The Big Ten Conference has followed the University's lead by forming a wrestling task force to improve the safety of collegiate wrestling and forward collective recommendations to the NCAA.
"The Big Ten Conference embraced our recommendations and made a task force," Associate Athletic Director Peggy Bradley-Doppes said at yesterday's Board in Control of Intercollegiate Athletics meeting. "They not only embraced them, they strengthened the recommendations."
The Big Ten task force is making the University's recommendations more specific. For instance, task force members said wrestlers cannot exercise in a room where the temperature exceeds 79 degrees.
The schools hope to make these changes permanent by forwarding them to the NCAA and USA Wrestling, a national wrestling organization. The NCAA will review their own changes at its annual Wrestling Committee meeting in April.
Michigan Athletic Director Tom Goss initially formed a University wrestling task force soon after the Dec. 9 death of Michigan wrestler Jefferey Reese, a Kinesiology junior. Reese died after enduring a strenuous workout during which he wore a rubber suit to help him shed pounds and qualify for a lower weight class.
The Athletic Department instituted changes in the Michigan wrestling program shortly after Reese's sudden death, including banning the use of rubber suits, changing weigh-in times before meets and implementing long-term educational components in the program.
In mid-January, the NCAA supported the University's changes by enforcing nearly all of the same restrictions at schools across the country.
Bradley-Doppes is joined by Michigan wrestling coach Dale Bahr and assistant wrestling coach Joe McFarland to represent the University on the task force. Wrestling coaches at each Big Ten school serve on the task force, Bradley-Doppes said, as well as athletic directors, trainers and physicians from some of the schools.
Goss said he is pleased that the other Big Ten schools have supported the initiatives suggested by the University.
"We needed the Big Ten to step forward with that," Goss said. "They'll do it better if it's the conference versus (if it's only) Michigan."
In addition to discussing the Big Ten wrestling task force at yesterday's board meeting, Senior Associate Athletic Director Keith Molin announced that a proposal for the restructuring of Michigan Stadium seating will be made at the board's April meeting.
Molin said a subcommittee has been formed to discuss the criteria that will be used to determine priority among season ticket holders.
"There are 23,000 customers who hold season tickets that total 88,000 seats in the stadium," Molin said. Criteria studied by the subcommittee may include seniority in holding tickets, membership in the Victors Club or membership in the Alumni Association.
"We've talked about taking a look at people who hold blocks of 10 or more," said Molin.
"In none of these have any final decisions been made," Molin said.
In the stadium's 71 years, the board has never focused on a formal seating plan. The Athletic Department is making it a priority to keep students' seats together, Molin said.
"We do not want the tradition of student standing to be lost," Molin said.
- Daily Staff Reporter Jennifer Yachnin contributed to this report.
03-11-98
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