Photo courtesy of Missouri Wrestling.
The University of Missouri's wrestling program is returning to the conference it called home for more than six decades with this week's unanimous approval by UM Board of Curators of the program's affiliate membership in the Big 12 Conference, effective July 1, 2021.
The Tigers have wrestled in the Mid-American Conference since Mizzou left the Big 12 after the 2011-12 season in all sports to join the Southeastern Conference. Since then, Brian Smith and company have dominated the Mid-American conference, securing nine straight MAC team titles.
Most recently, in 2021, the Tigers set a new MAC Score record with 188.5 points, 59.5 points ahead of second-place Central Michigan for their ninth consecutive crown.
Well, it would appear that the streak of conference crowns will end at nine as the Tigers have accepted an invitation to rejoin the Big 12 Conference as an affiliate member in wrestling. The opportunity to return to their former conference comes from Fresno State's vacancy. Fresno State announced it would drop its wrestling program following the 2021 NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
During the 2021-22 season and beyond, the Big 12 will consist of Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and West Virginia, plus affiliate programs Air Force, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota State, Utah Valley, and Wyoming.
With that, here is a look at the impact of the move on Missouri, the Big 12, and the MAC.
The Good
Anything that fosters greater parity and competitive balance within wrestling is better for the sport as a whole. Missouri's move back to the Big 12 does just that.
Ever since the Tigers moved to the MAC, Mizzou has been the top team, and it hasn't been close. At the MAC Championships every year since 2012, it has seemed as if it is Missouri at the top, with all other MAC wrestling schools left to jockey for second place and below. On numerous occasions during their nine seasons in the MAC, the Tigers broke (and then re-broke) the record for most team points scored at the MAC Championships. While a dynasty and a reign of dominance are common, especially in wrestling, it isn't always great for the sport's growth.
However, what is fantastic for the sport is dual meets between two top-10 teams like Virginia Tech and NC State that are decided at the last possible moment on national television.
Earlier this year, Virginia Tech upset NC State. 17-16, on criterion 3.21.c after a takedown and nearfall points in the final seconds of the dual by redshirt freshman Sam Latona against Jakob Camacho.
https://twitter.com/accnetwork/status/1357894467534127109
This dual showed that there is no substitute for that type of back-and-forth, down-to-the-wire dual meet excitement. The sport is better for moments like these.
With Missouri back in Big 12 country, trying to regain traction in their old stomping ground, the Tigers' battles with Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and other Big 12 affiliates will be better for the entirety of Division I wrestling. With Missouri back in the Big 12, the Oklahoma State Cowboys will be challenged more than they have been in some time.
Concerning the MAC, Missouri's departure also creates more parity within the conference. Moving forward, the MAC title will be up for grabs. Top-tier teams within the conference will be in contention for a title for the first time in a while.
The Bad
I'm not sure that "Bad" is the correct term to use here, but there will be some adjustments related to the NCAA conference allocations for both the Big 12 and the MAC moving forward.
When looking at the allocation data over Missouri's tenure in the MAC, one thing becomes instantly apparent. That is, Missouri grapplers have accounted for a statistically significant portion of the conference's NCAA qualifiers.
Take A Look At The Data
|
Year |
Total MAC Allocations |
Missouri Allocations Earned |
Missouri Allocation Percentage |
|
2013 |
30 |
8 |
27% |
|
2014 |
41 |
7 |
17% |
|
2015 |
33 |
10 |
30% |
|
2016 |
41 |
8 |
20% |
|
2017 |
36 |
8 |
22% |
|
2018 |
25 |
8 |
32% |
|
2019 |
27 |
9 |
33% |
|
2020 |
41 |
6 |
15% |
|
Total |
274 |
64 |
23% |
As the table shows, over Missouri's nine-year mack run, the Tigers have accounted for a significant portion of allocation spots from the conference. Over their nine-year MAC tenure, 23% of the MAC NCAA qualifiers after the conference tournament (not including the at-large bids) came out of Columbia, Missouri.
When you consider the fact that the number of schools has fluctuated between eight and 15 schools over this span, Missouri's combined 23% of conference allocations is all the more noteworthy.
With this in mind, it raises a few questions about how these figures will change as Missouri heads to the Big 12 and the MAC explores filling the vacancy left by the Tigers' departure.
Some Questions Worth Pondering
+ Will the MAC's allocation allotment be drastically reduced without Mizzou?
+ With the allocation allotment for the Big 12 be significantly increased because of Mizzou?
+ Will we see a greater number of MAC schools sending athletes to the national tournament now that powerhouse Mizzou has left?
+ Will we blueblood Big 12 schools like Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and others send smaller numbers to nationals now that Mizzou wrestlers will be vying for some of those same spots?
+ Who will be the King of the MAC in 2022 now that Missouri's run will end?
+ Is Oklahoma State's Big 12 title-winning streak in Jeopardy?
+ Are the Tigers instantly in the Big 12 title mix in year one in 2022?
In time we will have the answers to these questions and much more. But I believe this conference realignment will benefit the sport as a whole. In 2022, we will likely see more competitive, well-balanced conferences across the board. For fans, these title races will be fun to watch, for sure.
Back to articles