Call to Action: Help Save Eastern Illinois University (EIU) Wrestling Program
Eastern Illinois University (EIU) Wrestling Needs Your Help!
Yes, another NCAA Division 1 wrestling program is being toe-tagged. After 59 years, The EIU wrestling program has been victimized by the Academic Performance Rate (APR). The Academic Performance Rate is a new directive from the NCAA to maintain adequate graduation rates amongst its member institution's athletic programs.
Failure to maintain an APR rating of .925 (50%) exposes participating schools to penalties which include loss of scholarships and even expulsion from the NCAA.
The EIU Board of Trustees decision to cancel the program is a knee-jerk reaction to the school's APR rating and signals a scary future for the way institutions will interprete the data.
Much the same way the NCAA has wrongly interpreted and satisfied the requirements of Title IX, schools cited by the NCAA APR will look for the easy way out and cancel programs instead of other available resources to correct the problem. They'll do this regardless of the impact on those student athletes that will be left behind when both male and female athletic programs are eliminated.
The spirit of the Academic Progress Rate is admirable (to raise graduation rates). But like everything else, it all comes down to money. Without turning this into a lengthy discussion, EIU should re-instate the wrestling program and take advantage of the newly approved NCAA fund that would offer grants to Universities like EIU to help improve graduation rates.
By: Rick Contrata
What can you do?
Simply download, print and sign a pre-written letter. The links are below to download it in either Word or PDF format. Then follow the instructions below.
_______________________________________________________________
PRINTABLE PRE-WRITTEN LETTER
Attached below are links to download a very important letter that we are asking you to print, sign and mail ASAP. The Eastern Illinois Administration suddenly canceled the 59 year old Wrestling Program and we need answers now. Please support us in this effort to show the school administration that the canceling of this program is *wrong.*
Download pre-written letter in Word format
Download pre-written letter in PDF format
Please feel free to forward this web page on to others that will support this cause by clicking this link: Tell a Friend
Again please print, sign and mail a letter to both the EIU President and also one to the Board of Trustee's Chairman. Include your signature, address, and any other appropriate information on the letter (eg; coach, EIU alumni, etc.).
THANK YOU,
THE COMMITTEE TO SAVE EIU WRESTLING
Mail To List:
New President: William L. Perry
[email protected]
Phone number: 217-581-2011
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920-3099
Board of Trustees
Robert Webb
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920-3099
Roger Kratochvil
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920-3099
Leo Welch
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920-3099
Julie Simmons
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920-3099
Don Yost
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920-3099
______________________________________________________________
PERSONAL WRITTEN LETTER GUIDELINES
You can also write your own letter.
Letters need to be in your own words but should emphasize the following speaking points:
A. Wrestling is deeply embedded in the Illinois Sport Culture as evidenced by the fact that Illinois has over 15,000 high school wrestlers (2nd largest wrestling population in the nation). State funded schools like EIU should have an obligation to provide activities that are popular in their region.
B. One of EIU's most popular undergraduate degree majors is teacher education. That explains why so many of our nations best coaches have been developed at EIU. We need to keep this program intact so we can replace the depleted pool of high school and middle school teachers and coaches in Illinois.
C. The stated reason for eliminating the wrestling program was a low Academic Performance Rating (APR). There are too many other "like institutions" across the nation that have wrestling teams thriving under this new NCAA academic policy. With minimal institutional intervention and oversight, this problem can be easily rectified.
D. EIU wrestling has enjoyed a rich 59 year tradition as evidenced by advancing 60 wrestlers to the NCAA Division I Championships and having 6 NCAA All Americans.
Please Note:
a. Don't threaten the administration
b. Do not single out any administrators as adversaries
c. Emphasize that we want to work with the administration today and in the future
d. Do not downgrade any other EIU sports to make a point
| 
