UVU wrestling to join Big 12 as affiliate


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OREM — When Utah Valley University announced its wrestling program years ago, it hoped to attract the best recruits in the state of Utah as the only in-state college to field a Division I wrestling team.

Starting this fall, it will have another recruiting tool to add.

The Big 12 is expected to announce the addition of Utah Valley and five other teams from the Western Wrestling Conference as affiliate members in May, with the intent to join the league as wrestling-only affiliates in advance of the 2015-16 season.

The announcement was reported by Oklahoma State’s student newspaper, and confirmed to KSL.com by a source close to UVU’s wrestling program.

Air Force, Wyoming, North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Northern Colorado will also join the Big 12 in wrestling, according to the report. Only Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Iowa State and West Virginia sponsor wrestling in the current Big 12.

Oklahoma State coach John Smith told the student publication that the addition of the six new schools is vital for the strength of the four-team Big 12, which recently lost its automatic qualifying bids to the NCAA Tournament.

“It does two things,” Smith said. “It creates a two-day (conference) tournament for you, and it gets our qualifier back.

“Just image-wise, it’s going to be a lot more enjoyable to have a tournament at the end of the year with two weigh-ins over two days that will mimic the national championship a bit more.”

Iowa State head coach Kevin Jackson told WCFCourier.com in March the deal was close to being finalized — and it might not be the only expansion possibility for the league.

"I think T's are being crossed and I's dotted," Jackson said, "but we are even looking to expand more teams after that so we are looking to grow the Big 12 Conference because we think it is important to wrestling."

Despite no autobids this year, the Big 12 received 25 at-large berths in the 2014-15 tourney, including nine from the Big 12 champion Cowboys — including two-time 165-pound national champion Alex Dieringer. The Cowboys finished seventh overall at the NCAA Tournament.

Wyoming was the top finisher from the WWC at No. 39 in this past season’s NCAA Tournament. Utah Valley finished in the bottom 10 at No. 58 overall, qualifying three wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament.

Junior 133-pounder Jade Rauser led the Wolverines with a 1-2 record in his third appearance at the tournament. He is currently 22-8 overall in his UVU career.

Junior 125-pounder Chasen Tolbert and senior 174-pounder Ethan Smith also qualified for the tournament, but both lost their first two matches of the event. Ohio State rolled to the team title in March.

UVU and its Western Wrestling Conference contingent will be the first affiliate members for wrestling in Big 12 history. The conference currently espouses affiliates in only one other sport. Alabama, Tennessee and Old Dominion are Big 12 affiliates in women’s rowing.

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