2022 NCAA WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP

March 16, 2022

Sean Bormet

Tom Brands

Zeke Jones

Pat Popolizio

Media Conference

Q. This is actually a two-part question for all of you, possibly. It deals with the qualifiers, which you all have gone through.

Obviously, the situation with medical forfeit and such is understandable for the health of the athletes, but it does determine the team race. Should that actually just determine like a Big Ten or PAC 10 or any other championship or should you just go through a qualifier?

The other thing is the second part is just that not all qualifiers have the same number of teams. Therefore, say the Big Ten, there's 14 teams, more wins you have to go to qualify. Should there be -- should we make changes that all qualifiers are more balanced?

SEAN BORMET: I think we've seen a trend in some of the medical forfeits and even in some of the stuff throughout the dual season. Throughout the entire season, I think there's been a trend of that. We didn't see as much of it I think during the COVID year because we didn't have as many matches, but this year I think there was a lot of glaring issues that we got to look at and demonstration within the sport because I think there's definitely some valid reasons that these things happen.

And I think there are some things that at times, let's face it, we have a lot of smart coaches, and they're trying to do the best thing for their athletes at different times, you know, whether that's with RPIs or head-to-head competition. We don't want -- I think we don't want incentives. We don't want to incentivize that with a system in our sport because it doesn't make sense for the big picture. There's definitely some areas I think we have to revisit going forward.

TOM BRANDS: I would agree that you need to look at it maybe closer. I don't necessarily have the answers. That's not where I would put my energy. I can tell you that we do make individual decisions that are best for our individuals consistently, so that's what I would say. Our job as coaches -- that's where our priority is always. We'll let the rules makers make it better. This sport is in a good place, and it can certainly get in a better place, but things like that maybe need to be cleaned up and looked at.

PAT POPOLIZIO: There's a lot of positive having the conference tournament where our fans enjoy watching our teams compete in conference, and it could be interesting if a committee ever tried to move something to a more regional setting, but either way, you know, you got to take care of your athletes, put them in the right position to be healthy for this tournament because this is where a lot of it lies.

ZEKE JONES: Thanks for letting me answer that last. I can just say they did a great job. I'll stop there and let them move to the next question. Good job, you guys.

Q. This is for Sean Bormet. Obviously, winning the conference was a big boost for your program and a program you've worked hard to develop since you've become the head coach, but what would it mean to you to win in Detroit? This group of athletes proved they could win a conference tournament that was very competitive. What would this be for the athletes and for the program for you to go out of here with that trophy sitting over there?

SEAN BORMET: I mean, obviously, winning a Big Ten championship is special for our program. It hasn't been done in a while. It was part of the mission when we brought this Team 100 together, but obviously, we had to keep that in perspective. Let the guys soak it in for a day and then get refocused because the bigger part of our mission, the goal is to come here and put our best wrestling on the mat in Detroit. We've been second numerous times as a team over a 100-year history, but the ultimate would be winning here in Detroit for our program.

Q. Coach Bormet, going off the last question, you guys after the Big Ten, Penn State definitely kept the pressure on with you guys there at the conference tournament. What kind of presence do they pose here now in Detroit? What kind of pressure do they put on you guys and, I guess, what are you expecting from them?

SEAN BORMET: I mean, to be honest, pressure is a funny word. It can be defined in a lot of different ways. Obviously, our guys know what we're trying to accomplish and it's something special, and along with that comes the privilege of a lot of pressure, and our guys know that, and they're excited about it.

We haven't really -- I think this is going to be one of the greatest NCAA championships we've had in a long time from an individual perspective with so many of these guys getting the extra years. It's just one of the most elite fields I think we've ever had in the history of the NCAA tournament.

I think there's a lot of -- the team race is going to be really fun and exciting, and we haven't really focused too much on the other teams. I mean, we were really focused on what we need to do and to have our guys ready to wrestle their ultimate best, and that's really been our focus.

Q. Question for Coach Brands. You mentioned how wrestling is in a really good place, and I think we're in a really nice facility here, and Iowa is coming off a national championship, and then you add a women's program, and you break ground on a new facilities.

Can you talk about the changes that you have seen that is now got wrestling in a place where you can have those new things like a women's program at a Power Five conference and wrestle in Globe Life Field and now here in an arena like this?

TOM BRANDS: I would focus more on arenas like this and the current leadership that makes this possible. We're in a big-time city and in a big-time arena. The organization is great. You got 2022 signs everywhere. This is big-time. It's on par with the best in sports, and that's a credit to the NCAA and the fans that show up and support this. That's what I mean by that.

And when you have that kind of leadership, you have the opportunity to grow on every campus and make it stronger and better. People turn their heads because it is in a big-time setting.

Q. This question is for Coach Jones. In the Lehigh duel this year, there were two extra matches in which the ASU wrestler injury-defaulted after one second. Could you tell us how that conversation with the Lehigh coaches went to arrive at that?

ZEKE JONES: I can't answer that, but what I can tell you is they're coming to the end of the year, and there's X amount of matches to meet the criteria for an allocation spot in the conference meets, and I think it was already answered down at the end of the table.

I think the coaches are trying to do the best thing for their athletes. They're trying to insure that they're qualified, and they get to the NCAA tournament, and they're in those spots. It wasn't an advantage to us. The advantage was to Lehigh. I just think that until we, like they said, do something with the qualification system, you're going to see that happen. I wouldn't blame any coach to do what's best for their athlete to try to get to the NCAA tournament, so, I mean, I think that's kind of the fast answer.

Q. Question for Coach Popolizio. Hayden Hidlay came back after last year, sort of on the fence, and goes up a couple of weights. Can you talk about the decision, how much it's helped him that he has moved up to 174, and what the dynamic is like with him and Trent back-to-back?

PAT POPOLIZIO: First of all, it was an interesting recruiting process. It was like recruiting a kid all over again. Had to talk these guys to come back for that sixth year, which we were grateful to have them, but, yeah, having him up two weights was something. He made that decision.

If he was going to come back, it was going to be more focused on getting better at wrestling and not so much the weight cut. We've seen that. We've seen him get better at wrestling. And having both those guys in our line-up bring a lot of really good energy, focus, and just what you are looking for ultimately in an athlete that can help lead us to where we want to be this weekend.

Q. Zeke, about a year ago, Stanford had dropped wrestling. We were coming into this tournament. People didn't have any clue what was going to happen with the PAC-12. 12 months later, obviously, not only Stanford back, but you have teams like Cal Poly stepping up, Oregon State is within a half a point of you guys. What's it looking like out West right now?

ZEKE JONES: That's great. You are giving me the tough questions, huh? I would say that the West is in the best shape it's ever been, Gary, right? I think Stanford -- you know, there was a stand, right, in the west that said that wrestling is important, we're going to continue to work hard at it. I say collectively as in the West, the folks athletic departments and people, really the communities, right? That was really a community effort that stepped up and said, hey, Stanford wrestling is important, and it should remain.

I've also -- Anthony Holman made a comment, and I say it often, the NCAA doesn't look at the West as a dying area, but a growth opportunity because we know that youth wrestling is very strong in the West Coast. And so if you are looking at where you can grow the wrestling market, I mean, in reality Pennsylvania is always strong, but it's already maxed itself out. It will get 1% or 2% growth, but if you look at the West, that could be a tremendous growth opportunity where we can grow the options for kids in the West to be able to wrestle at the collegiate level.

I think when we're looking at an NCAA championship, hosting that out in the West is something I think the NCAA is focused on, and it matters, and they care about it. Certainly we would love to host it. I think it's -- and there's some great places in the West, not just Phoenix, but L.A. and Las Vegas. I think athletic directors are looking at the West and saying, you know, is wrestling the right add? I think certainly for women's wrestling, we know that it's not an if, it's a when as it pertains to growing in the West and adding more collegiate programs.

Then as we know, California is consistently one of the best teams in the -- states in the country for recruiting and the best kids in the country are coming out of California, which has been great for us, and for all programs. I think the West is in a great spot for growing, for growth, and getting better.

Obviously, there are some obstacles. We know it costs money to start a Division I program, but I do think that when you are looking at people that can help fund it and endow it, if you all know or can remember, our athletic director, Ray Anderson, is a visionary. We added men's ice hockey to Phoenix, Arizona. I know it sounds odd, but $32 million made that happen, and that came from a couple of gracious donors.

I think if you -- I think if we're organized, I think if we get the right people at the table in the right programs, we can grow wrestling at the Division I level in the West, and last comment because I just -- you just mentioned it, and I want to make sure I say it. We just passed some important policy within the PAC-12 that says that we can grow the conference as big as we want.

We used to be in a situation where we couldn't grow past six teams, and we although know the challenges if you drop below five teams in a conference, but right now, we're looking at going to eight, ten, or 12 teams in the PAC-12, so I think we're in the best -- and that's over a decade long policy the PAC-12 has had that now we can grow the PAC-12. So it's something that the conference, the coaches, and the athletic directors have made that an important mission after the season to focus on.

Q. Question for Coach Jones. An easy one, you picked up Eric Thompson as an assistant coach this year. I was wondering how he has helped the program and Cohlton Schultz specifically improve?

ZEKE JONES: We brought Eric Thompson in specifically to work with Cohlton Schultz, and he has done a fantastic job. Obviously, we know he came from the Penn State group, and we know how good their upper weights and heavy weights have been.

We're grateful to have Coach Thompson come in, as well as Frank Molinaro and Mark Perry all came in with the last year. I think we have a world class coaching staff and Coach Thompson, Molinaro, Perry, and, of course, Lee Pritts has been there a long time, but Eric has been a tremendous add for the program and has made us a lot better.

Thank you for that softball.

Q. We know this weekend is going to be the first time with fans in a couple of years at that championship. Expecting a really good atmosphere. Talk about just getting back to that normal setting and playing -- or wrestling in front of some fans here in Detroit. Go down the line.

SEAN BORMET: I mean, like I touched on earlier, I think not only is it one of the best fields we've ever had from a competitor standpoint at this year's NCAA championships, but after two years not having fans and for us specifically having it here in our back yard in Detroit, I mean, Detroit is -- I landed here. I'm from the Chicago suburbs, but I landed at Michigan as a freshman the fall of 1989. I've spent a lot of significant years around this area, so to really watch Detroit over the last 30 years, the city just very resilient, gritty, amazing people, watch this city transform and have this NCAA championship here in our 100th year of Michigan wrestling, you know, it's really special, and I think it's going to be an unbelievable event.

TOM BRANDS: Two things to say to that; I heard that the bid for this championships was put in and accepted before this facility was built. I don't know if that's true, but that's awesome testament to vision. That would be one. I said it earlier, we're in a big-time city and a big-time arena. That's awesome as well, and then speak for our team a little bit. You know, we got some guys that it's been alluded to the sixth year, the COVID year, they're tight, and they make each other better, and it's their last chance, a lot of them, so it's time to go. Detroit 2022.

PAT POPOLIZIO: I think this one is more for the athletes. The year that we had no fans in the stands, it was definitely unique and different, but to have everyone back here and the energy that's going to be in play I think is going to be real important.

Obviously, it's going to be some of the best wrestling with having these six-year guys in here along with some of the young talent that all these teams have. We're looking for a really good NCAA tournament.

ZEKE JONES: I was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, born and raised. I'm home. I love it. I'm so happy to be here. A lot of friends and family coming back. This is like home court advantage for me, and obviously these fantastic coaches have great teams. We're excited. I think we get to hide out in the West. You guys don't pay attention to us very often. We use that to our advantage. I would like to think we can sneak up on some people. We have seven returning All Americans, so maybe not so easy to sneak up this year, but looking forward to some great competition, looking forward to seeing a lot of my family and friends here at this competition, this tournament, and it's going to be a fun fight for the championship. Let's have some fun.