State may bail out CSU wrestling program
Lawmakers in the Ohio House of Representatives revealed this week an updated version of the Ohio budget bill, which would allocate $1.6 million over two years to reinstate the men’s wrestling team and establish a women’s wrestling program at Cleveland State University, cleveland.com reported on Thursday.
The possible lifeline to the program is an amendment to House Bill 96, in which the money would be allocated to CSU at $800,000 a year for two years. In this time, the goal would be to give half the money to men's wrestling and the other half to women's wrestling.
The move comes after CSU cancelled the wrestling, softball and women's golf programs in January.
"Never before have we seen a specific appropriation for athletic programs in a state budget bill," The Ohio Conference of the American Association of University Professors noted on Thursday.
The OCAAUP also pointed out that HB96 would eliminate funding support for mental health services.
In the previous state budget and in the governor's proposed budget, there had been $10 million allotted to ODHE for mental health support in each fiscal year.
Mental health resources have been seen as key to academic success, as an increasing number of students have reported mental health issues in recent years.
The highly unusual amendment to save wrestling at CSU follows a concerted campaign by the program's supporters and the intervention of Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno.
The Ohio senator wrote to CSU President Laura Bloomberg in February asking her to explain the rationale for cancelling the wrestling program. Moreno's letter made no mention of women's golf or softball.
Moreno has close ties to CSU and is a former chair of the board of trustees, which signed off on the decision to shutter wrestling.
CSU axed the three sports as part of the cuts the university is making to deal with its financial deficit.
If the proposed amendment makes it into the final version of the bill, it will need to pass both Ohio houses before it heads to the desk of the governor for a possible signature.
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