The number of sanctioned events rose from 1,193 to 1,537 during that time. Gable, now an assistant athletic director at Iowa and college wrestling's unofficial ambassador, worries that those numbers will level off if wrestlers see fewer collegiate opportunities. High school wrestlers have noticed scholarship offers are hard to come by. Matt Morkel, who helped lead Omaha's Skutt High School to the last four Nebraska high school Class B state championships, will be a walk-on at Iowa. Even with an A average and the 1998 gold medal from the state tournament, the 125-pounder said his opportunities were limited.
Some schools use fund-raising to keep their programs out of danger.
At Stanford, coach Chris Horpel sends out an annual alumni newsletter. Horpel, a former Cardinal wrestler, has been raising money for the program since taking it over 20 years ago. But donations aren't always enough. At Miami of Ohio last year, wrestlers came up short in a fund-raising effort to save the program. Soccer and tennis also were dropped.