Norwich Wrestling Needs Your Help

In December of 2008, Norwich University announced that it would be dropping wrestling as a cost-cutting measure after the 2008-2009 season.  Since that time, Head Coach Rich Hasenfus has been working with alumni and friends of the program to save the program for 2009-2010 and beyond.  This week, Norwich announced that the program was reinstated for the 2009-2010 season.  However, that reinstatement is only for next year unless funds can be raised to keep the program viable into the future.

The number given to the wrestling team was $85,000 in order to continue for next season.  As of now, according to Hasenfus, there are $77,000 in total pledges, with $62,000 pledged toward next year.  They team is still in the process of fundraising for 2009-2010, but the school administration has seen enough to reinstate the team in the short term.  Please take the time to go to www.savenorwichwrestling.com to find out how you can help in the fundraising effort.

The team has had to make some budgetary concessions to stay afloat, including eliminating some of their longer road trips.  Also, Hasenfus is currently without an assistant coach.  There are a few ways the team hopes to raise awareness and publicity within both the wrestling and military communities.  First, Norwich is hopeful that they can put together a proposal to host the All-Academy Championships and use the event to gain support for the future of their team.  Second, former Norwich wrestler Mike Brown is the current WEC Featherweight champion in mixed martial arts.  He will be fighting former champion Urijah Faber on Sunday night at 9pm on Versus and will also be supporting the Norwich cause with some clinics.

“I’m glad that we were able to save the team for next year.” stated Hasenfus.  “Even though it’s not permanent, it buys us more time to save the program for the future.  If it goes away, it’s gone forever, so it was good to be able to keep it going.  Cutting the team was shortsighted by the administration.  Wrestling brings students into Norwich, even if they’re not on the team.  For this past year, I had contact with 69 different students who deposited at Norwich.  Even though they didn’t all wrestle, they came to the school, and wrestling had something to do with it.”

Even with the team back, Hasenfus recognizes what he is up against, especially with recruiting.  “We couldn’t really recruit this year after the announcement was made that the team would be cut.  Even now that it’s back, it is a hard sell because we don’t have a guaranteed future beyond this year.”  Even keeping the current wrestlers around is tough, though the roster should have about 20 wrestlers back next year.

The first battle has been won at Norwich, but the fight isn’t over.  Hopefully, the wrestling community can come together to help support the team financially and keep college wrestling in Vermont.  Every little bit helps, especially if the wrestling and military communities can get behind this cause.  Again, visit www.savenorwichwrestling.com to learn how to give and what you can do to help.

Announcement on Norwich Athletics page