IRVING, Texas - The return of Fresno State Wrestling took another big step on Wednesday as the Big 12 Conference officially announced that the Bulldogs have become affiliate members of the Big XII conference.
"When you bring back a sport there are many hurdles to clear. Today we are pleased to clear this hurdle and become a member of the Big XII conference in the sport of wrestling. Their long and rich history in this sport is deep and we are pleased to become a part of the conference. We also want to thank the PAC-12 for their commitment to our program and interest in growing the sport," said Director of Athletics Jim Bartko.
Returning to competition for the first time since 2005-06, Fresno State will see its 11-year wrestling hiatus come to an end this November as the 'Dogs return to the mat to begin to write new chapters with a brand new collection of 25 student-athletes.
"We are very pleased and proud to accept an invitation to Big XII Conference. This is an important step in defining the future of Fresno State Wrestling. The Big XII offers a strong athletic conference particularly in wrestling as we will compete with some of the best teams in the nation, giving the Valley an opportunity to see some competitive home duals and to continue the strong tradition of wrestling at one of the toughest conference championships in the NCAA," said head coach Troy Steiner.
"We would like to extend a thank you to Big XII Commissioner, Bob Bowlsby, Athletic Director Jim Bartko, Associate Athletic Director John Kriebs and the Big XII University's administrators and coaches for their support. In addition, I would like to give special thanks to President Joseph Castro for understanding the importance of wrestling in the Central Valley and assisting in the process of getting an invitation to a wrestling-rich conference," added Steiner.
Wrestling at Fresno State dates back to 1962 when it competed as an NCAA Division II program. In 1969, the 'Dogs made the move to Division I and won 11 team conference championships, had 14 top 25 finishes at the NCAA Tournament, had three individuals that combined to win six national championships and 33 All-Americans.
Formed in 1996, the Big XII has claimed four national championships in wrestling as Oklahoma State won four consecutive titles from 2003-06. The conference has been awarded 300 All-American honors and crowned 58 national championships in its 21-year history.
"We are excited to add Fresno State and Northern Iowa as affiliate members in the sport of wrestling," said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. "We already compete at a high national level in the sport, and look forward to welcoming coaches, student-athletes and fans from each institution."
The 2018 Big 12 Wrestling Championship will take place for the second consecutive year at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 3-4.
The Fresno State Wrestling program will gets its season underway in November and stay tuned to GoBulldogs.com as the complete 2017-18 schedule will released in the near future.
Big XII Conference Wrestling Members (2017-18)
Air Force
Fresno State
Iowa State
North Dakota State
Northern Colorado
Northern Iowa (also entering the conference in 2017-18)
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
South Dakota State
Utah Valley
West Virginia
Wyoming
History of Big XII Conference Teams
1997-2011 – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Nebraska & Missouri (5 teams)
2012 – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Iowa State & Missouri (4 teams)
2013-15 – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Iowa State & West Virginia (4 teams)
2015-17 – Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, West Virginia, Air Force, Northern Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Utah Valley (10 teams)
How the Big XII has historically performed at the NCAA Tournament
1997 - Cedar Falls, Iowa (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 2) Oklahoma State (OSU), 4) Iowa State (ISU), 7) Oklahoma (OU)
16 All-Americans, 3 National Champions (NC's)
Fresno State All-Americans: Yero Washington – 134 lbs. (3rd); Brendan Buckley – 142 lbs. (7th)
1998 - Cleveland, Ohio (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 3) OSU, 6) ISU
13 All-Americans, 2 NC's
Fresno State All-Americans: Stephen Abas – 118 lbs. (4th); Stan Greene – 126 lbs. (4th)
1999 - State College, Penn. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 3) OSU, T-4) ISU, 6) OU
14 All-Americans, 2 NC's
Fresno State All-Americans: Stephen Abas – 125 lbs. (1st); Stan Greene – 133 lbs. (5th)
2000 - St. Louis, Mo. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 2) ISU, 4) OU, 5) OSU, 8) Nebraska (NEB)
15 All-Americans, 3 NC's
2001 - Iowa City, Iowa (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 3) OSU, 4) OU, 6) ISU, 8) NEB
17 All-Americans, 3 NC's
Fresno State All-Americans: Stephen Abas – 125 lbs. (1st); Billy Blunt – HWT (5th)
2002 - Albany, N.Y. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 2) ISU, 3) OU, 5) OSU, 8) NEB
19 All-Americans, 4 NC's
Fresno State All-Americans: Stephen Abas – 125 lbs. (1st)
2003 - Kansas City, Mo. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 1) Oklahoma State, 3) OU
16 All-Americans, 4 NC's
Fresno State All-Americans: Marcio Botelho - 197 lbs. (8th)
2004 - St. Louis, Mo. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 1) Oklahoma State, 5) NEB, 6) ISU, 9) OU
22 All-Americans (conference-record), 3 NC's
2005 - St. Louis, Mo. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 1) Oklahoma State, 3) OU
19 All-Americans, 6 NC's (conference-record)
2006 - Oklahoma City, Okla. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 1) Oklahoma State, 3) OU
18 All-Americans, 4 NC's
2007 - Auburn Hills, Mich. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 2) ISU, 3) Missouri, 5) OSU
13 All-Americans, 3 NC's
2008 - St. Louis, Mo. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 4) NEB, T5) OSU & ISU
19 All-Americans, 1 NC
2009 - St. Louis, Mo. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 3) ISU, 4) NEB, 7) Missouri
14 All-Americans, 3 NC's
2010 - Omaha, Neb. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 3) ISU, 5) OU, 6) OSU, 10) Missouri
15 All-Americans, 3 NC's
2011 - Philadelphia, Pa. (5 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 4) OSU
10 All-Americans, 3 NC's
2012 - St. Louis, Mo. (4 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 6) OSU
5 All-Americans, 0 NC (only time in 21 years the Big 12 has not had a national champion)
2013 - Des Moines, Iowa (4 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 2) OSU
12 All-Americans, 3 NC's
2014 - Oklahoma City, Okla. (4 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 3) OSU, 10) OU
10 All-Americans, 2 NC's
2015 - St. Louis, Mo. (4 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 7) OSU
6 All-Americans, 3 NC's
2016 - New York, N.Y. (10 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 2) OSU
14 All-Americans, 2 NC's
2017 - St. Louis, Mo. (10 teams)
Top 10 NCAA team finishes: 3) OSU
13 All-Americans, 1 NC
Big 12 Wrestling History Notes
51 Top 10 NCAA Team Finishes (OSU: 20; OU: 11; ISU: 11; NEB: 6; Missouri: 3)
Oklahoma State has finished in the top 10 at the NCAA Tournament every single season except 2009.
The Cowboys have won the conference's four wrestling national championships (2003-06).
There have been 300 All-Americans in 21 seasons (an average of 14.3 All-Americans per season).
The Big 12 has had 58 National Champions (an average of 2.8 per season).
��هm