I have been planning, researching, and creating this idea for over fifteen years. It is said that timing is everything in life. Well, if there was ever a time to release this proposal, now is the time. Simply put, I want “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world” to be the home of Iowa Wrestling.
My goal of this blog is to give a brief rundown of what I have in mind. I of course understand that this will be a complex project. However, you have to start somewhere. In my book: Domination: An Inside Look at Iowa Wrestling, I wrote that little things add up to big things for the success of Iowa Wrestling. You have to start somewhere and get the little things adding up as soon as possible and with faith, hard work, and perseverance, success will be achieved.
I have played the lottery once a week since 2002. Every time I buy a lottery ticket, I think about how I would give a bulk of the money won to either start or completely build “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world” to be the home of Iowa Wrestling. Maybe this blog will end up being my winning lottery ticket.
Please keep in mind that this is a wrestling facility for today and tomorrow’s young people. This is not what you would like, it is what a high school wrestler today and in the future would like and want to be apart of. Times have changed, and the Iowa Wrestling facility is wayyyy behind the times. Soon to be fifth best wrestling facilities in the Big Ten, at best, and falling.
To start with, I was there the opening night of Carver Hawkeye Arena on January 3, 1983 when Iowa defeated third ranked Oklahoma in wrestling, 35-7. Carver Hawkeye Arena was state of the art. The new wrestling facility was ahead of its time. But that was 1983. There was a renovation of Carver Hawkeye Arena in 2011. There was an addition put onto the wrestling room. The addition helped, in some ways.
It is past time for the Iowa Wrestling program to take their facilities to the next level. Much like they did when they moved into Carver Hawkeye Arena in 1983. You probably know my wrestling background. If not, there is a The author tab on my blog that provides my background. To start with, let’s take a look at my research. I traveled across the country for a sales job from 2002-2008. Those travels took me to twenty-four states and the campus of at least one college in all of the Power 5 Conferences (Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, Pac 12, and ACC). I would simply walk in the door of the college weight room and training facilities, for football if they had a separate facility, and ask for a tour. I would tell them that I was an Iowan and had went to the University of Iowa. I was in town on business and a big sports fan that enjoyed working out. All of which is true. I would then ask for a tour. I was never turned down. I would either get to walk around on my own or get a strength coach or a grad assistant to give me a guided tour. I would ask questions about what was new in the training world if I did not recognize something.
I have been lifting weights since junior high and consider myself to be fairly well read on what is new. Having read fitness magazines in high school, competed in powerlifting in high school, and of course my wrestling background. Between growing up in Lisbon and then being around the Iowa program for years, I was not lacking in confidence about my knowledge of training for wrestling. I assure you, there was always something to learn. Who gave me the best tour? A strength coach from Nebraska, Arizona, and Texas gave me the best tours. I would spend up to an hour asking questions and learning while getting a tour of their facilities.
Throughout this process, I was of course thinking of what Iowa Wrestling could get in the form of a better wrestling facility. However, it is difficult to imagine because I had never seen anything that was all that close for a wrestling facility. That all changed in January of 2010. I went on a weekend roadtrip to watch my good friend Ryan Morningstar from my hometown of Lisbon, Iowa wrestle for the Hawks in his senior year. The Friday night dual was at Michigan. Yes, we won (36-0).
On Saturday before we left Ann Arbor, we went to the new Michigan wrestling complex that was very new. My jaw dropped as I was looking at what was definitely the next level. My pride, and even moreso my ego was crushed that their was a wrestling facility out there at this elite level. And in the Big Ten to boot. I must admit, it still stings. You can view this facility at:
http://www.mgoblue.com/facilities/wrestling-center.html
For starters, the Michigan wrestling facility is a stand alone complex. This entire facility was built just for wrestling. If I remember right, you turn off of a fairly busy street and go up a small hill and then it is a quiet (at least when I was there) area with buildings for the University of Michigan. My first thought was parking. Having went to the University of Iowa and eventually living in Iowa City for twenty years, parking was always an issue, especially at Carver Hawkeye Arena.
I was not shy about walking around and taking in the sights. There are certainly things that I believe Iowa would do different, but the basis of my idea of a stand alone wrestling facility is pretty darn close to what Michigan has. The main donor, or the lead gift as it is stated on the website for the Michigan facility, was Ralph Bohna, a 1964 Big Ten wrestling champion for Michigan. That visit by chance left a huge impression on me as I was able to see the next level. By the way, we will see the benefits of great recruiting by Michigan this coming season. They are loaded. Not a coincidence.
Since that trip to Michigan, I have been fine tuning my ideas on this project. I always take note of the upgrades to mainly football programs around the country. Facilities is always mentioned when I watch Recruiting Nation on ESPN. Most of what I know and do for my blog about Iowa Wrestling recruiting is what I learn from college football recruiting over the years of following Iowa football. Facilities are absolutely vital to recruiting. As we know, recruiting is everything to the success of a sports program, or real close to it.
This is what I mean when I say: “The greatest wrestling training facility… in the world:”
- A stand alone facility just for Iowa Wrestling. After the remodeling of Carver Hawkeye Arena in 2011, Iowa shares a receptionist and has same amount of office space as Iowa Women’s Volleyball. Read that part again.
- Location: Off of Mormon Trek Road behind the Athletic Hall of Fame
- Build with plenty of room surrounding it for future growth and development.
- Two story building with a loading dock for a semi.
- Ample parking. Three days after coaching in the corner of Cory Clark winning an NCAA national title, I saw Iowa Wrestling coach Ben Berhow putting money in a parking meter to go to his job in Carver Hawkeye Arena. That is just wrong.
- A full service Cafeteria. Nutrition is more important in wrestling than any other sport. I do not know how even the biggest wrestling hater could argue that. I wrote a letter to Tom Brands when he began as head coach about this in 2006. Why do we ask our wrestlers to grab a bite to eat anywhere after practice at 6 PM after a long day on their way to night class or study hall? H-u-g-e part of this project. Work with the University of Iowa or if needed the Kirkwood Culinary program. Gotta have this. The state of Iowa is the breadbasket of not only the United States, but for the world. I would think we could feed our own Iowa Wrestlers.
- A study area with a large room and individual office rooms like you see in a public library. After practice, it would be great if the Iowa wrestlers could have their study halls right in the wrestling facility.
- A Hall of Fame to properly display Iowa’s twenty-three NCAA championship trophies. Where are the championship trophies stored now? I don’t know either. Ouch. Also to showcase the fifty-three Iowa wrestlers that have won a national title and all of the Iowa wrestlers that have won Olympic and World titles and medals. Also showcase the thirty-five Big Ten championship trophies. Have a section for the Iowa Wrestling academic awards. Great matches and dual meets from the past would always be playing on several large flat screen tv’s. I got this idea while on my travels touring the University of Oklahoma football hall of fame. It is a better hall of fame than what the Green Bay Packers have and that was before Oklahoma football recently upgraded.
- Offices that project winning like the Iowa wrestling program does. The 2011 remodeling of Carver Hawkeye Arena left what I call a broom closet with no windows to serve as the offices for Iowa Wrestling. I have spent over twenty years working in an office of some sort. This is the worst that I have seen. A real sore spot for me probably because I have worked in an office for years now. Sorry, just being honest.
- Conference rooms for meetings for coaches, wrestlers, and recruits and their parents.
- Top of the line locker room and athletic training setup with the latest in injury/muscle recovery technology.
- A wrestling room at least the size of three and a half large wrestling mats and bleachers for fans.
- A weight room to bring Iowa Wrestling up to date. I never understood why they made the weight room so small in Carver. Even with the recent edition, the current Iowa Wrestling weight room is not big enough. I have worked out in the Iowa Wrestling weight room on a regular basis since August of 1985 and weight/strength training is very important and close to me. We need a much better weight room.
- Have a shuttle to Kinnick Stadium on football game days. This would be a great opportunity to host boosters, recruits, and fans. Set up tailgaters in the parking lot and on the lawn for Iowa Wrestling parents,fans and boosters.
- The name of this facility? The Dan Gable Wrestling Complex, of course. A bigger and better stature of Gable in the front than what we now have at Carver Arena.
- Have the complex built so that Iowa Wrestling can take the mats out and have banquets for fundraisers right in the wrestling room. With a full service cafeteria, a banquet for fundraising in the fall and late spring every year would be doable. How cool would that be?
- A neon sign outside in front of the building that would have daily information like practice times for the week and that day, upcoming competitions, and to welcome visiting boosters,fans, and of course, recruits.
- Three Flags in the front. The middle and biggest one being the American flag with the State of Iowa flag and an Iowa Wrestling flag on each side. Show your pride and let people know what they are looking at. Iowa Wrestling prepares wrestlers to represent not only the state of Iowa and the University of Iowa, but the United States of America in International competition.
The cost and how to pay for “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world.”
The three main steps:
1.Get the University of Iowa to say this project is a go and really get behind it. Raise a lump sum to build “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world” and create an endowment at the same time. An endowment is money that is to never be spent. The interest off of the endowment is collected yearly to support the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. All with the goal of Iowa Wrestling winning.
2.Present a goal of how much money is needed. Wrestling people are very goal orientated. Have the old fashioned thermometer reading with a wrestling twist. Have levels of donors like: Letterwinner, Varsity, Big Ten Champ, All American, National champion, O.W. National champion, World champion, Olympic Gold Medalist, and Hall of Fame.
If I remember right, the Michigan wrestling facility cost $8 million in 2009. The facility I have in mind I am guesstimating to be in the be in the $20-$25 million range. Combine an endowment of $10 million in for a lump sum of $30-$35 million to be raised. Of course it would take professionals at the University of Iowa Athletic department to come up with an exact amount.
3.Raise the money. Here are some thoughts:
Get sponsors for complete sections or departments and all that is needed. For example, the John Deere, Resilite or Pioneer Wrestling Room. Get Hy-Vee, Fareway, AE Dairy or Sysco Foodservice for the cafeteria. Get a bidding situation for Nike, Asics or Under Armour for…anything that is needed. Maybe the training room. Casey’s and Kum & Go are huge in Iowa. Go after Power Lift, Hammer Strength and other manufacturers for the weight room. Des Moines is the insurance capital of the country so take a look at that. Pitch to Harley-Davidson, Ford. Microsoft and Google have a very big presence in Iowa. Iowa is very well known for education. I could go on and on. Now if their were people that wanted to sponsor any part of the new facility, of course that would be more than ok. I really want a blend of private and corporate donation. If nothing else, to help the donor along for a tax deduction and to promote their brand. You could have this be a first come – first serve situation or have an auction like on eBay.
Absolutely any type of business or person could sponsor the Hall of Fame and offices. I worked in food ingredients for seven years and foodservice for a year. I assure you, there are a lot food/ag based companies in Iowa. Maybe the Iowa Pork Producers, Iowa Cattlemen’s Association. We here in Iowa are number one in pork, soybean, corn, and egg production in the entire country. The companies and money is there.
Really emphasize the blend of donations, regardless of size, from people and companies. Have the entry level of donations to be up to $100 so that anybody can contribute starting at $1. Also emphasize the blend of a huge corporate donation and an individual’s $20 donation. It all adds up and provides the opportunity to get everyone involved. And of course, all contributions will be tax deductible.
This is an idea for private donors. My niece recently had a baby and had an online setup to make it easy for someone like me to go out and buy exactly what she wants. Do the same thing for this project. Maybe someone wants to donate money specifically for the Hall of Fame in the form of flat screen TV’s or tiling. Something that really interests them. There are numerous former Iowa Wrestlers and fans/boosters that are in construction and/or own hotels and businesses. If someone has a special interest in weight training, study rooms for academics, landscaping, great nutrition for our wrestler in the cafeteria, whatever the special interest. Provide them the opportunity to donate to what they know a lot about or are extra passionate about. Once the donation was made for something specific in “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world,” social media and word of mouth would be the best advertising you could ask for to attract more donors.
Think of the attachment a fan would have if they knew that the money they donated to the “Greatest wrestling training facility… in the world” went to something very specific like a chair, floor mat, a lamp, anything. Just a thought on personalizing the donor process.
Make it very, v-e-r-y easy for someone to simply reach for their smart phone, go to a designated website, and donate money to contribute in the construction of “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world.”
I have had a commercial planned for at least five years that would be easy to do that would involve the Iowa Wrestling coaches that would be great for recruiting and to raise money for this project. It would be perfect.
Wrestling people are extremely competitive. Push that hot button with a sledgehammer at a high rate of speed. After making a donation to something specific in the building process of “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world,” the trash talking on Hawkeye Report, Facebook, and Twitter would be…great. This would be iron sharpening iron at its best. Just an idea.
A process like this would also offer effective transparency so that donors would know where their money was going and how it was being used. I would be all for that.
I have always taken an interest in the donors not only at the University of Iowa, but at other colleges as well. My interest in that area went up another big level after seeing the Michigan wrestling facility. ESPN.com has been a great source for me over the years getting information about athletic donors and what is called “The Arms Race” in college athletics. It is a necessary part of recruiting for today’s young student athletes. For those of you that have read my work before, recruiting is at the core of everything I write about for Iowa wrestling. Iowa Wrestling fans, we need a stand alone wrestling facility to not only catch up with the times, but to set the standard for years and generations to come.
Recruiting and wrestler development at all levels would be the main goal in this project. Yes, it is needed. Ohio State will have a new wrestling facility inside a soon to be built $40 million plus project. Penn State just received a $6 million dollar endowment for their wrestling program and have it seems like unlimited financial support. I already talked about the Michigan wrestling facility.
Just before I was going to release this blog, I came across an article about the “Arms Race” on Flo. Now Rutgers is building a huge wrestling facility. There is also news about the Ohio State facility.
Iowa Wrestling will soon have the fifth best wrestling facilities in the Big Ten, at best, and falling. How does that sit with you, Iowa Wrestling fans?
Let’s be honest. I am calling Iowa Wrestling for STALLING in facilities. Actually, the caution for stalling should go out to all of the fans like me and you. We are the ones that need to push and make this happen.
We are competing against football money and/or much more populated and richer states. I need to also mention Oklahoma State wrestling benefitting from the largest donation in collegiate history in the T. Boone Pickens $250 million plus donation to Oklahoma State athletics. He has actually donated much more than that overall.
For the lack of a more professional phrase, all of this really pisses me off. More than anything, I want Iowa Wrestling to win. What can we do to help Iowa Wrestling? Build “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world.” Pennsylvania, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Michigan are football states that also have wrestling. Iowa is a wrestling college and Iowa is a wrestling state. Iowa Wrestling is the flagship athletic program in the entire state of Iowa. We do not have the population or money that the other states/colleges have, but we do not have professional sports either. In Iowa, wrestling is our identity with Iowa Wrestling being at the top.
One more thing, we have the most wrestling fans of any other college wrestling program in the country…by far! It does not matter if these other states have more people and more money if they are not wrestling fans. We outnumber wrestling fans of these other top programs, 2,4, even 10:1. Iowa Wrestling has led the nation in attendance in every one of the eleven years that Tom Brands has been our head coach. Just compare attendance of Iowa Wrestling against Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Rutgers. Some years we will outdraw all of those programs combined. Remember the Grapple on the Gridiron? Over 45,000 fans. Iowa Wrestling also has hosted the last two Olympic Trials and crushed previous attendance records and will host the World Cup next spring. That is a lot of money coming into the area. What are area merchants doing to give back to Iowa Wrestling? Here is a great opportunity. What I am getting at is that there would be a great return on investment by building “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world.”
Should the University of Iowa put together a professional presentation complete with a 3D walk through of what the facility will look like, Iowa Wrestling fans,the money will come in from individuals and corporate America.
To quote legendary United States General George S. Patton:
“America loves a winner and will not tolerate a loser.”
There will be people and companies that will donate to this project that are not even Iowa Wrestling fans, have never lived in Iowa, and are maybe not even wrestling fans. Why? The brand that is Iowa Wrestling stands for hard work, determination, toughness, no-nonsense, perseverance, and above all…winning. America loves a winner and I am confident that the money will come in. I would not be surprised to see donations made from people and companies from foreign countries. That may be difficult for non-wrestling people in the decision making process at the University of Iowa to understand how famous Iowa Wrestling truly is on a global scale. Maybe we can convince them on the world-wide appeal, notoriety, respect, and admiration for the brand that is Iowa Wrestling.
I feel very strongly about the following:
The biggest obstacle in building “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world” to be the new home for Iowa Wrestling will not be the millions of dollars needed for construction. The biggest obstacle, by far, is getting the University of Iowa to get behind this project and say it is a go. Get this project to the point that Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta has a news conference to announce the beginning of the fundraising to build “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world,” and it is a done deal. I am that confident that the money will be raised.
Here is what I am thinking of for an Iowa Wrestler’s day centered around “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world”:
- 6:30 AM – Arrive at the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex, The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world, off of Mormon Trek behind the Athletics Hall of Fame. There is plenty of parking for the Iowa wrestlers, coaches, and staff at no charge.
- Hit a morning workout followed by breakfast. Have the diet of every Iowa wrestler customized to each specific wrestler and monitored for optimal results.
- 8-9 AM – Study time in a private office. Also an opportunity to meet with an academic advisor to prepare for the day’s tests or assignments.
- 9-9:15 AM – Plan the following day’s menu selections via smart technology for the cafeteria to plan and prepare the needed food.
- 9:15 – 10AM – Relax in the lounge that will have various gaming options and places to catch a nap if needed.
- 10:15 AM – Pick up lunch that is prepared because the Iowa Wrestler will be on campus during the lunch hour. The meal can be stored in a temperature sensitive container for food and beverages with the company logo of a donor on the side. This will also emphasize the “Taking a lunchbox to work” mentality. Remember, this is “Iowa” and “Wrestling.”
- 10:30 AM – Take the University of Iowa Cambus that stops by the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex at least once an hour to take the wrestler to their classes on the east or west campus.
- 2:30 PM – Return to the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex by Cambus. Get a light snack and hydrate. Then report to the Athletic Training center for any pre-practice preparation for any injuries.
- 3-5:30 PM – Practice
- 6 PM – Supper at the in-house Iowa Wrestling cafeteria with a pre-planned meal. If the Iowa Wrestler has a night class, then supper will be waiting for him after practice so that he has enough time to eat before going to class.
- 6:45 – 7:45 PM – Study group and possible academic planning with an advisor. If attending a study group is not needed, then the Iowa Wrestler can relax in the gaming room or lounge.
- 8 PM – Catch a movie with teammates in the lounge theater, hit a late night workout, or call it a day and drive home. Have contests or criteria to see who picks the movie for movie night.
As far as the impact on recruiting, my theory is simple. Take great care of your current wrestlers with this new facility, and the recruits will want to be apart of that. As far as a timeline goes, I also have that planned out. Have everything ready to go so that the University of Iowa launches the fundraising portion no later than in August before football starts. Actually, now would be a better time.
Have scheduled fundraisers/pre-season socials in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Des Moines, and Council Bluffs/Sioux City in September and October. Get Iowa Wrestling fans pumped up about the upcoming season and raise money for the new facility. Make fundraising part of the HAWK Klub parties after home dual meets. Keep the fans updated and engaged. Have fundraising events before and after home dual meets. Have a huge fundraiser when we are hosting the World Cup a year from now. Ton of options are available if you want it bad enough. Again, the $ and support is out there.
Set the goal so that ground is broke in March of 2018 so that Iowa Wrestling can move into their new facility in early August just in time for the Iowa Wrestling Recruiting Class of 2018 members who are being recruited by Iowa right now. Have the Grand Opening on Friday, August 31, 2018 on Labor Day weekend before the the Northern Illinois game the next day. Or on Friday, September 7, 2018 the day before the Iowa-Iowa State football game. Let’s make sure that the announcers for ESPN/BTN know about this. I can see the new wrestling facility being shown at least once during every home football game and the announcers talking about it because they got a great tour the day before. I can hear Gary Dolphin and Eddie Podolak talking about “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world” now. We will get support from the media. I will take care of that and make sure that the media has constant updates if needed.
I hope this gives an example of what I am thinking of. I have been planning this for so long, yet this is the first time I have ever presented these ideas to anyone. This is just a brief rundown of what I have in mind. My goal was to peak some interest and to get the ball rolling. I have never spoke to the Iowa Wrestling coaches about this and they know nothing about it until now. Good or bad, this is my idea.
My next step will be to see if their is someone in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City area that could help me with a 3-D presentation of what I am thinking. I would want the theme of what it would be like for an entire day for an Iowa Wrestler and for a visiting recruit. Maybe I can trade advertising on my blog for the service. Do you know of anyone? Please contact me at: [email protected]
I would really like to meet Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta and interview him for my blog about this.
As far as the haters and whiners that will trash this idea and say it will never happen, please do. The Iowa Wrestling Nation is a powerful force that I believe in. This project may not make sense or not be normal to some. But neither is being the best like winning twenty-three NCAA wrestling titles. Being the best is never about being normal or making sense. It is the extra that makes Iowa Wrestling the best. The Iowa Wrestling training facility should be the best as well.
For ideas or to show your support in this proposal, please contact:
Randy Novak of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club: [email protected]
This project is my idea, but Randy has the contacts and skill set to take this to the next level. I have known Randy for over 25 years and I am confident in his abilities. I will be available to Randy and the University of Iowa athletic administration should they need anything from me on this proposal.
These points need to be repeated:
1.Raise a lump sum of $30-$35 million. Use that money to build “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the World” and have the balance in an endowment to support the Hawkeye Wrestling Club.
2.Please keep in mind that this is a wrestling facility for today and tomorrow’s young people. This is not what you would like, it is what a high school wrestler today and in the future would like and want to be apart of. Times have changed, and the Iowa Wrestling facility is wayyyy behind the times. Soon to be fifth best wrestling facilities in the Big Ten, at best, and falling.
3.The biggest obstacle in building “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world” to be the new home for Iowa Wrestling will not be the millions of dollars needed for construction. The biggest obstacle, by far, is getting the University of Iowa to get behind this project and say it is a go. Get this project to the point that Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta has a press conference to announce the beginning of the fundraising to build “The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world,” and it is a done deal. I am that confident that the money will be raised.
Either you can complain and give up about Iowa Wrestling not being on top of the college wrestling world or you can get in there and fight. I choose to fight, and this is my way.
My chapter about Gable in my book: Domination: An inside look at Iowa Wrestling was titled: “Never accept not being the best.” I heard Gable tell his wrestlers that many times over the years. I will not accept Iowa Wrestling not being the best.
Let’s pull together, get the Iowa Wrestling facilities up to date, and kick some ass Iowa Wrestling style.
If you believe in this project, you can do a lot to promote it. You can repost on Facebook or retweet on your Twitter account, and/or get the word out by telling people about it.
Dan Gable Wrestling Complex. The greatest wrestling training facility…in the world.
I want Iowa Wrestling to win.
Let’s get ‘em in the middle.
It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.
Todd Conner
Iowa Wrestling Fan, LLC
