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Ron Finley

Thank you so much for your support!

Oh, and if you don’t have a S.O.W. shirt yet, or you’d like to purchase one for a friend or relative, follow this link to our store:
http://www.saveoregonwrestling.org/shop.html

Thanks again for your support!

Dear Rich,

A couple weeks ago, the new Pac-10 commissioner, Larry Scott, announced a new television deal with Fox/ESPN that will pay each of the 12 member schools of the newly-constituted Pac-12 Conference upwards of $24 million per year for the next 12 years. As a University of Oregon wrestling alum who has been involved with the Save Oregon Wrestling effort, I’m excited about what this new contract could mean for wrestling, as well as for other Olympic sports, at my alma mater and at other Pac-12 schools. Below is a short excerpt from a note I sent to Save Oregon Wrestling Foundation board members.

I don’t know what kind of interest this TV deal has generated within USAW so far, but I know you have some stake in promoting the reinstatement of college wrestling programs. I’m writing you because I think it’s going to take a collective effort fronted by wrestling’s national governing body—and perhaps even the USOC—to impress Pac-12, network and university administrators to make reinstatement of wrestling programs a priority. I think it’s critical that we put together a campaign directed at the Pac-12 and the networks first. I doubt that the schools will go for wrestling if they aren’t pushed from the top.

Oregon’s new athletic director, Rob Mullens, has already released a statement that wrestling would not be reinstated at Oregon, and that adding sports were not in their six-year financial plan. That bucket of cold water was prompted, most likely, by Larry Scott’s press conference comment that the TV deal meant that some eliminated teams could be restored, and that he had an interest in bolstering the Olympic sports that the Pac-10 have won so many NCAA titles in and have produced so many great Olympians.

The argument against the reinstatement of wrestling consists of three points: cost, gender equity, lack of wrestling programs in the West. The new TV contract millions makes it harder to cry poor, but the reality is that the comparatively small operating budgets wrestling programs run on still need to win support over many alternative uses for that money. That won’t happen if university athletic directors see too few Pac-12 wrestling programs. By the way, the Pac-10 ADs hate the Pac-10 wrestling conference comprised of unaffiliated schools like UCSB and Boise State. Gender equity can be addressed by adding both men’s and women’s wrestling teams—a cutting edge idea that’s consistent with how folks roll out here. That leaves the dearth of wrestling programs in the region as the final hurdle, and this is where we need to make our best case about the growth of wrestling and the strength of prep and club programs in California, Arizona, Utah, Washington, Oregon and Colorado.

In making the best argument for wrestling, we also need to be problem solvers who offer solutions for administrators before they can balk. We need to organize locally to make it as easy as possible to reinstate wrestling at these schools, and that entails working with state associations and university alumni and booster groups to create donor bases, hire top coaches, build facilities and promote wrestling programs to prospective recruits.

I don’t know if there are any vital reinstatement efforts for wrestling in Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Washington or California, but this is the kind of windfall that presents new possibilities for the entire conference, and I think it’s incumbent upon us to invite the member schools to reconsider wrestling, and perhaps give deeper thought to what their missions should be going forward.

How can you help make this happen? I think USA Wrestling could offer great assistance in networking with respective state associations, linking with the USOC, NCAA and NWCA, showing the commercial potential for wrestling on TV, and speak as an authority on the growing popularity of the sport despite the constant struggle to survive administrative malice and neglect.

I realize this is pretty blue sky. As someone who makes his living writing Nike ads, I’m somewhat knowledgeable and connected and have a pretty good 30000 foot view of the landscape, but I don’t know if this can be done. I just know we have to try, because this is our last shot out here. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Cheers, Hank

Welcome Save Oregon Wrestling supporters! Have you purchased your “Save Oregon Wrestling” t-shirt yet? We want as many folks as we can get to wear our t-shirt at meets, and show they support the reinstatement of wrestling at the University of Oregon.

Did you notice we have a new “FIGHT LADDER CHALLENGE” page? Thanks to long time supporter, Bob Storlie, who’s idea was to get folks motivated to come back often to our web site by making a contest out of championing your favorite weight class with a donation. Well done Bob… Great idea!

Special thanks go out to these individuals who attended our last meeting, where we held our volunteer executive board elections for the following members: Paul Fenley (president), Rick Stewart (vice president), and Matt Powell (secretary). I remain CEO & treasurer. Other board members, who were present, include: Tony Overstake, Leif Williams, Bob Storlie and Elliott Tracy. And thanks go out to our first advisory board member, Kevin Roberts. Thanks to all our volunteers.

We will never give up, and we especially want you with us all the way! Together, we will win this fight!

We have a lot of exciting plans for the future… Too many to discuss here.
But I wanted to let you know that we have a written confirmation from the UO
Athletic Committee, that if the necessary funds are raised, they will
reinstate varsity wrestling. So, we are busy making plans on how we can
continue raising the necessary capital… We are thinking BIG and outside
the box, and I want to assure you that we are going to make this happen.
And we continue to need your financial support. I will keep you informed as
our plans take shape.

What’s next? We are preparing for our upcoming board of directors meeting, scheduled for November 12, at 3 PM, at 1600 Oak St., in Eugene. Matt Powell has generously offered the use of his conference room at Windermere Real Estate, once again. Thanks Matt!

We will be planning the future of our Save Oregon Wrestling campaign, and anyone who is interested in helping is welcome to attend.

Spread the word… wrestling will be reinstated at the University of Oregon by 2015! We will need your financial commitment to make this happen. Let’s all participate in restoring the dreams for tens of thousands of kids in the northwest, who’s goal is to one day, walk on the mat, and represent the Ducks. This is their motivation to excel in the classroom, work hard and earn that division 1 education through their dedication to this sport. Let’s help make this happen! Make a donation now or continue your financial support. Let’s go!

You may already know… there are more than 4,762 registered high school wrestlers in Oregon, not counting middle, elementary or club wrestling! Every year, the Portland Colliseum sells out for the State Championship wrestling tournament. And wrestling is growing in popularity throughout the northwest. Oregon has always been a wrestling state… Wrestling is huge in Oregon and our kids, who excel in the classroom and who have dedicated themselves to this sport, deserve an educational opportunity at the University of Oregon.

Ron Finley

Again, we are wanting to raise awareness of our effort to reinstate wrestling at the University of Oregon and encourage you to wear our t-shirt during this next wrestling season.

Please click on the “Shop” menu selection, from the “Main Menu”, and order your t-shirt today.

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW?

We are preparing our plan, to get wrestling reinstated at the UO, for the new athletic director Rob Mullens. We have not scheduled a formal meeting with the administration as yet, but we are in the planning stages. Please check back for more details as they unfold. And be sure to drop the new AD, Rob Mullens, a note about your support for the reinstatement of wrestling. Just click on the “Contact U of O” menu selection, from the “Main Menu”.

Art was Oregon’s wrestling coach from 1965 to 1969. He coached Oregon’s first NCAA wrestling Champion, John Miller. He also was the HS coach of OSU national champion Don Conway and Olympian Ron Finley. Art was recently inducted into the Oregon Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions and service to the sport of wrestling.

To live in hearts we leave behind
Is not to die. ~Thomas Campbell

Ron Finley

We are moving forward with our efforts to get the wrestling program reinstated as an intercollegiate sport at the University of Oregon. We are building a self-sustaining endowment for the future of UO wrestling. We need not only your continued financial contributions, but also your commitment to mail letters to the UO administration and government officials. We are confident, that with your help, the current athletic director, Mike Bellotti, will make the right decision and reinstate wrestling.

But I cannot stress how important it is for you to continue to send letters to the university administrators as well as our state representatives. We must let them know we support our children’s aspirations to work hard, make good grades and earn that Division 1 scholarship to the University of Oregon. This is their dream, to have the opportunity to walk on the mat and represent the Ducks.

Let’s all do what we can to help make their dream a reality. Let’s help provide educational opportunities for our young athletes, and future teachers and coaches of America. It all starts right here, right now.    

I plan to have a face-to-face meeting with the new athletic director, Mike Bellotti sometime in the future. Because he is new to his position, and is currently under a lot of pressure due to the econimic downturn, and with all the budget issues going on with the new basketball arena and new baseball stadium, it may be some time before we meet. But once we do, my goal is to get his commitment to support our efforts to build our endowment.

When that day comes, we expect to have a huge showing of support, nationally. We want to be a leader in showing that it is possible to rebuild a wrestling program at the Division 1 level, and restore the dreams of our student athletes. Please join me now. If you have already shown support, thank you and please commit to continue your support. Please do whatever you can to help. Let’s make a commitment and do this together. Together, we can win this fight. Do not think others will take your place. We need your support. Please help by writing letters and doing whatever you can to help grow our endowment fund.

At this time, we need donations to our Foundation and letters mailed to the University’s administrators and other government officials. Please commit to writing one or more letters per week, and mail copies to all contacts listed on our “Contact UO” page.

Good Morning Ron,

My wife and I would like to send our support to you, and all Oregon (past & future) wrestling affiliates as you seek to gain momentum for the reinstatement of wrestling at Oregon. As a Command Staff Officer at the Pentagon, my wife and I strongly feel that wrestling has been such a great support foundation that we would like to forward our recommendation for your efforts. Good luck Ron, you will prevail.

Thanks,

Scott & Arely Faucett

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University of Oregon,

It is with great sadness that my wife and I are placed within this position to write such a letter on behalf of the wrestling community. These unforeseen events surrounding the elimination of the University Wrestling program at Oregon will undoubtedly effect future leaders (male & female) who would have benefited from the discipline, structure and educational aspect wrestling provides.

Wrestling not only benefits the young male athlete, but has now evolved into the female sector within high school, college and international wrestling as well. Please note that FILA, World and Olympic sponsorship for wrestling (male & female) has never been stronger than in today’s athletic venue.

Oregon, and other colleges, will only benefit from strong support for such programs. Unfortunately, Title IX has nothing to do with a university’s decision to eliminate a targeted program… Please – look at the flavor and politics surrounding this decision.  

As a past competitor and former Wrestling USA Hall of Fame Inductee, and 2007 Wrestling Man of the Year recipient, we respectfully submit our support to all Oregon University leaders in an effort to reconsider reinstating wrestling at your great institution. Without wrestling, I can easily state that I would not be in the position within the Government that I am today without the support mechanism wrestling offers a young man or woman. Please remember than all of this is but a small part of forever. Your personal quest and struggle to make the right decisions will occur, it is just a matter of when and how.

We wish you, and all University leaders well on your new journey as you seek to make life changing decisions that will effect hundreds of families and future leaders who will benefit from the oldest of mankind’s sport – Wrestling!

I have been humbled to have been given the greatest opportunity any young athlete could have received, and that was to be in a position to step onto a wrestling mat and represent my school, wrestling club and country. My wife and I now focus our energy by assisting underprivileged young men and women within urban environments the multitude of benefits wrestling can provide.

In closing, to all University officials – Please reconsider, and give careful thought to the reinstatement of wrestling at the University of Oregon.

Respectfully Submitted,

Scott & Arely Faucett
Wrestling U.S.A. Hall of Fame
2007 Wrestling Man of the Year
2x Olympic Greco-Roman Qualifier

Tickets are $10 for the meet with 100 percent of the admission cost being contributed to the endowment. The meet is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.

Also taking place during the meet, a banner displaying all of Oregon State’s National Champion wrestlers will be unveiled before the Wisconsin dual. And before the Boise State match up, the induction of Robin Reed and Les Gutches into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame will be celebrated.

While single-meet tickets are not available to the general public at this time, by printing off the flier attached HERE, fans can purchase tickets to this meet.

The Oregon State wrestling team kicks off its 2009-10 campaign at the Best of the West Tournament in Ashland, Ore., on November 13-14 before returning home to host this historic meet.

Ron Finley  

We’re excited to unveil our new web site design and hope it provides you with the best experience possible. Below are some of the new features we’ve added. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to let us know.

New Design: One of the biggest design elements introduced here is our “Main Menu”, located along the left column. All web pages accessed here will have this new menu element so you’ll always know where your menu choices are located.

Another design element to look for is our “bread crumbs” menu history located at the bottom of each page. This element lets you know where you are and allows you to easily navigate back from where you came.

New “Polls” element: You can now place your “vote” on which selection best answers the poll question. Currently, there is only one poll, at the “Home” page, but we can place a different poll on any page of our web site, or change the poll from time to time.

New Shopping Cart: Our new web site design has a shopping cart system where you can purchase your favorite Save Oregon Wrestling apparel and other items, which proceeds go directly towards our endowment fund. Enjoy!

The Beavers wrestle at home for the final time this Sunday, Feb. 15, against Boise State.  The meet begins at 2 p.m. in Gill Coliseum.

Portland State wrestles at home Friday night, Feb. 13, against South Dakota State and Sunday night against Boise State.  Both matches begin at 7 p.m. in PSU’s Stott Center.

Large crowds would be particularly significant in light of a committee report on the future of PSU wrestling that is scheduled to be submitted to Portland State’s president on Monday, Feb. 16.  Two public hearings have been held by a committee charged with recommending either the termination of wrestling, its downgrade to a club sport, or its elevation to a full complement of 9.9 scholarships.

Messages of support for the Viking wrestling program can also be mailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .