wrestlers are all in class today because that is what their coaches told them to do.

I don't blame the other athletes for their actions. The do not have the leadership in their coaches telling them there is one more round and to keep fighting.

Just sent my 2 paragraph brief letter. Every fan of the sport needs to address this issue and a simple email, and phone call is not that difficult.

Just sent my letter and signed it,

Brad Means
Father of a FHSU wrestler

Thanks Ben. I have added my contribution and hope to see "Outside the Lines" take this and run with it. It is really sad that a terrific collegiate wrestling program like UNO can get kicked to the curb like this. Hopefully it won't.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/592659-summit-league-should-the-conference-flag-be-lowered

This is a Summit League Article. Must read.

Looks like UNO boosters are starting to take action, read the article below about a booster pulling his money and leaving the UNO Maverick Athletic Board all because of Trev Alberts and his decisions.

OMAHA, Neb. -- A major University of Nebraska-Omaha athletic booster was just days away from handing over a big check when athletic director Trev Alberts announced the conference change. Now, the booster's not only pulling his money, he's also quitting the athletic board.

The memories of football at UNO mean a lot to former Maverick linebacker Van Deeb. He's given money to the athletic department for 20 years and he's been an athletic board member for 18 years. But Deeb said after the last few days, it's all over.

“It's a 100-year-old program that's being destroyed,” Deeb said.

Deeb said the memories are starting to fade after Alberts' recommendation that football and wrestling be cut as UNO joins a new conference.

“My heart goes out to Coach Denney, Coach Behrns and all the coaches and student-athletes affected by this,” Deeb said.

A longtime booster, Deeb was days away from making one of his largest donations ever to fund a new facility in the Sapp fieldhouse.

“(It's) a welcome center for the recruits and their parents to come and visit with the coaches,” Deeb said.

The facility, however, will only remain on paper because Deeb said he is pulling his money.

“I'm no longer interested in supporting that project,” Deeb said.

Deeb said he will also leave the Maverick athletic board.

“It doesn't seem like we're involved in any decisions,” Deeb said.

Deeb said Alberts is making too many unilateral decisions, adding he believes Alberts is recommending the cuts for personal gain.

“One of my biggest concerns is that this is just a stepping stone for Trev,” Deeb said. “I guarantee you that Trev Alberts didn't come back to little old Omaha, Nebraska just to hang out and have a program without football.”

Deeb said he's holding out hope that UNO football and wrestling could be saved by Chancellor John Christensen.

did NOT realize the instability in this conference. in existence since 82 yet only 1 of 8 original members remain. 28+ since its formation. Only 2 have been members > 15 yrs.--yet UNO A.D. talks as if it was a real prize to be offered membership into this D1 revolving door and needs to be done ASAP --Really? UNO & Board of Regents--is this ___? what you want to risk for what others have worked so hard to build ? .....

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/592659-summit-league-should-the-conference-flag-be-lowered

From a friend's Facebook:

Justin Kilker, a former UNO alum who now works for ESPN posted this as his status...
"ESPN "OUTSIDE THE LINES" approved the story idea for the current UNO athletic situation and will be doing a story on the matter... just announced it at work today! pretty sweet, more details to come...."
AWESOME!!!!!

"For we wrestle not against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, and against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12

I am told the 8 AM Regents meeting will be webcast at www.ketv.com