How bare is Wichita going to look with only the 5 and 6a teams there? 5 and 6a schools for the most part are basketball oriented, there are some that break the mold. Also will the venue in Salina be too big for 1 class?

I think CO has all classes at the Pepsi center. Man that would be pretty cool. I helped with working the state trny at FHSU. The thing Salina will be hurting is who is gonna plan and run the big show. Besides the wrestling there are manythings on the side. Fans and parents don't see.

I would like to know where all the people were this year, the stands did not seem as crowded as years past,

I like the idea of the big show. I wrestled for a State Championship at Junction City High School way back in 1979. It was an awesome feeling, but after going and watch my nephew wrestling at the state tourney in Wichita, in the mid 90's, I thought it was so much of a bigger thing.

Nothing against Junction City High School or any other high school, I just hope they have the tournament at Venues that are not High Schools so that it does not seem like just another high school tournament.

If we wnat to watch the big name wrestlers from our state wrestle in the same building we need to have a grand state and then we would really find out who the real state champ of Kansas really is anyway. Sometimes we find out from Kids State or Freestyle and Greco but not everybody wrestles kids and FS/GR.

I will miss not having the 3 together as a fan, as a coach, all my wreslters need is a mat and an opponent, where ever I am coaching at, whether we are in Salina or Wichita, or Hays.....

I guess we will just have to see how this all turns out it could be good or bad, I just hope we keep doing what is best for the kids and the sport of wrestling in what ever we do and decide.

Coach Peterman

Well said

Media Coverage loss for 4A going to Salina?

Who has Finals on TV now?

Looks to me like 3A has better coverage now!

I too have been to 4, 5, and 6 A in Wichita, 3A in Hays, and been to Nebraska and Iowa State Tourneys.

Iowa’s is absolutely crazy as you have to get in a lottery to get tickets for the finals, and Nebraska sells out the last day. Both states have their wrestlers all in the same spot.

Both states do a good job of running the state tournament this way. I have never witnessed in NE or IA people trying to get on the floor when they do not belong, security guards that accost people, cold facility, charge for hospitality room, or driving 30-45 minutes for something to eat and a place to stay as I have in Wichita.

I liked Wichita until I went to Hays! If you have never been to Hays for the State Tourney, don’t knock it!

Wrestlers and coaches become accustom to what they are used too. When I came down from Nebraska, I could not believe that all classes were not together but now after being to both state tournaments, I can see why there are not.

Hays does a great job and the fans are very knowledgeable of the sport and supportive of their teams. The 3A state tourney has greater school fan support than Iowa, Nebraska or Wichita! Some teams have the majority of the town watching and cheering.

Maybe when suitable facilities are found, we can talk more about all classes being together, until then, no way.

GRAND-STATE WOULD SOLVE A GREAT DEAL OF WONDERING!!!!

Well said MES!!

We (Iowa) had our last tournament at old Veterans' Auditorium in Des Moines this year; the finals drew 12,600-plus (out of 21,000 ticket requests; thank God for live TV) and next year we move across the street to the brand-new 15,000-seat Wells Fargo Arena. No more fans right on matside, but otherwise a great move.

After coaching in both Hays and Wichita, it's Hays in a landslide, as in no contest. Ideally, all four classes would be together somewhere in Kansas but facility and political-wise that will never happen. In the meantime (at the sake of offending Mr. Saylers) the Kansas Coliseum is a cesspool. If I were still coaching in 4A in Kansas, I would have thrown a Bastille Day party in honor of leaving that place for Salina.

After attending the State volleyball tournament in Salina for many years, I can tell you that the workers there are both helpful and friendly, the hospitality room was much nicer and FREE and the community was welcoming. 6As and 5As, if you want the place (Wichita) it's all yours, but my best wishes and congratulations to my former 4A berthern on their escape from overpriced food and backed-up toilets to the Xanadu of the Bicentennial Center!!!!

Aaron Sweazy,
I'm glad you asked the question of how bare will it be for just 5A and 6A because we looked it over this past weekend. This is what we come up with. Not much seating if any will be needed above the ground floor at the Kansas Colliseum, thats nice because now all schools can hang their banner without argument or being crowded. We will have extra matts so we can start maybe an hr later, and getting out earlier will be nice for those who are traveling. The urninals won't be overflowing and more grub in the hostility room will be nice. Ceremonies will be great also all that anouncing drives me nuts,cutting it down by one third is awesome. I'm sure 4A will enjoy their state but I don't think 5A and 6A folks haven't even thought of all the benefits. I can't wait.

MES is right about Iowa and Nebraska tournaments being well run, entertaining to watch and draw good crowds. Went to both in early 90s. Note, all classes come together for these states and they have good facilities.

In Missouri, all classes come together at the Hearnes Center in Columbia. Another well run tournament that is exciting to watch.

Never been to the tournament in Hayes but did go to the NAIA national wrestling tournamnents when hosted there. They did a good job and Fort Hayes state has a cozy field house.

As I said earlier, Kansas is going backwards by splitting up the tournament. Less for fans to see. Other states do it right. I could see the arugment for Hays having own tourney. It's close to the schools, but moving 4A doesn't make sense.

The Hays paper does not do all that much media coverage. It is a disappointment. They basically reprint a lot of prtogram information.

And that is the problem with a split tournament TIGER. But, in all honesty, media coverage isn't the point; the point is the comfort and convienence of the athletes, coaches and fans (hence 4As escape from Wichita). The media coverage is just something you have to live with. Kansas has far too deep and long traditions of splitting up state tournaments and that is why move classes to different sites is a viable option.

In Iowa, as in most states, football, basketball, wrestling, track, baseball, softball, etc., all have their own unified site. Des Moines is the site of most of them, but we have the 20,000 domed stadium in Cedar Falls for football and a four-diamond facility in Fort Dodge that hosts softball. In Kansas that has never been a priority, so scattering State events is not at all unusual. Get Salina to build an 18,000-seat arena and you'd have it made!!!

Carmona
I said a family ATMOSPHERE...take it for what it's worth. Of course with Hoxie and Sainty there probably is lots of family there too!

To VS Vike coach

We have a 50 year old facility that will hold over 16,000 in Lawrence to host site. Also Topeka's facility is big enough but not sure of capacity.

Topeka might be closer to more schools than Salina.

First of all, who said 5A and 6A like state in Wichita? Do you really think that because we're used to a bigger town, we like what happens there? The thing I like about state in Wichita is that it is crowded, there are 3 classes to see, and it is better for wrestling! I did not say wrestlers, but wrestling.

If you want comfort, Goddard High School could host a 16 man tournament. Won't that be fun. "Guess what guys, because we can put on a better hospitality room and the fans can get home an hour earlier, you get to come to school for State!"

Real fans want the wrestling atmosphere and will put up with some poor accomodations for the sake of good wrestling. I don't blame 4A for wanting a better place, but if you can possibly explain to me how it will help wrestling as a whole, please do. I coach at a 6A school, but I care much more for the sport than my own comfort.

Sometimes I feel that the thing that keeps wrestling from getting the recognition it deserves is not it's complexity, basketball, the media, or title IX, but it is us! We rip on each other for weak regionals. We accuse teams of recruiting. We spend hours debating which class is better. What in the hell would happen if we actually spent the same energy promoting our sport?????

Scholar:

Oh yes, I know all about that 50-year old facility in Lawrence, but the feeling I always had when I was down there was that there was a better chance of winning the lottery than there would ever be of getting the landlords of that place to let anyone use if for (dare I say it?) 'RASSLIN'!!!

I actually floated the suggestion a few years back of putting 6A and 5A in Bramlege and 4A and 3-2-1A in Ahern, but you can imagine how far that went....

Same thing happens in other sports...why do you think they added an extra team to football playoffs a few years back. Baseball has their own state competitions. Football has theirs. Just give it a chance and see what happens.

If you could (would) have all 4 classes together in Kansas, guess what, an extra day of state tourney unless you could find a place that could hold 12 (16 better) mats.

Wichita might be able to do that if they took down the wall and made everybody but wrestlers and coaches stay up in the stands.

What about the new facility being built in Wichita, how big is it going to be?

Mike

Amen to what Coach Jilka says! But Coach don't blame even a majority of 4A coaches for wanting to split the tournament. As far as I can find out, it's still a small group who want this split.

Oh dear! An extra day! Not that!!!!!

Geez we can have four days for basketball; would it kill anyone to give an extra day to wrestling to have a combined tournament? Oh wait, I know the answer to that one....never mind

I think it will be great having 4a cow folk away i know they will miss the agriculture show in whichita but life goes on and can't wait to see the senior classic this year, all the hype of the lower schools going back home with their heads held low.