Just the Facts

CSU Wrestling’s Impact: Not Just a Sport, A University Asset

December 2023 Steering Committee Findings

  • CSU formed a Steering Committee in December 2023 to assess Organizational Resilience & Financial Stability.

  • Of CSU’s 17 sponsored sports, only 7 were identified as financially positive — wrestling was one of them.

  • The committee reported wrestling’s net positive contribution at $100,000.

April 2015 Student Vote to Fund Wrestling

  • In 2015, students voted 975 to 650 to approve a fee ($4-$6 per credit hour) to “to maintain Division I wrestling” and add a women’s team for Title IX compliance.

  • If CSU discontinues wrestling, it should not continue collecting this fee, which was designated specifically for the sport and Title IX compliance.

  • Around the time it announced it would drop wrestling, the university changed its website describing the fee from the approved language “to maintain wrestling at CSU” to “maintain athletic programs at CSU.”

Wrestling Drives Enrollment & Revenue

  • CSU’s enrollment and revenue have declined post-pandemic.

  • Wrestling has the 3rd largest roster (37 athletes) but only 3 scholarships, meaning 34 tuition-paying students contribute to university revenue.

  • Cutting wrestling contradicts CSU’s stated goal of increasing enrollment and financial stability.

Largest Fundraising Team in CSU Athletics

  • Since 2018, wrestling has raised $500,805—more than any other CSU athletic team.

In-State Student Retention

  • CSU is a state-funded institution yet 46% of its athletes are from out of state.

  • Wrestling has the lowest out-of-state percentage (19%), keeping Ohio talent local.

  • Of CSU’s $5.27 million budget for out of state athletes, wrestling only accounts for $88,396. Of 11 others, 3 spend over $100,000, 6 over $200,000, 1 over $400,000 and 2 over $1.48 million.

Competitive Success Despite Reduced Funding

  • CSU wrestling placed 2nd in the MAC dual championship last season despite funding cuts.

  • The team has ranked 2nd nationally in Division I team GPA for the past two seasons – second only to Harvard.

National Growth of Wrestling

  • Wrestling saw the largest percentage increase in participation among major high school sports for both boys and girls in 2024 (National Federation of High Schools report).

  • Ohio had 11,240 high school wrestlers in 2023-2024, ranking 4th nationally in boys' participation

  • Additionally, according to NCAA research, across all three NCAA divisions, wrestling has the second largest percentage of first -generation college bound students of all NCAA sports.